ComicWeb Old Time Radio
Program: Words at War
Episode: Veteran Comes Back
Original Airdate: 10/10/1944
Based on Willard Waller’s book. The author, William Waller, was recognized as one of the most prominent scholars in the field of sociology.
The program Words at War dramatizes books about war, with an emphasis on World War II, for radio audiences.
The book The Veteran Comes Back is a cautionary tale about how America should deal with returning veterans. Willard Waller looked at how America dealt with returning World War I veterans and was horrified. We spent a lot of money, but it was basically wasted. The money went to the wrong people, it actually encouraged poverty, and hindered rehabilitation.
The program presents “witnesses” who were veterans wars and how they were mistreated after the war. Revolutionary War veterans were not paid, and almost came to a revolution. Civil War confederate soldiers had no jobs, no land, no money, and they turned to the Ku Klux Klan. After World War I, U.S. veterans marched on Washington, in what is known as the Bonus Army, to get their promised bonuses. And the U.S. Army cleared out these 20,000 or so World War I veterans/protesters.
An interesting take on this is that the program states that the returning veterans are a threat to America. Generally the veterans are portrayed in jingoistic terms, but here is a clear warning. Soldiers the world over share many similarities, and after World War I the soliders of Germany and Italy were abused, and they turned to fascism. America must avoid this. The “G.I. Joe” in the story gives the answer, he wants to come back to a better America. There should be jobs for everyone, better housing, better security, human rights, better education, better health care, rehabilitation programs, and of course, peace and prosperity.
3 окт 2024
