| Show students of foxhole university IF 4 do homework between battles A million servicemen continue education by correspondence A few months ago an american doughboy lay concealed in an advance scout post among italis hills walkie talkie strapped to his chest and straining every faculty to catch any sound from the germans just over the crest of the rise suddenly he heard a guttural voice speaking authoritatively in german the yank frowned in concentration trying to catch a few words fortunately he had been studying german in foxhole university in his spare time and the knowledge of it he had already gained proved sufficient snapping open the circuit t ot of his walkie talkie he raised his own command post in the rear and warned going to move behind the hill to the right and send a few men to the left as a feint watch out for tricks he had understood the german voice correctly american gunners ignored the feinting movement fired when the flanking maneuver had been almost completed and practically annihilated the enemy company this time the soldiers german studies paid a timely dividend but this is not unusual as foxhole uni vers itys courses frequently improve the students military efficiency at the same time that they improve his chances of success upon his return to civilian life founded early in 1942 foxhole university formally known as the united states armed forces institute is now the worlds largest educational cat ional institution in november 1944 approximately men and women in uniform were studying individually in correspondence of self teaching courses or in groups in locally organized classes far flung student body wherever americans are stationed throughout the world men and women of the army navy coast guard and marine corps are studying subjects ranging from economics to engineering or from spanish to sociology and the students themselves are just about as varied as the curriculum for instance theres pat arnold brewer an eskimo member of the sixth supply squadron who is based inside the arctic circle in his off duty hours he is studying elementary english course A corporal in a medical battalion william H lindley had completed three years premedical pre medical study at indiana university when he entered the army after completing his army basic training he enrolled through in an extension course given by indiana university he is accumulating credits toward his ha al D degree salvatore J ezzo philadelphia left high school before he had completed his senior year A sergeant in a fuel control office at an air base ezzo became the first soldier in the north african italian or middle east theaters of war to obtain a high school diploma for in service training scarcely a month after americans had established a beachhead on bougainville bougainvillea Bou gainville in the south pacific while the island was still under con I 1 perched on the hood of his jeep sergeant II 11 offman employs a few spare minutes to study during a lull in firing on the camp rille range somewhere in the middle east sinuous bombing strafing and shelling donald N roberts coshocton Cosh octon ohio a machine gunner completed and sent in to another in his series of automobile mechanics lessons spanish class on bougainville bougainvillea Bou gainville bougainville bougainvillea Bou gainville is considered one of the wettest islands in the world with 11 feet of rainfall a year despite weather conditions another soldier T sergt john alcorn of san francisco casco conducted nightly spanish lessons for his mates under the group study plan he also studied japanese by himself because he had missed elementary physics 10 years before while in high school pat richard kichard E gunnerson kansas city mo stationed in north africa with an operations office attached to an engineer unit studied elementary physics course while in a north african battle area gt donald L clement continued his bookkeeping lessons returning his papers for correction to he be wrote red ink has not been used on these bookkeeping lessons as I 1 do not have any available and the local foxhole does not carry it in stock from anzio beachhead when american forces were pinned down for months an infantryman wrote of his course its funny but I 1 can concentrate best when im driven into my hole by artillery fire and have to stay there for hours I 1 keep my books and a typewriter in in the hole and just start studying when the shelling begins nearly three years old established in april 1942 as the army institute to give army enlisted personnel a chance to continue study that the war had interrupted to aid them with their military duties and by adding to their education improve their citizenship services were extended to navy marine corps and coast guard personnel in september 1942 the following february the name was changed to united states armed forces institute an official army and navy school its headquarters a former mailor mail or der company store overlooking the wisconsin capitol at madison is operated by the war department part ment information education division army service forces with the cooperation of the navy department educational services section bureau of navy personnel at first off offered ered only correspondence courses now however self teaching courses and off duty classes have been added self teaching study and off duty group studies have been particularly feas w t ih y 4 this handsome building with its oriental decorations houses the middle east branch of the in cairo notice the camel in the foreground and the british policeman in white uniform and pith helmet ible for soldiers stationed in all sorts of places sometimes near and inside battle areas now offers a complete academic program in high school technical and college subjects more than subjects may be studied through the institutes own correspondence spon dence classes hundreds of similar subjects may be studied in extension courses offered by the 85 colleges and universities located in more than 40 states as well as hawaii and canada which cooperate with the institute in november 1944 nearly men and women were enrolled in correspondence courses some working for high school diplomas others taking technical subjects to perfect skills or increase their knowledge others picking up university credits that would lead to degrees approximately were enrolled for self teaching or off duty classes I 1 enrolled with in september 1944 among the thousands of others were members of the armed forces who had left school be A corporal schwarz gazes proudly on her certificate proclaiming that she has completed the course coarse in arabic with distinction fure fore completing tile the sixth grade 35 with phd degrees high school graduates 2211 with bachelors degrees with masters degrees follows its students has kept pace geographically with its students and there are now nine overseas branches in operation the first branch was established in hawaii in the fall fail of 1942 othe others rs were opened in rapid succession cession in england new caledonia alaska egypt australia india north africa now located in italy and panama one fee 2 enrolls any member of the armed services except army officers who pay the entire cost of any course or examination they require for any course or service offered by the institute As long as the student continues to pass he may continue to enroll for additional self teaching and correspondence courses given by the institute except for commissioned and warrant officers and flight officers of the army the government will pay half the text and tuition fees up to 20 for each university correspondence course army officers must pay for their own courses former musicians salesmen lawyers ye rs farmers mechanics bike racers clerks engineers chemists professional fess ional basketball football and hockey players are taking courses more than half of the students are stationed overseas every week ships textbooks abroad a freight car load of learning now that all the japs here are dead ones and we are getting lights I 1 have started reviewing my lessons and will send no 3 to you as soon as possible wrote gt arthur thur davis with a weather squadron stationed on a pacific island corp edward A Witten hauer granted an extension in the time allotted for his course wrote 1 I find it very difficult to keep my lessons up to date I 1 am at a bomber station in england this should explain why I 1 am so busy |
