The nation's foresight in paying for generous benefits for [World War II] veterans had far-reaching consequences, helping not just individuals but also the country as a whole. About half of the 15 million returning vets took advantage of postsecondary training. They vastly increased the nation's share of college-educated workers and formed the foundation of a broad middle class.
Now, Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.), joined by his colleagues John Warner (R-Va.) and Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.), wants to give veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan a similar package of benefits, since those young men and women, like the vets of the Greatest Generation, have made enormous sacrifices for their country. But their proposal has met stiff opposition from the White House and from Arizona Sen. John McCain, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee.
...With so few bearing the burden for the rest of us, we ought to be proud to support them by paying for their college educations.
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