A/V Geeks Lunch 11-11-2021

you're out of the service just got home and you're glad it's over but maybe it's not really over because you brought a drug problem home with you and you're finding out of the street is a pretty tough place to solve it if you're a veteran with a drug problem there's a place you can go place where you won't get hassled or arrested may i have the number of the va drug treatment center please it's up to you immediate help is available at your va drug treatment center all you have to do is call so [Music] oh [Music] back in 1918 these were pretty exciting pictures the fighting men of america coming home from france down fifth avenue they marched with their brass shining and grins a mile wide the crowds cheered and waved flags and the boys home from chateau terry and bellow wood planned on picking up their lives just where they'd left them only for a lot of them it didn't work out that way not exactly some of these marching men wanted to go back to school but discovered they didn't have the money others learned the jobs they'd left behind were gone or if they were there they didn't want them they wanted something better but for these returning soldiers no legislation had been passed or any program mapped out to give them the break they deserved they got medals but 15 years later some of these men were selling apples on street corners others were known contemptuously as bonus marchers what about this time mack are these navy boys going to get the same sort of deal what about this man has fought the long tough fight up italy has been knocked out what's going to happen to him is it going to be the same for these gi's hitting the beach at taipan or the siegfried line or the gothic line or any line that's needed hitting when it's all over is it going to be like last time for them no this time it's going to be different yeah what makes you so sure because in washington there were a group of congressmen with long memories who were in the last war they knew that when a man gets out of the army or navy or marines he's worried most about a job an education and a home and that's why congress led by the president passed the law the serviceman's readjustment act of 1944 better known as the gi bill of rights and to make sure it works a veterans administration is already busy in washington with general frank hines in charge sounds alright sounds great in fact but i'm from missouri you got to show me brother happy to let's take a typical example we'll call this corporal who saw action in italy vic jones here he's signing his name to one of the most important documents of his career his honorable discharge after that he bucks his last gi line to get is mustering out pay everybody get the same pay no the amount depends on the length of a man's service a hundred dollars for the man who's only worn a uniform two months 200 for the gi's who served here in the states more than sixty days and three hundred dollars for the soldier who's been overseas like jones he gets a hundred now another hundred in a month and the last hundred in two months pretty nice huh after all a hundred bucks is a lot of bucks i'm not complaining so far but changing over from a gi to a civilian costs money by the time a guy's bought himself a new outfit and looked around trying to remember his saluting days are over most of his dough is pretty well shut what happens then that's where the gi bill of rights comes in jones by law like every discharge soldier must report back to his draft board there if he wants his old job back he finds out if he's eligible and how to go about it but suppose his ex-boss doesn't want to give him back his old job if necessary the local draft board will get the united states attorney to go to bat for the corporal at no cost and his ex-boss will have to rehire him for at least a year if not at his old job then one with equivalent seniority status and pay not bad not bad but what about the guy who was unemployed before he entered the army and what about a guy like jones here wants a better job than when he went in the united states employment service has 1500 offices throughout the country with a special veterans employment representative to assist ex-soldiers in finding the right job but what if the right job doesn't turn up so fast and he's unemployed for a while then like tabor here who's eligible he receives unemployment insurance twenty dollars a week up to a maximum of one year depending on his length of service or take the case of a man like albert falk who goes into his own business after he's discharged if things are a little slow and getting started and he's earning less than a hundred dollars a month then through the gi bill of rights he receives a check each month making up the difference you said something about an education what about a man like sergeant brown here who's just been let out before the army got him he was going to school now he'd like to go back veterans administration offices have been set up in every state and it's here the ex-soldier goes if he wants to continue his education under the gi bill of rights all he has to do when interviewed is prove that he was not over 25 when he entered the service or showed that his education was interrupted you mean he can get any kind of education he wants now you're getting the idea any kind of education and in any part of the country high school trade school college university the ex-sergeant after consulting the veterans administration decides he wants to go to new york university and here he calls on the registrar who also serves as a veterans advisor brown tells the registrar what he'd like to do the courses he'd like to study then don't tell me i know the gi bill of rights looks after the money end too that's right tuition is taken care of funds are provided for laboratory fees books supplies and equipment are included through the gi bill of rights the government pays sergeant brown's school up to five hundred dollars a year while brown gets fifty dollars a month for subsistence if you were married you get seventy five for how long depending on the length of service a veteran can go to school from one to four years if the ex-soldiers already completed college and wants to take a post-graduate course such as law there's nothing to stop him oh yes one more point every soldier or sailor should remember that refresher and retraining courses are open to everyone regardless of age if a man wants to he can brush up on his training or plan to take new courses nice house isn't it sure it's nice and if i'm lucky after i get out in five or ten years i'll have one pretty much like it well george tobin just driving in didn't have to wait any five or ten years as soon as he got out of the navy he applied to the director of finance veterans administration in washington they were able to help him get a loan by guaranteeing it up to two thousand dollars of course george like every veteran had to meet certain conditions prove he was a reliable citizen but he was able to do that all right i guess i was all wrong about it being like last time uh wait a second what about the beautiful blonde don't tell me the gi bill of rights guarantees every returning service man one of those too no that's still up to the veteran just as it's up to him to take advantage of the gi bill of rights and not expect the government to come after him the gi bill of rights is not a reward or a handout for a gravy train but rather an american way to make it easier for each man to take his place once again in the community and get some of those things for which you went to war a job a business an education a home [Music] ed you've impressed a lot of people here with your ability to do a job so we want you to help run the new department we're opening we're giving you a chance as a supervisor me a supervisor well hey that's great but no buts you prove that hiring the vet pays off come on supervisor let's take a look at your new order the disabled veteran he's given a lot and he's got a lot more to give contact your local va or state employment service office [Music] how do you do week after week for the past few years it's been my pleasure to report to you on the industrial family that serves the nation united states steel now i want you to have a look at the record i want you to see what's happening i want you to hear from the more than two hundred eighty thousand workers in that industrial family they're shattering production records in peacetime just as they shattered production records in wartime and they're mighty proud of the fact let's check with one of them oh jim robbins fellas are pretty proud of your production records aren't you we sure are mr hicks of course you know i wasn't here during the war i know you did about a four-year hitch didn't you jim air force but your dad was here my dad's been here for 35 years one of my uncles more than that i've got relatives all over the place well see you later yes relatives all over the place while jim was away they supplied him from the home front turning out steel for tanks instead of cars for guns instead of refrigerators all production was geared to winning the war back from defending america jim is again in the business of building america a strong america so essential to world recovery it's no small order it requires new and better facilities for the new and better steels advanced by research and technology during the war long before the war's end united states steel was planning the reconversion to peacetime production but let's go back and pick up jim robbins story from the day he came home [Music] [Music] hello mrs robbins oh [Music] good old betsy don't tell me she still runs well she walks but in a very dignified manner [Music] the old car that was just one of the things we wanted to replace we wanted new homes and new home appliances new refrigerators new washing machines and new stoves there were so many things we'd all been waiting for hello dad hello son it's been a long time sure has where's mom in the kitchen remember me your hands are filthy oops didn't watch okay bob that's for you dear thought you might like it i like it oh i'm crazy about it that's some birthday's garden one of hitler's own personal bodyguards work i'll plant some philodendron in it oh no you don't this is for you mom for me look inside of it real handmade lace oh it's lovely it's from brussels from brussels that's in belgium mom the uh old home town is going to look pretty small after all the places you've been but you'll get used to it look it could be the smallest town in the world but it's my home and i like it the civilian suit the tweeds jim dreamed about during those years of service well they didn't fit jim anymore the house didn't fit either there were so many things that jim and america needed after the war how about the safety shoes they still look all right they'll come in mighty handy on the job the job the important job of making steel for a greater america one in four in united states steel is a return veteran all right mr robin will you step in here please thank you jim hello monty have a seat won't you thank you please looking different to you good not different i understand you're interested in night school courses anything particularly no nothing in particular in that case i believe i would study the list of available courses i'm sure you'll find what you want make up your mind we'll start from there all right good i was folks oh fine of course we're a little crowded four people in one house but we'll make up the employee training program began long before the war the students are steel workers of all ages improving themselves in the skills of making steel the dav field service units are rolling again and one of these disabled american veterans mobile offices will be in your area soon to help veterans and their families if you were injured or disabled during military duty you can get help with problems concerning disability compensation education medical care and other benefits for dates and locations of the service units check your local newspaper or call your dav national service office at this number [Music] so [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] welcome home well done [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Applause] [Music] so [Applause] [Music] [Music] oh sir all this can't keep a fella from putting down his ideas something is going to add up here his own air-conditioned castle with a deep freeze cool for beer great big lawn where bet and pupsy will welcome home [Music] no sir all this can't stop a fellow from keeping his ideas [Music] mighty swell this is a long time coming they're all here sure enough yes there's no place like home but what's happened here back in the land of the free in the home of the brave [Music] are you all living here all of them in this three-room apartment [Music] but where bet and bubsy hung out [Music] oh no bart is back now hildy got a spot for the three of them uh-uh uncle rod knows there isn't a spot in town not a rabbit hole we'll see about that a man can have resource and gumption we'll find a spot we'll find a home right now before lunch and be back [Music] they want a roof of their own that's all a place of their own no rooms well we'll take it apart this one looks nice [Music] sure it's nice and there is an apartment someone has heard of someone who knew someone who mentioned that someone might move out [Music] hunting a home the most intense prolonged widespread desperate hunt in history with the hunters running into the millions [Music] [Applause] [Music] no rentals no no rental since last wednesday but i do have a house for sale at 18 000. [Music] i should have held that house until tomorrow i could have gotten twenty thousand dollars [Music] um [Music] any city has thousands of dwellings there must be some spot somewhere [Music] somewhere somewhere somewhere [Music] somewhere [Music] somewhere somewhere anywhere somewhere somewhere anywhere anywhere anywhere anywhere anywhere some spots somewhere where they can live as a family [Music] i've got to have a home [Music] no one is to blame yet everyone is to blame there's been a lag in home construction for more than 15 years during the past five years the population of the united states has increased eight million now there are building material shortages of all kinds and shortages of manpower in the building trades everywhere citizens were aware of the emergency in the city halls of hundreds of cities in state legislatures and in washington in the committee rooms of the national capital a solution was sought theo enacted that to meet this emergency funds and the necessary authority will be forthcoming to launch the veterans program [Applause] the veterans emergency housing program is launched to help solve the housing emergency in hundreds of cities [Music] the target two million seven hundred thousand homes and apartments started by the end of 1947. this can't be done overnight houses and apartments are not produced through miracles this is the goal the number of houses built in 1945 must in 1946 be five times greater and in 1947 six and a half times greater this is a job on which government industry and labor will have to join in an all-out effort the heart of this program lies in the community to answer this pledge to the veterans an emergency committee is created a gathering of friends and neighbors called for the mayor's emergency committee are a representative of veterans it's their program remember and a local housing authority director here are a real estate dealer representative of home builders and representative of home financing institutions representatives of the afl and of minority groups delegate from the cio a newspaper editor women's organizations are represented too representative of material producers and dealers a regional housing expediter and the head of the local veterans housing referral center all right let's call the meeting to order let's hear the reports of our committees the war is not over this is for operation hometown usa to redeem its pledge to their veterans such emergency committees are at work in worcester pittsburgh chicago salt lake city los angeles right across the nation in large cities and small what has this committee already done for their veterans all right the first report is that of our referral center our subcommittee mr chairman has completed plans for the opening of a clearinghouse for information on housing for all returning men of the armed services in the referral center we find out all we can about every veteran's needs here we give him consultation and advice does the veteran wish to build or rent for rental he has shown our classified listings we have classified the type of vacancy that we receive however if the applicant wishes to build the veteran is told how application may be made for a priority to the state or district office of the fha and he is also told where he may find out about a loan under the gi bill of rights thank you very much mrs wilkins and now let's have the report of our publicity committee we of the publicity subcommittee have asked local radio stations to make appeals and interview veterans newspapers have given space to cut out coupons cartoons and feature articles we have issued posters letters have been sent to all clergymen in town to request the property owners of their congregations to open their homes similar letters to service clubs women's clubs and all realtors and finally to all property owners we've tried to make everyone aware that they must help in this emergency and you're certainly doing a good job the next step in the veterans housing program is a survey of the city's present housing situation our report on this comes from a man whose wide experience in housing and real estate well qualifies him as chairman of our subcommittee on planning psy let's have your report we've made a complete survey of all unused housing space in our town we've had our boy scouts comb all the burrows for extra space maybe upstairs over that garage there's an unused room a spare room or attic that could be used temporarily we've asked all our folks people who are so situated if they'd consider remodeling large houses into additional apartments that helps now that's how we've tried to take the edge off the housing shortage in our town until construction can get underway and catch up with all this demand and the demand is certainly great isn't it tom it really is uh tom and i have made a recount of substandard housing checked existing maps we know just where we stand on that there are a lot of veterans in those houses they should be considered now here's one result of our survey you'll recognize this as a map of our city here you'll find unused lots some of them city owned taking over for back taxes we've interviewed many of the owners of these vacant lots tried to free them from cloudy titles now many of these improved lots will be available for building within our price range we've also made a study of the use of land beyond the city limits land not serviced by city paving facilities very good psy good work now about this construction that psy says must get underway it's pretty clear to us all that drastic steps must be taken as local housing authority director i want to report that we have established a veterans preference for admission to our low rent projects the recount of substandard housing based largely on our surveys showed that there are many veterans families living under slum conditions low-income veterans and their families are doubly handicapped in this emergency we are trying to give them an even break thank you very much indeed that's what we're all here for now target number one 1946 target number two 1947. now how do we get there what's our path well to help us along our road we have with us today a regional housing expediter mr walter king [Applause] we all agree that the veterans emergency housing program is going to depend primarily on community action but the federal government is going to do everything within its power to help to channel materials into homes for veterans at the right prices to utilize its resources to break bottlenecks on a national scale all government agencies concerned with housing and materials which window housing are cooperating with national housing expediter wilson w wyatt the civilian production administration has a prime job of stimulating the greatest possible amount of production the office of price administration of keeping prices on materials in line the labor department will turn its efforts in cooperation with labor to augmenting the manpower supply and the three major units of the national housing agency will each have vital roles the federal housing administration or fha as it is known to every builder and millions of homeowners is handling the arduous task of issuing priorities and of insurance of mortgages the federal public housing authority has the vital job of providing two hundred thousand temporary homes for veterans as speedly as possible this will be done by the reuse of the war housing supply an army and navy barracks as well as by aiding the long-range public housing program for those of low income operated through local housing authorities and the federal home loan bank administration will utilize its resources and those of its member institutions to aid in the financing of veterans homes as a town you would do well to set a goal to shoot at as your chairman states but first you must remember that the price factor of new houses is important a war department survey shows that 84 of the veterans throughout the nation can afford more than a six thousand dollar house can't pay more than fifty dollars a month rent and many of these families want to rent and are in no position to buy a house how many houses will this town need to hit target one and target two to answer that certain basic facts are called for our referral center reports that the number of discharge veterans still seeking homes is 2998 selective service reports total number of men from this town in war service for the period of july 1st 1940 to june 1st 1946 is fifty 6451. the 1946 population of this town is 59 963 no correction on that 965 twins arrived this morning at the city hospital [Laughter] a survey part of which was made for us by our boy scouts reports that the total number of habitable vacant dwelling units in this community is only 67. they're going fast schedule a estimates future veteran requirements vacancies subtracted from requirements give an estimate of the number of houses needed 2931 for 1946 1304 for 1947 1627 the total number for which this community must assume responsibility that's too dark it can't be done it's clear beyond this sight it's impossible ladies and gentlemen it's got to be done how well here are three ways of meeting our goal in addition to making available every possible vacant space in existing homes first by building in the usual conventional manner the on-site construction which has provided the great volume of our homes and apartments in the past secondly by prefabricated houses and houses of prefabricated parts constructed in the factory and assembled on the site and thirdly by temporary structures brought from other areas but we don't want any temporary building well we put them but can we get the material can we get labor ladies and gentlemen but these houses take time our veterans need roofs right now and at a price that we can afford these men can't wait this is a crisis friends and it calls for action we've got to find homes for veterans we all know the cost it's not beyond our powers our ability as a city we've got to find apartments and houses by every possible means now i've heard that in a certain midwestern city interested parties were brought together real estate men made available i believe a one thousand acre plot bankers and savings and loan people arranged for the financing and then veterans who wish to build made application the first contractor is building 400 low-to-moderate priced units as one job i believe that this town can do the same if we pool our mutual interests of course building contractors need stimulation and i think that we should encourage the formation of new construction organizations now uh what about materials that is the biggest most critical job facing us today and that's one for you joe that idle brickyard on crescent street you can get that into operation again yes i can and we must do much more to break those bottlenecks sam that sawmill of jim matthews is only one of several that can be made to increase its output of lumber oh sure no what about labor labor can meet the demand if materials are there we can make the men available we'll recruit all the men needed for the job and train them as speedily as possible we can relax our apprenticeship requirements if the building industry grows labor will grow with it remember labor has a great stake in the housing program both as producer and consumer and we're going to see it through it's pretty clear i think that we can't construct all the dwellings we need in the usual conventional manner to achieve our target we've got to use prefabrication now the big advantage of prefabs of course is the speed of construction units are assembled in the factory by production line methods houses can be shipped within a limited radius of the factory [Music] the prefabricated houses that we want are not flimsy structures they will be built to high standards and i'm sure that they'll be a real asset to the community former service barracks and war housing are placed at the disposal of veterans 200 000 of these units are being dismantled and moved through the federal public housing authority to cities and colleges where the need is extreme for immediate shelter [Music] available and serviceable but they do not meet our permanent needs when the emergency is over they will be removed well this about concludes our meeting we must remember that we're after rental housing all we can get of it because most veterans are no position to buy homes and even more important we must eliminate non-essential construction and channel all materials to veterans needs this is really an emergency friends and i know that each and every one of you will cooperate and now let's have a discussion and a vote but the important thing is early decision decision about land for the necessary construction land for all income groups questions about city paving an extension of facilities if construction is really to get going colds must be amended to still give protection but not hold up production zoning must be reappraised yes the important thing for every committee is to face their local problems and argue them out in the democratic process opinion stated problems faced solutions evaluated but the important thing is the need for concerted action all right all those in favor hundreds of these committees in hundreds of towns are facing their housing emergency facing their problems with full use of their resources over and above they plan their future and the future of the nation buildings should grow to be the major united states industry better living conditions are ahead for us all [Applause] city planners and planning commissions builders labor financing agencies local housing authorities civic groups alert citizens everywhere are meeting the enlarged demands of the 20th century cities will plan their growth communities will provide more neighborhoods where men and women can live in comfort and dignity [Music] there will be wider spaces community facilities for all more air and sunlight more living rooms more houses and a rich full life for everyone but in the meantime right now [Music] i've got to have a home let's do it let's give him a home [Music] [Music] foreign [Music] i'm out no more leveling no more sergeants wow no more unicorns look at me i'm a cybillian [Music] i'm out of the army [Music] [Applause] my hometown mom dad everyone i'm home [Music] i'll really be wondering it's really that cool [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] well i guess i'll drift down the old sugar bowl and scare out the old gang okay okay again oh ralphie's back [Music] old ralphie [Music] hey [Music] hello maisie mommy a man wants to talk to you hello hazel what hello janet hi sorry married hi barbara how are you going out with your mother-in-law linda grandma hello betty no marge husband what's wrong anyway everybody everything seems different i i wonder what my old gi buddies are doing i wonder if if i want to re-inlet don't say it don't even think it you're too smart around people got all right and besides i'm here to help you you ain't got no more troubles yeah hold this now i just happen to have here [Music] now first thing you gotta do is [Music] all we want is the facts man facts eh i'll fax you buster this is what the average civilian in your age bracket claims a month you may fire when ready grizzly [Music] need i say more that's over a hundred bucks difference [Music] [Applause] [Music] plus family allowances of course and automatic raises and foreign service pay and promotions you know sure but uh look what you gotta do for all that dough slash around in the mud all day [Music] and you can pick your career before you re-enlist realist are you nuts we ain't really listening to nothing we don't want to look like no toy soldier look at this civilian clothes shopping [Music] yeah yeah like i say but we're gonna we're gonna work our way through school nights [Music] while in service of course don't be taken in kid we'll get ourselves a good job two weeks vacation every year at good old lake morty log [Music] in the army that is so what who wants to live in a barracks on your life stick with me kid we'll live in luxury [Music] uh government insured of course okay wise guy retirement [Music] in the army [Music] or [Music] don't listen to him we'll strike uranium in your backyard we can invent something dehydrated water just add water [Music] and with that fat bonus too holy cow come on hurry up we'll inherit fortnite [Music] hurry up [Music] [Music] you