Petaluma’s Past: Petaluma and the G.I Bill of 1944

On June 22, 1944, President Franklin Roosevelt signed a revolutionary Congressional bill, to be called the Serviceman‘s Adjustment Act, or “G.I. Bill” (G.I. standing for “General Issue,” referring to all military personnel). The bill was first proposed by the American Legion, and it provided financial rewards for almost all WWII veterans, with benefits including low-cost mortgages, low-interest loans, 1 year of unemployment compensation, plus dedicated payments of tuition and living expenses to attend high school, college or vocational school. It was a visionary move, and it passed the Senate by a vote of 50 to zero, and the House by 387 to zero, a totally bi-partisan effort. It was estimated that 6.5 Billion dollars (over 10 billion in today’s money), would eventually be allocated for the Act.

The plan was to provide the returning WWII Vets with a chance to command the status, education and training that they would have enjoyed had they not served in the military. Men and women who had offered their lives in the war were to be assured of a full share in American life after the fighting ended. The bill backed them in their efforts to buy a home or get into business or to buy a farm and/or get thru school. It lifted the horizons of an entire generation of Americans, and just over the following 12 years, 7.8 million vets were aided by it and — they paid no income tax on those benefits.

During the 10 months following the bill’s signing, over 1 million Californians became possible beneficiaries to construct, purchase or repair homes. To buy farms and farm equipment (think chicken incubators, tractors, etc.), and also to purchase livestock.

It all resulted in a bonanza business atmosphere here in Sonoma County and certainly in Petaluma, where the first G.I. home loan went to Mr. and Mrs. Don Noriel, to purchase a new house at the corner of 6th & Mountain View. Don was member of our Petaluma Police, having resumed his position here after returning from service. It was noted that five more homes were being completed for ex-servicemen in that same neighborhood. Al Behrens, vice president of the local Bank of America branch, handled the loan.

Don, by the way, was the Uncle of Petaluma’s military historian and former Petaluma Historical Museum president, Joe Noriel.

Not everyone was impressed with the G.I. Bill, however. Our Petaluma Argus editor then was John Olmsted (a staunch Republican), who suggested, “Maybe, when the boys get home, they will not like what we have prepared for them. Maybe, they would like better to have something to say about the matter themselves, after they get home.” He also sourly noted, “When this war is over, we may expect to see a mushrooming of prefabricated houses, with new types of everything and furniture made of plastics. Looks like they are to be rather complicated too, with so many gadgets.”

Indeed, that original G.I. Bill was not perfect. For one thing, it had failed to benefit Black Americans as freely and equally as it had benefited white Americans. The U.S. South was still segregated then, and some universities refused to admit black students. By 1946, only 1/5th of those Black Americans who had applied for school benefits had been registered in college, and the few historically Black institutions became so over-strained, they had to turn applicants away. Many of those problems continued until the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and ‘60s enforced its positive effects.

As our troops returned home, Petaluma offered an active marketplace with good prices. Mattei Bros. on Kentucky, was selling rubber rain coats for $7.50, Cal’s Cash Market, also on Kentucky, offered a 1 lb. jar of malted milk for 35 cents and The Firestone Store at 3rd & C Streets would recap your tires with “extra-tread depth,” for $7 each. Those returning vets could purchase here, according to one newspaper classified ad, “10 acres. Sandy loam. 6 ac. in grapes. Lg. Barn. Fine dwelling. 1 team w/harness & wagon. $7,500. Phone: 1082.”

That’s probably worth a million bucks today.

In 1944, the U.S. minimum wage was 30 cents per hour, gas was .22 cents a gallon and unemployment was at the all-time low of 1.2%.

In the local entertainment scene, our California Theater was showing “Double Indemnity” with Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck and Edward G. Robinson in a double-feature with “Look Who’s Laughing,” featuring Charles McCarthy, plus Fibber McGee and Molly.”

As a personal addendum to this story, I well-remember my father, just after we received the news of the June 6 ‘44 D-Day landing, taping a world map to my bedroom wall and each day, we would move the colored pins representing the forces of Germany and Italy, Japan and the Allies, as the various war fronts evolved.

I was 13 years old then, and it was one of my most important history lessons.

Skip Sommer is an honorary lifetime member of the Petaluma History Museum and Heritage Homes, and was Petaluma’s Good Egg in 1985. “Petaluma’s Past” runs the first Friday of the month in the Argus-Courier. You can reach Skip at SkipSommer31@gmail.com.