European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - July 21, 1968, Darmstadt, Hesse Continued from / Urban league s veterans affairs coordinators in nine major cities and the defense department s project project transition began As a Pilot program at five military bases in june 1967. It became optional at All . Mili tary bases Jan. 1, 19g8. Of the approximately 750,000 men who leave the services each year All take part in project transition at least tothe extent of filling out a questionnaire. More than half ask for some help in counselling skill enhancement education or Job program has arranged with about 50 private companies to train men while they Are still in uniform. In most cases this results in Quick jobs for the me when they Are discharged. Since the men Are trained i. The service the program also results in a saving of As much As $1,000 per Man to the firm that employs program offers vocational training in data processing Post office and police department work automotive mechanics drafting electricity radio and television welding and service station management. In addition the defense department offers Early discharges to men who qualify As policemen and win jobs on Cit Law enforcement staffs. Since the pro Gram was inaugurated last fall 536servicemen, some of them negroes have gotten Early discharges to become police men. Black militants have criticized the Early release program and the police training As an Effort by the White establishment to neutralize the negro vet eran and pit Blacks against Blacks in the ghettos. The same complaint was voiced when negro troops were used to quell riots As in Detroit where the 82nd airborne div with its Large contingent of negroes helped Stop the disorder last summer. Raymond Daley of Brook Lyn a negro Vietnam Veteran earned a High school diploma through project transition and when he gets out of the service i feel my chances of getting Good Job will be s. Sgt. John Earl Foley of Beaumont,tex., an airman who served in Vietnam was undecided about what he would Dowhen he got out of the service. Through project Counselor he decided to be diesel Mechanic. We want them to feel their service is appreciated.99 project transition helped me find Good school to attend to take up mechanics Foley said. The veterans administration s one Stop assistance centers were created Early this year to offer the disadvantaged Veteran primarily negroes with Little education and skilled Only in these of such weapons As the m16 Rifle or m79 grenade launcher one place where he can learn about benefits to which he is entitled and receive Job and educational counselling. The assistance Center gets the names of disadvantaged veterans from the a s data processing Center at Austin,tex., and a personnel attempt to make direct Contact with each one through Telephone Calls personal visits to his Home or by letters. We Are making this very Active constructive Effort to seek out the re turning service men and especially the disadvantaged ones because they return without the fanfare of a mass discharge and Are absorbed into the Community with relatively Little notice said w. , a administrator. We want them to feel that their serv ice is appreciated and we stand ready to support their readjustment to civilian life in every Way perhaps the most effective programs operated by the Urban league. It is financed by the Rov Gefeller Brothers fund and the defense department co 90 and 120 Days before Dis charge military officials Contact each negro i inform him of the Urban league s program and if he desires give him a league questionnaire that asks about employment education and hous ing and whether the Serviceman needs r. Steele a retired major and head of the program said the league gets about 1,600 requests for assistance each month about 19,200 a year or from one third of the negroes being Dis charged. The Only men who do not learn of the program through the military Are negroes returning from Vietnam to Bodi charged. Steele said the army told him it did not have time to counsel themen in Vietnam and when they get to the United states if they have less than90 Days to do they Are discharged immediately. Mupi Robert Kayton made it on his own. Page 16 ode led after new York City veterans Center the program offers Job educational housing and other counsel ing services in one office. The coordinators develop personal relationships with government officials and landlords with personnel department managers and with registrars at colleges and Urban league has had consider Able Success. During the first three months of this year 2,162 negro veterans asked for assistance in finding a Job an the league placed 805 of them 150 wanted help with housing and the league helped 59, and 779 asked for vocational or educational guidance and the league assisted 662. There have been successes in som Fields which have few negroes. Charles Mahoney of Monroeville pa., a former military policeman Hud a High school Lawrence Joel at medal of Honor ceremony negroes can l make it big outside. Diploma and one year of College. But when he got out of the air Force the Only jobs he could find were menial. Four months ago he went to the Urban league and now he is on his Way to be coming Pittsburgh s first negro jeweler. He uses two words to describe his Job wonderful. there Are failures. Robert Jenkins a20-year-old negro Veteran who was wounded in Vietnam had Only the equivalent of a High school diploma and that was not Good enough to get a goo Job in new York City. I tried to get a Job right away Jen Kins said. I went to Banks i went to brokerage houses and department All turned me Jenkins problem was complicated by his Home situation. There was no room for him with his parents and 10 brother Sand Sisters. He did not know about the unemployment payments to which hews entitled and instead tried to apply for emergency welfare told me 1 was too Jenkins ended up sleeping in the Hall ways and doorways of Manhattan s slums. He finally got a Job loading truck but then his Union went out on strike and Jenkins went Back to the people Back in the states they did t seem to care said Jenkins. Despite the numerous programs there Are still veterans like Jenkins and there Are still problems jobs in atlant for instance. In new Orleans it is hous York Urban league coordinator mighty said he gets Many Calls Cromwell meaning employers who have a $65 a week janitorial or delivery boy jobs to offer. He also complains about tests which he says Are the Ihm Way o say ing it and not doing some negro veterans find that Thebes Way to get what they want is to avoid the various programs that have been created for them and use their own c. Kayton. 21, of Detroit Dis charged from the Marine corps in Janu Ary was determined to become a photographer. He went to the Urban league for Urban league suggested maybe i d belter take another Job for a while and they d keep looking Kayton said. I did t do finally found a Job As an Industrial photographer through a negro employ ment Agency. His Boss Scott Lewis said he hired Kayton because he showed Good expected a lot of him when i got him and he s showing me More than i expected Lewis said. The army is their University Knock at the door of Opportunity the sign on thebus said. It s your future your decision. . increasingly Young american negroes Are finding thai the army free of the prejudice and discrimination thut plagues the negro in civilian life and the other armed services Are doors to Opportunity. And increasingly they Are choosing the army or theother services As a career. In 1965, the re enlist Mem rates for soldiers serving their first hitch was 13.7 percent for Whites and 49.3 per cent for negroes. In 1wm. White re enlistments among first terms were 20 pet Een tand among negroes 66.5 per cent. Percentage figures for 1967 were not available but As in1965 and 1966, More negroes were re enlisting in the army Thun Whites at a rate of three to one the defense department said the re enlistment rates in the other services were not As High but negro re enlistees outnumbered Whites by two to one. The reasons for the High number of re enlistments Are simple and not solely concerned with the ability of me negro to make More Money in the military Man civilian life. In the words of Whitney m. Young jr., head of Tho Urban league the army offers More Opportunity
