Show veterans news A 17 year old disabled south carolina veteran of korean battles batties this month became the first in the united states to enter vocational training under a law passed by congress late last year veterans administration announced today the young veteran ralph E blackwell 0 of f clinton started early in may as an on the job trainee at al th the e clinton cotton mills he will learn the loom fixing trade the new law under which he is training public law extends vocational rehabilitation training formerly limited to disabled world war II 11 veterans to most veterans who received service connected disabilities any time after fighting started in korea blackwell was two years under age when he enlisted in the army his sixteenth birthday had just passed he was station stationed 1 in japan as a student radio technician when the north kor jorj ean inva invaders ders struck almost at once he was placed in in a combat unit that was rushed it to the front to stem th the aad advance of the invaders blackwells unit was storming a bill just south of the i R river ver on august 7 1950 when he was hit by a rifle bullet unable to move he lay there for three hours before his buddies could rescue him i when he recovered 1 he rejoined his unit in september 1950 he participated in adoth attack again at the river before the army discovered he still was considerably short of 18 evacuated dimand him and sent him back tot the U sj si in time for christmas 1950 somei some i time after he was injured Black Blackwell welli 1 contracted malaria and he is still bothered by occasional attacks blackwell applied for vocational training under public law on march 6 1951 twenty days later his army records were received by VA and on april 5 he was examined by VA doctors the Thet following day he received advisement and guidance also from VA and it t was determined that his aptitudes were suitable for the cyp of work he i i wanted to leania VA training offices and the manager of clin ton mills together worked out a two year on the job training plan at the end of which Black well should be a skilled loom fixer to be eligible for training under public law a veteran must have been disabled after the korean conflict began and prior to a date dat eyet yet to be fixed the new law requires that thattie the disability be such that VA may pay compensation at full wartime rates such rates axe are paid for disabilities resulting from armed conflict or during extra hazardous service or while the united states is engaged in war under the laithe law the july 25 19 56 for vo rational cat ional training for disabled world war II 11 veterans will not apply to the newly disabled ex serviceman instead they will have nine years from the end of 01 the current emergency in which to train |