US Army literacy program for illiterates

Riter · Apr 23, 2022

Found the following in the link below:

Prior to America's entry into the war on December 7, 1941, recruits unable to pass the Minimum Literacy Test were simply rejected. In early 1942, needing substantially more men, the military ruled that up to 10% of inductees could be illiterate so long as they were deemed "intelligent and trainable." In the winter of 1943 this quota was reduced to 5%, as illiteracy began to cause problems in the field. A few months later, however, both manpower needs abroad and the political consequences at home of excessive rejection of black recruits -- whose literacy rates in the 1940s were far below those of white Americans -- caused the literacy requirement to be dropped entirely.

As a result, and out of necessity, the U.S. Army "embarked on one of the largest programs of basic adult education in human history" (Brandt, p. 487). Through the use of special training units -- well-funded, with qualified teachers, specially-designed course material, and small class sizes -- nearly 95% of illiterate recruits achieved minimum literacy within two months, a remarkable success rate. These soldiers were then able to go on to the standard basic training. Later research found that many of these men continued their education after leaving the military.
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Soldiers Literacy Training Collection An inventory of the collection at Syracuse University

Presently reading Boy Soldier by McLogan and the author mentions a soldier from Georgia who never attended school. He asked how to spell "happy." "After I told him how, plus several other simple words, he showed me the books he had used at "goon school" as he called it. There were like "Dick and Jane" readers used in primary grades except the characters were soldiers and the situations military.

Anybody ever see a military Dick & Jane reader? I went to Eghey and couldn't find any.

OpanaPointer · Apr 24, 2022

(PDF) FIGHTING ILLITERACY IN TIMES OF WAR An anthology of brief historical notes by Tom Sticht

Riter · Apr 24, 2022

Thanks OpanaPointer.

Post-Civil War US Army had four regiments of colored soldiers. 9th & 10th Cav, 24 & 25th Infantry. The chaplains in those regiments were not only responsible for the spiritual needs of the men, but they also expected to teach them to read.

OpanaPointer · Apr 24, 2022

The white troops didn't have to read to be drafted.

Takao · Apr 24, 2022

Have fun learning to read WW2 US Army stile
TM 21-500 Army Reader, 1943 : United States. War Department : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Riter · Apr 24, 2022

Thank you Takao. That's exactly what I was looking for.

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US Army literacy program for illiterates

Riter Well-Known Member

OpanaPointer I Point at Opana Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

Riter Well-Known Member

OpanaPointer I Point at Opana Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

Takao Ace

Riter Well-Known Member

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