| Show S yS' yS y j Students of Foxhole University I t i 1 ri I Do Homework Between Battles t d I A Million Servicemen Continue Education By Correspondence A few months ago an American Ameri Ameri- can doughboy lay concealed in an advance scout post I walkie- walkie among Italy's hills I talkie strapped to his chestand chest chestand chestand and straining every faculty to catch any sound from the Germans just over the crest of the rise Suddenly he heard a gutter- gutter al voice speaking authoritatively authoritatively I in German The Yank frowned in concentration trying trying trying try try- ing to catch a few words Fortunately Fortunately Fortunately For For- he had been studying studying study study- ing German in Foxhole University University University Uni Uni- in his spare time and the knowledge of it he had already gained proved Snapping open the circuit of his talkie walkie-talkie he raised his own command command command com com- mand post in the rear and warned going to move behind the hill to the right and send a few tew 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 com corn pany pony This time the soldiers soldier's German studies paid a timely dividend but this is not unusual as Foxhole University's University's University's Uni Uni- courses frequently improve the students student's military efficiency atthe atthe at atthe the same time that they Improve his chances of ot success ss upon his return return return re re- re- re turn to civilian Ute life Founded early in 1942 Foxhole University formally known as the United States Armed Forces Institute Institute tute Lute Is now the worlds world's largest educational educational educational edu edu- institution In November 1944 approximately men and women in un uniform were studying studyIng studying study- study Ing Individually in correspondence of ot teaching self courses or in groups in locally organized classes Flung Far-Flung Student Body ody Wherever Americans are stationed throughout the w world men and women of the army navy coastguard coast coastguard coastguard guard and marine corps are studying studying study study- studying ing subjects ranging from economics economics econom econom- ics to engineering or from Spanish to sociology And the students themselves themselves themselves them them- selves are just about as varied as the curriculum For instance theres there's Arnold Brewer an Eskimo member of the Sixth Supply Squadron who is based inside the Arctic circle In his off off- duty hours he Is studying Elementary English course A corporal in a medical battalion William H. H Lindley had completed three years premedical pre study at Indiana Indiana Indiana In In- diana University when he entered the Army After Alter completing his Army basic training he enrolled through in an extension course given by Indiana University He Is accumulating credits toward his M. M D D. D degree Salvatore J J. J Ezzo Philadelphia left high school before he had completed completed completed com com- his senior year A sergeant in a fuel office at an air airbase airbase airbase base Ezzo became the first soldier in hi the North African Italian or Middie Middle Middle Mid Mid- dle die East theaters of war to obtain a high school diploma for service in-service training u Scarcely a month after Americans had established a beachhead on Bougainville in the South Pacific 1 I h V- V y O P Ps s 3 Perched on the hood of his jeep Sergeant Hoffman uman e employs mp I a f. f few cw spare minutes to study during a lull in f firing Iring on tI the Ie camp rifle c range somewhere In the Middle East while the island was still under continuous continuous continuous con con- bombing strafing and shelling shelling shell shell- ing T Donald N. N Roberts Coshocton Ohio a machine gunner completed and sent to the another in his series of automobile mechanics lessons Spanish Class on Bougainville Bougainville Is considered one of ot the wettest Islands in the world with 11 feet teet of rainfall a year Despite wea weather ther conditions another soldier T S T John Alcorn of San Francisco Francisco Francisco Fran Fran- cisco conducted nightly Spanish lessons lessons lessons les les- sons for his mates under the group study plan He also studied Japanese by himself Because he had missed elementary elementary elemen elemen- tary physics 10 years before while in high school Richard E. E Gunnerson Gunnerson Gunnerson Gun- Gun nerson Kansas City Mo stationed in North Africa with an operations office attached to an engineer unit studied elementary physics course While in n a Nort African battle area aren S Donald L L. L Clement continued continued his bookkeeping lessons Returning his papers for Cor correction to he wrote Red ink has not been used on these bookkeeping lessons as I do not have any available available avail avail- able 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 can concentrate best when Im I'm driven into my hole by artillery fire and have to stay there for hours I keep my my books and a typewriter 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 enlist enlist- ed personnel a chance to continue study that the war had interrupted to aid them with their military duties and by adding to their education education edu edu- cation Improve their citizenship services were extended t to o Navy Mar Marine ne Corps and Coast Coas CoastGuard CoastGuard t Guard personnel in Sept September 1942 The following February the name was changed to United States Armed Forces Institute tute An official Army and Navy school its headquarters a former or mail der company store overlooking th the e Wisconsin capitol at Madison is operated by the War Department Department Department De De- Information Education n Division Army Service Forces wit with h the cooperation of the Navy Department Department Department Depart Depart- ment Educational Services Section Bureau of Navy Personnel At first USAF I offered only correspondence correspondence correspondence cor cor- courses Now however er teaching self courses and off off- duty classes have been added Self Sell teaching study and off duty group grou P studies have been particularly feas feas- Y r P Y v i iI iY I 4 Y w wC C II ti iii iiii i S Yb I f P 1 if I 1 W This rids handsome building with its Oriental decorations houses th the c Middle East branch of the USA FI In Cairo Notice tile the camel In the tin e foreground and the British policeman n In white uniform and pith helmet Ible for soldiers stationed In all sorts pf of places sometimes near and inside inside inside in in- side battle areas now offers otTers a complete academic academic aca aca- academic demic program in high school technical technical technical tech tech- and college subjects More than subjects may be studied through the institutes institute's own correspondence correspondence correspondence corre corre- 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 cooperate cooperate cooper cooper- ate with the institute In November 1944 n nearly arly 0 men and women were enrolled in correspondence courses some working working working work work- ing for high school diplomas others other s taking technical subjects to perfect perfect per per- feet skills or increase their knowledge knowledge knowledge knowl knowl- edge others picking up university y credits that would lead to degrees Approximately were enrolled d for teaching self or off-duty off classes Enrolled with in September Septem Septem- ber 1944 among the thousands o of f M 0 k Y 1 Y r V Corporal Corporal Schwarz gazes proud proudly Y on her certificate proclaiming that thai t she has completed the course i in I Arabic with distinction others were members of ot th the e armed forces who had left school before before be be- fore completing the sixth grade 3 35 5 with PhD degrees high school graduates 2211 with Bachelors Bachelor's bachelors bachelor's bachelors bachelor's bache bache- lors lor's degrees with masters master's de de- grees Follows Its Students has kept pace geographically cally catty with Its students and there ar are arenow arenow now nine overseas branches in oper The first branch was established established in hi Hawaii in the fall of 1942 Others were opened in rapid suc sue succession 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 Arm Army p officers who pay the entire cost o of f any course or examination n they require for any course or service service ice offered by the Institute As ton tonas long longas g as the student continues to pass he may continue to enroll for additional additional additional addi addi- self teaching self teaching and correspondence correspond correspond- ence courses given by the Institute Except for commissioned and warrant warrant warrant war war- rant officers and flight officers o othe of f the Army the Government will pa pay r rhall half hall the text and tuition fees up t to o 20 for each university correspondence correspond correspond- ence course Army officers must pa pay Y I for tor their own courses Former musicians salesmen lawyers lawyers lawyers law law- farmers mechanics bike rac rat racers racers ers ere clerks engineers chemists professional professional pro basketball football an and c I hockey players are taking USAF I courses More than half of the students students stu stu- dents are stationed overseas Every Every Every Ev Ev- ery week ships textbooks textbooks text tex t r books abroad a freight car load o of rf f learning Now that all the Japs here ar are e dead ones and we are getting lights I have started reviewing my lessons lessons lessons les les- sons and will send No 3 to you as a s soon as possible wrote Ser S S Arthur Arthur Ar Ar- thur Davis with a weather squadron squad squad- ron stationed on a Pacific Island Corp Edward A. A granted an extension In the time allotted al al- for 1 his s course wrote I fin find d it very difficult to keep my lessons lesson s up to date I am at a bomber station sta eta tion in hi England This should ex ex- explain explain plain why I am so busy |
