12. The Pecking Order of Who Got to Go Home First
Priority for deciding who would come back first was determined by the Advanced Service Rating Score. It was a pecking order based on the principle that “those who had fought longest and hardest should be returned home for discharge first“. Points were awarded for months of service, months of service overseas, combat awards, and for dependent children. The more points scored, the greater the priority for shipping home and discharge. In preparation, the WSA converted over 300 cargo ships into troop transports. Starting in June, 1945, just a month after Germany surrendered, the WSA began to ship American servicemen from the European Theater of Operations back to the US. After Japan surrendered, the agency’s mission was extended to repatriate servicemen from the Pacific Theater as well.
