During World War II, the U.S. 10th Army overcame the last major
pockets of Japanese resistance on the island of Okinawa, ending
one of the bloodiest battles of World War II.
The same day, Japanese Lieutenant General Mitsuru Ushijima,
the commander of Okinawa’s defense, committed suicide with
a number of Japanese officers and troops rather than surrender.
On June 22, 1944, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed
the G.I. Bill, an unprecedented act of legislation designed to
compensate returning members of the armed services, known
as G.I.s, for their efforts in World War II.
The G.I. Bill became one of the major forces that drove an
economic expansion in America that lasted 30 years after
World War II.
Only 20 percent of the money set aside for unemployment
compensation under the bill was given out, as most veterans
found jobs or pursued higher education.
Low interest home loans enabled millions of American families
to move out of urban centers and buy or build homes outside
the city, changing the face of the suburbs.
