This story reminds me of an incident I witnessed while I was in basic
training for the U.S. Air Force in 1982. I was in the orderly room
waiting on some paperwork, when a training instructor brought in one of
his recruits who had failed to pass his reading test. One must be able
to read at least at the 8th grade level. This recruit could only read at
the 6th grade level.  The TI was arguing in favor of waiving the reading
requirement for this trainee.  He enlisted in the Air Force from Korea,
and until that time he hadn't been taught to read English. The reason
the TI was fighting so hard in this young mans favor was that the young
man had brought his reading level up from almost zero to the sixth grade
level in six weeks.  This impressed the instructor so much that he went
to bat for him, but it was to no avail the recruit was recycled and I
was never able to find out how this ended. My guess is the recruit
brought his reading up to the requisite level.  


Russell L. Smith
Education Supervisor I
Special Education Compliance
We have met the enemy and he is us Pogo (Walt Kelly)
 
 

-----Original Message-----
From: learningdisabilities-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:learningdisabilities-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Fletcher,
Jackie L
Sent: Monday, November 13, 2006 4:02 PM
To: 'The Learning Disabilities Discussion List'
Subject: [LearningDisabilities 770] Re:A Message for Veteran's Day
November 11, 2006

Rochelle,
 
Thanks for this Veteran's Day remembrance email.  It was very touching.
 
Jackie Fletcher
MA. Dept. of Education

-----Original Message-----
From: learningdisabilities-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:learningdisabilities-bounces at nifl.gov]On Behalf Of Maureen Carro
Sent: Monday, November 13, 2006 3:55 PM
To: The Learning Disabilities Discussion List
Subject: [LearningDisabilities 768] Re: A Message for Veteran's Day
November 11, 2006



Rochelle, 

Thank you for sharing this thought-provoking information with us on
Veterans' Day! I have shared it with some colleagues who also have
responded to say thanks! 



On Nov 11, 2006, at 5:30 PM, RKenyon721 at aol.com wrote: 



A Message for Veteran's Day November 11, 2006 


Love and Liberty Bridged by Literacy: 

Remembering Literacy Students and Their Teachers During World War II 


Tom Sticht 

International Consultant in Adult Literacy 


On Veteran's Day November 11, 2006 we remember those who have fallen in
wars to protect the liberty and freedom that we all enjoy. In homes,
churches, and graveyards special ceremonies will bring back memories of
loved ones who died serving their country. 


But while tributes to special groups will be given - the battalions of
the 

Army, the battle groups of the Navy, the nurses who saved the lives of
some while crying for the loss of others - one group of service members
will go largely unnoticed and unappreciated. Indeed, they were unwanted
to begin with, and only employed when the demands for fighters at the
front became so great that the military had to use them. They are the
men who were called to duty and were unable to read and write, and in
many cases they were not able to speak or understand the English
language. 


In his history of the Army Training of Illiterates in World War II,
Samuel 

Goldberg provides an in-depth discussion of the Special Training Units
that the Army put into operation to teach young soldiers how to read,
write, and speak the English language. He also talks about how much
servicemen and their families appreciated the military's literacy work. 


Writing in the July 1943 issue of "Our War", a newspaper for the
literacy 

students of World War II, Private Porfirio C. Gutierrez wrote: "This is
my 

first letter in English. I have learned to read and write so that I can 

help protect our country." 


A mother of a soldier wrote [in original spellings and punctuation]:
"dear 

sir: I thank you all for Learning My child to read and wright I don't
Know 

how to thank you all Because My child did not know nothing it is realy
high apprishated Because I did not have the time to send him to school I
did not have no husband I raised him from a Baby By my self and now I am
in my old stage and that is all my help and I thank you and I thank you
when you wrote me and siad My Boy did that I was so glad I did not Know
what to do and I realy appreshated it. Very truly Yours, M___ W___" 


Examples of letter writing were incorporated into the instructional 

materials. In "Our War"  for January 1944, the fictional Private Pete
wrote 

a letter saying: "Dear Mom: ... I know what I am working for in this
war. I 

want everyone to be able to go to any church he chooses. I want everyone
to have enough to eat. I want to be able to say what I think without
being afraid. I want the right to do what I like. But I want to do the
right thing..." Love, Pete. 


Further examples of the deep appreciation that newly literate soldiers
and their families had for their literacy and language lessons and their


teachers appear in a 1998 MA thesis by Marston Mischlich. He tells about


the work of Private Arthur Neumann whose job was to teach illiterate and
non-English speaking soldiers to read and write in the Army's Special 

Training Unit in Atlantic City, New Jersey. He writes, "Not only did
this 

educational training add value to the soldiers for their units, it also 

built their self-esteem." He gives an example of how important the
Special Training Unit's efforts were in a short letter which showed how
important the schooling was to families of the soldiers: 


"Dear Son George: 

Mother was so proud to get your letter, to think you could write a
letter yourself. I will always keep it as a remembrance. God bless the
man that taught you. It means so much to me to hear directly from you." 


Mischlick continues, "The soldiers were also grateful. One soldier wrote
a poem expressing his and probably many other men's feelings about being
given the opportunity to gain an education." 


SOLDIER AND TEACHER 

These men are soldiers, too 

Fighting the selfsame cause 

Men who did not go to school 

They reason not, nor pause. 


These men who come from every state 


>From farm and mill and mining camp,


Somewhat illiterate, somewhat shy, 

Are learning now of writer's cramp. 


For there are other jobs in war 

Besides the fighting and foray; 

Like teaching school to soldier lads 

Who will return to home someday. 


They question not the how or why 

But stanchly (sic) take the task assigned 

This is their country, this their land, 

Teacher and soldier, with but one mind." 


All told, the Army taught over a quarter million young men to read,
write, 

and speak the English language during World War II. No one knows how
many of these new literates fell at the fronts during the war. But they
were there, and so were many of their teachers. On Veterans Day, we
remember these special troops whose teaching helped make possible the
love in letters written and the warmth of letters read. In times of war,
literacy forges the link between the love of families and the liberty of
nations. 


Thomas G. Sticht 

International Consultant in Adult Education 

2062 Valley View Blvd. 

El Cajon, CA 92019-2059 

Tel/fax: (6190 444-9133 

Email: tsticht at aznet.net 

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