The Herald-News - News Story

When the United States was drawn into WWII, following the attack on Pearl Harbor, this country was ill-prepared to enter into a major armed conflict.

For the first 18 months, there was much debate about how the war should be conducted. Opinions varied sharply regarding the size of the military forces, duration of the war and size of the civilian workforce required to meet war-time production needs. Arguments persisted as to how many young men should be allowed to attend college.

Generally, the prevailing view was that America had a limitless supply of manpower. The nation was still emerging from the Great Depression of the 1930s and there were thousands of unemployed workers anxious to serve in the military for both patriotic and economic reasons.

However, the myth of an inexhaustible supply of manpower was soon replaced by the harsh reality that many sacrifices would be required. By late 1942, the draft age was lowered from 20 to 18, and the only males in college were those in an area of study which qualified them for educational deferments.

Henry L. Stimson was Secretary of War during WWII. He initially thought the Army (all branches combined) would not exceed 3.6 million. Army Chief of Staff, George C. Marshall, recommended that the armed forces be increased to 10 million by the end of 1943. Congress did not agree and set a limit of 7.7 million men. (The total eventually reached 13,104,355).

Demands for manpower created by the war were prevalent in not only the military, but also in the civilian/industrial sector. To meet the need for industrial workers, women replaced the men who were off to war. Concentrated training programs were initiated to bring the women into areas previously reserved for men. They quickly adapted to the demands of industry. In the spirit common to the Greatest Generation, these women, many housewives, set industrial production records - a feat unequalled to date.

With the draft age being lowered to 18, the brightest young men were not going to college but into the military service. This created a dual problem. First, the military realized the draft had essentially eliminated the flow of manpower into technical and professional fields.
Secondly, there would be a shortage of technical and professional personnel when the war ended.

Although the government had the war manpower commission, it was slow to make recommendations. In order to have the universities appropriately utilized, a committee headed by the president of Cornell University recommended to FDR the creation of a college training program. The program would consist of young men in uniform, on pay status, and subject to military discipline. This program would not only serve the war effort, but would also keep the universities from suffering economic collapse.

In turn, President Roosevelt suggested to Secretary of War Stimson that a college training program be initiated. Thus, was born the Army Specialized Training Program (ASTP). The most intelligent young men were sought out to participate in the collegiate endeavor.

Any soldier, regardless of race, who attained a score of 110 (later 115) on the Army General Classification Test was eligible to participate in the new scholar program. This was accomplished in an era when combat soldiers were segregated by race. It is interesting that some of the black soldiers attended all white universities.

The ASTP was short lived. Desperate need for combat troops took priority over the educational program.

Some notable alumni of the ASTP include: Robert Dole, Henry Kissinger, Gore Vidal, Andy Rooney and Mel Brooks.

Perhaps the ASTP was not overly successful. But, it afforded an opportunity for some young men to experience college, and probably influenced some to attend college after the war's end.

The GI Bill provided a means for many veterans to obtain a college degree. These graduates filled the demand of technical and professional fields in America's rise to the status of superpower.

The Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) graduated approximately 93,000 young men who became commissioned officers, outnumbering regular Army officers three to one.

Following the end of WWII, National Guard and Army Reserve Units became more widely established. However, the acceptance of these units by the regular armed forces was not always very good. There was a prevailing attitude if you were not in the regular Army - RA as soldiers like to say - you were nothing. This attitude no longer exists.

Currently, the United States is the only major power with an all-volunteer Army. Reserve and National Guard units are repeatedly called to active duty. Often, the reserve units out-perform the "regular Army" units. National Guard and Reserve Units are now readily accepted for their professional competence and dedicated service.