The Commission wishes to acknowledge its great debt to the Veterans' Administration, Department of Defense, Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, and Department of Labor, for their wholehearted cooperation. These agencies all furnished valuable background information, made extensive studies, and loaned personnel. We wish also to acknowledge the valuable assistance received from other agencies, including the Bureau of the Census of the Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Budget, Civil Service Commission, and General Accounting Office, and from the chairman, Committee on Veterans' Affairs, House of Representatives, and the committee staff, in the printing of the report. Respectfully yours, THE PRESIDENT, THE WHITE HOUSE. OMAR N. BRADLEY, Chairman. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page COMMISSION AND STAFF. LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL. PART II THE COMMISSION'S FINDINGS AND RECOM MENDATIONS CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION: A NEW ERA IN VETERANS' BENE FITS.. Page 23 THE PRESIDENT'S ASSIGNMENT TO THE COMMIS- 25 HOW THE PRESIDENT'S COMMISSION ON VETER- 31 26 33 CHAPTER II. VETERANS' BENEFITS: PAST AND PRESENT. THE DEVELOpment of VETERANS' BENEFITS IN THREE PERIODS IN THE DEvelopment of Vet- CHAPTER III. VETERANS IN OUR SOCIETY.. THE VETERAN POPULATION. THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IS MILITARY SERVICE A HANDICAP: What do CHAPTER IV. THE COST OF VETERANS' PROGRAMS. CHAPTER V. GUIDELINES FOR THE FUTURE. 91 92 98 127 NON-SERVICE-Connected PENSIONS. CHAPTER XI. NON-SERVICE-CONNECTED PENSIONS. THE GENERAL SOCIAL SECURITY PROGRAMS.. VETERANS' PENSIONS AND PUBLIC ASSISTANCE. THE ROLE OF VETERANS' PENSIONS. METHODS OF COORDINATION. LEVEL OF PENSION BENEFITS. CONDITIONS OF ELIGIBILITY. 346 346 348 357 364 368 369 373 376 385 |