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MARTY: Hi! I'm Marty Ponds! Just call me Marty. Just a second.
I'm checkin' on my score.
Kind of like to see how I'm coming along. Doin' all right.
Doctors call me a paraplegic patient, which means paralysis from the waist down.
Got mine by shrapnel in North Africa.
NARRATOR: Yes, North Africa, Normandy, Germany,
and the Pacific. From these and many other battles, disabled veterans have returned to America.
Many, like Marty, have received their treatments and are independent,
able to get around by themselves.
But they do need one thing: help to get a job.
Being independent means they know how to take care of themselves.
It means moving, working, holding a job, a job where you use your head and your hands.
It took little persuasion by the Veterans Administration
to show they can handle all kinds of jobs.
The VA arranged for a demonstration to a large group of businessmen.
So the next thing the fellas knew, the Administration had them on a flight to New York.
There's Bill Roberts. Bill's from San Bernardino, California.
Worked for a year as an aircraft mechanic at Lockheed, out at Burbank.
Been spending most of his time at home studying math and mechanical drawing.
Says he wants to go into civil engineering.
Thinks the University of California would be a good place to start his studies.
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Here comes Don Coleman. Don was in the Navy in the South West Pacific in '42.
He's taking college chemistry now.
He has a slight movement in his hips. Makes it a little easier to move around.
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Now there's Stanley Dan Adele. Was in the 11th Armored Division in Austria.
Here comes Gene Dorr. Gene went to San Bernardino High school.
He used to be a telephone lineman. Was in the 97th Infantry Division in Germany.
But not everybody is from California! This is Lloyd Martin.
Lloyd's a Joplin, Missouri, boy. Used to repair refrigerators.
Was really traveling in the 8th Air Force 'til, well... Sometimes your luck kind of changes for a while.
Now he's attending watch repair classes.
He's an expert at maneuvering some fancy loops with his chromium job.
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The fellas didn't need any treatments, but it seemed a good idea to stay at the veterans' hospital in the Bronx.
Six people all at once would have floored any New York hotel manager these days.
General Ralph Devoe, manager of the hospital, shook hands all around.
Made sure the fellas were comfortable.
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For most of them, it was their first visit to the big town.
Yeah, they did it in style.
The American Women's Voluntary Services drove them to the Plaza Hotel and just about all over town.
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This was it!
On their own, selling the idea to 600 top men in industry that they are independent and can work.
They were representing 250,000 disabled veterans. That's a lot of manpower!
Useful manpower ready for all kinds of jobs.
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First, out of bed, into a wheelchair. Only takes a few seconds.
Gene Dorr's doing it. All of these movements are perfectly timed, all part of the daily routine.
They follow a regular schedule every day, just like anybody else.
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Now for some exercise! Here's Bill again.
Bill spends a part of each day developing his shoulders and his arms.
Has to since he needs them to move around.
You ought to meet Bill! If you were to shake hands with him you'd realize there's manpower in that clasp.
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Here's Don. He's going to show you something else he's learned.
In case he misses his footing, or someone accidentally trips him, he gets up by himself.
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You see, it's timing. Timing each movement that does the trick.
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He's worked out his own way to get out of the chair. Uses a special type of crutch.
It's light, easy to handle. Helps him a lot.
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And like I said before, being independent means they can drive.
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Don's getting into this car model in less than a minute. He's unlocking his braces at the knees.
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Now he can slide his legs into the usual position on the floorboard.
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And getting out takes about the same time.
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This is stan again. Stan's getting along all right in his crutches.
They seem easy, but it's work. Hard work, especially in the beginning.
Once they get the knack of it, they get along fine.
Of course, there are many types of crutch-walking.
Different gaits, all with a purpose.
Some are used where there isn't much room, others where there's plenty of space.
Stan's getting tripped purposely to show you he's ready all the time.
Always keeping his balance, just like they all do.
Of course, there are other kinds of disabilities.
This man doesn't seem any different from other ex-GIs, but hold on a second!
When something makes him fall, this is his way of getting up, by timing and balancing himself.
Timing each movement perfectly.
He and his buddy are getting along fine, even with their disabilities.
You see, they're both double amputees.
Here's another friend of Marty: Soto.
He can do a job too, just like other fellas with the same handicap.
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Vincent Trapak-- Vinnie they call him--
is another veteran who doesn't believe in being stopped by a handicap.
His hands now take the place of his eyes.
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You see, here's the way they figure it:
While they may not have the full use of their arms or legs they can work just the same.
All they're asking is a chance to prove it. Prove it to you.
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Frankie, Gene, and Lloyd are working. So are thousands more.
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Well, that was the show in New York.
Now we're going to show you how they do their daily routine.
[alarm clock ringing]
Yes, there's Marty again. Ha ha, sack time.
Says he always did want to pin a medal on the fellow who invented beds.
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A few minutes and he's all done.
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Ready for his braces and his clothes.
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Another minute or so and he'll be all set.
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He's all through with the chair. Won't need it for the rest of the day.
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This is how he gets around on crutches and braces.
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These steps are all part of his regular routine.
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And then, man they forget all about those legs when they get behind that wheel!
They're going places! It's like being liberated.
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Yes, hundreds, thousands of fellows like Marty,
veterans with disabilities, are working from coast to coast.
You'll find them in big industries, in business, and you'll find them being their own bosses.
Making good money.
Mind you, they, well they don't want to brag, but the Department of Labor just made a survey.
They compared disabled workers with normal people, working side by side,
and they found that men with handicaps produced more every hour than normal workers.
Some companies, like Bulova Watch, have set up special schools for the fellas.
Schools to make use of their talents and abilities.
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Here's John Chifa.
Yeah, he's really proud to be in the graduating class that General Bradley addressed the other day.
GENERAL OMAR BRADLEY: Every one of you knows the meaning of the word "fight."
You've done a lot of it, and you're still doing a lot of it.
You know what it is to fight against heavy odds.
And to win, you will do everything that you may reasonably be expected to do
in the livelihood you have chosen.
You can do anything that any future employer may reasonably ask of you.
You are here right now in this graduating class,
ready and able to move out into the world as self-reliant, independent, productive citizens.
Congratulations to each and every one of you on the successful completion of your course.
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MARTY: This is the way we see it.
It's not the disability, it's the ability to work that counts.
We can do a job and we will.
You can be sure of that.
What's my score? It's okay. I'm working higher all the time.
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