World
War II ended with the surrender of Japan to the United States on September 2, 1945. As thousands
of service personnel returned to the United States and the economy readjusted to peacetime
production, countless new challenges arose.
One of the most important
presidential acts occurred before the war ended but has continued to impact American society
ever since. The GI Bill, formally known as the Servicemens Readjustment Act, became law in 1944
under FDR, but its implementation primarily took place in the post-war Truman administration.
The aid extended to millions of veterans covered a broad swath of society, including education
and home purchases with low interest loans.
After the wars end, President
Trumans office used executive orders to create committees and practices related to legal
requirements and protections at the federal, state, and local levels. One of the most important
of these was the Presidents Committee on Civil Rights, created by Executive Order 9808 in
December 1946. The committees report, issued in late 1947, spelled out numerous ways that law
enforcement could improve, with the goal to safeguard the civil rights of the American people.
In regard to the economy, a recommendation was establishing a permanent Fair Employment
Practices Committee and new laws that would enforce fair employment. The following year,
additional executive orders required fair employment practices in the federal government
(civilian) and the armed forces.
Abroad as well as at home, the United States
worked to repair the wars damage. Extending economic as well as military aid to former allies
and countries in the Soviet shadow became a priority during the Cold War. Economic benefits
accrued to US businesses and workers that produced the goods provided as foreign aid; numerous
programs were subsumed under the Truman Doctrine beginning in 1947.
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