Back to School GIs

Since the Vietnam War there's been talk of our nation's collective disregard for Veterans, and more specifically, the government's neglect of the men and women who bravely defend our freedom. But hopefully the new GI Bill is an indication we're on the brink of righting ourselves.

Signed by President Bush last year, the bill goes into effect this Saturday, providing veterans with enough time to enroll for the fall semester. The Associated Press reports that, "many veterans who served after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks are eligible for full tuition and fees for four years at a state university, a monthly housing stipend and up to $1,000 annually for books."

Not since the days of FDR have we seen such a comprehensive plan. Over the next 10 years $78 billion will afford life-changing opportunities to men and women, who may have otherwise never been given a chance at an education like Spc. Marco Reininger. The 25-year-old will soon be roaming the halls of Columbia University. The government will bankroll most of the $100,000 tuition.

"It definitely makes it more valuable," Reininger, 25, a member of the New York Army National Guard, said of his combat experience. "Without that deployment, I couldn't be eligible for anything."

For some however, it's difficult to imagine or calculate the long-term implications an experience like this might have on a veteran like Reininger, but in the case of a WWII beneficiary such as Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), 85, the impact is clear as day. The long-time senator also attended Columbia on the GI bill, and in hindsight, it opened doors that he never imagined existed. "In a way, I'm not even sure I would've gone to college," Lautenberg told AP. "The horizon was so limited. I couldn't think in terms of the future."

So while every GI won't make her way to the Senate, a college education at least gives her a shot to pursue whatever dream she wishes to follow. And that's the very least we can do for the men and  women who risk their lives, so the rest of us don't have to.

Photo courtesy of momos, via Commons Wikimedia.