IBM's Veteran Rehiring Practices after World War II

11/6/2021

Hiring World War II Veterans Was the Right Thing But a Hard Thing To Do.

“We have an obligation to our men and women overseas—nearly 5,000 in number—who have all been guaranteed jobs when they come home from the service of their country.”

Thomas J. Watson Sr., IBM Systems Service Classes, April 9, 1945

With the explosion of two atomic bombs, World War II came to an unexpectedly sudden halt. Many industrialists were not ready for this quick end. They had failed to plan to “reconvert” their industrial production from a government-funded, wartime footing back to a consumer-driven, peacetime economy.

When discussing the “reconversion” problem, Tom Watson predicted that the biggest problem wouldn’t be in the reconversion of producing peacetime products but in the reintegration of the men and women who had served overseas.

He was right.

To read about the problems IBM and the country faced with re-employing millions of soldiers after World War II, select the image or the icon below.

Image of WWII Serviceman mourning over a friend on the battlefield with the tagline:

The Issues Surrounding the Rehiring of World War II Veterans

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