Seventy five years ago, director Mervyn LeRoy and choreographer Busby Berkeley put together an amazing picture for Warner Brothers. Though the country was in the depths of the Depression, it was originally titled, High Life. Among the star-studded cast were Joan Blondell and Etta Moten. They teamed up with a chorus for a number by composer Harry Warren and lyricist Al Dubin. The song and performance were so poignant that studio bosses Jack Warner and Daryl F. Zanuck insisted it close the picture. That decision made a good hearted comedy into an all time classic.

So, why on earth would I give you the skinny and a clip of The Gold Diggers of 1933 in a thread about the GI Bill? The snippet says it much better than I could with mere words. Times may have changed, but the situation surely has not. When the film was made, many of our Veterans were treated much like they are right now. I hope you will consider signing this petition in support of the GI Bill. More information can be found from Senator Jim Webb and the IAVA. If you want to know more about what our troops still face every day, explore the IVAW website and The Sandbox.

No man or woman should ever be forgotten in this great nation.

Signed.

Done.

We absolutely need to do this.

Done. Thanks, LSong for the link.

Thank you gentlemen for your bi-partisan pledge. We can do great things when we work together. I encourage everyone to support the effort for a new GI Bill.

Done, and thank you.

Put my John Hancock on the dotted link. I did it in honor of my father who used his GI Bill to further his education.

It is awesome to see us all united as patriots for this worthy cause.

Signed.

I'd like to see it include ALL veterans, whether they served in a conflict or not.

Here's something I've participated in for our men and women serving in the Middle East;

http://www.freedompens.org/

They have "turn-a-thons" at Rockler in Beaverton and at Woodcraft in Tigard, that anyone can participate in, not just turners. Next time there is one scheduled, I'll post it up here. Come by and learn how to make a pen! (And send it along to our soldiers!)

Skybill-

I think a better use of time personally would be to use those pens to actually write letters to the soldiers. Hearing from home I think is the best moral booster for our troops.

Isn't there a web site or some organization that allows regular US citizens to send emails to soldiers? Anyone know?

Chris, actually there is a note included with each pen sent to the soldiers.

That is a really great program Skybill. Thanks for joining the home team.

Chris, I think that the USO is the best place to start if you are looking for ways to help the troops.

Chris, I should add that the note is hand written by the person that turns the pen (and usually written with that pen!).

Okay guys thanks.

Mr. M and I signed. Finally! Something political that we agree on!

Here's an addendum that I thought would fit with this thread.

DEAR ABBY: Please help me alert your readers about an important program launched by companies in the information technology (IT) industry to educate, train, certify and provide job placement assistance for returning veterans. Military who successfully complete the Creating Futures program will have the knowledge and skill level they need to start a rewarding career in IT.

Creating Futures is free for all participants. The cost is covered by organizational sponsors such as HP, Xerox and Ricoh.

The Creating Futures program is tailored to help individuals with various levels of skill. Individuals who have honed their computer skills in the military will be taught how to transfer those skills to civilian life, and those who are new to IT will be taught the basic skills they need to pursue a career in information technology.

Returning veterans, people with disabilities, youth-at-risk and dislocated workers interested in participating in the program should visit www.creatingfutures.us for information on how to participate. -- JOHN VENATOR, COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION

DEAR JOHN: Thank you for bringing this to the attention of my readers. I'm sure many individuals in each of the categories you mentioned will be interested in learning more about the Creating Futures program.

Readers, as workers in the baby boom generation begin retiring, they will leave a significant gap in the talent pool of the technology industry. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that there will be 600,000 more jobs than available employees in the IT industry by 2012. This could be opportunity knocking, so please spread the word.

My son is reporting up for the Navy in August and he is signed up for Electronics Tech/Computer Programming and may even make the Nuke ET program. So, when he is done he should be well set. He's in for 6 years so by 2014 there should be ton's of job opportunities!