# WW2 points system. How long did vets with few points have to wait to come home? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 10, 2011, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ww2-points-system-how-long-did-vets-with-few-points-have-to-wait-to-come-home/602492 "2011-11-10T07:35:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quintas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/48db29/32.png) [@Quintas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quintas)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ww2-points-system-how-long-did-vets-with-few-points-have-to-wait-to-come-home/602492/1 "2011-11-10T07:35:17Z")
Once the war was over, an enlisted man needed to score 85pts to be considered for the demobilisation. The scores were determined as follows for each : ``` Month in service = 1 pt Month in service overseas = 1 pt Combat award (including medal and battle stars) = 5 pts Dependant child under 18 = 12 pts ``` Time of service was calculated from September 16, 1940. At the end of the war, we were moving from a combat force to a much smaller occupation force. So millions would be shipped home _eventually_. If you were low on the totem pole in regards to points, how long were you stuck in Europe or the Pacific? Obviously there was limited room on transports and it makes sense to give those who suffered most the first ticket home. But the Army didn’t need the headache of millions of suddenly idle men and probably tried to get the unneeded discharged and home ASAP. So, if you didn’t have the points, were you looking at 6 months? A year? 2 years? ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ww2-points-system-how-long-did-vets-with-few-points-have-to-wait-to-come-home/602492/2 "2011-11-10T07:42:23Z")
My father got to Europe in Nov. of 44. War ended in May of 45. He stayed until March of 46. ---
**Author:** ![kferr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/71e660/32.png) [@kferr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kferr)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ww2-points-system-how-long-did-vets-with-few-points-have-to-wait-to-come-home/602492/3 "2011-11-10T22:47:05Z")
From my dad’s service record and some other documents: Joined the Navy Reserves in June 2nd, 1943 for a period of 2 years. September 1942 completed 6 weeks basic course of instruction for hospital corpsman. November 27 1942 transfered to receiving station, Atlantic fleet December 1 1942 re-directed to Marine Corp Air Station, St. Thomas March 1 1943 Advanced to PhM3c July 15 1943 Advanced to PhM1c July 1944 volunteered for extra hazardous duty September 1944 assigned to Underwater Demolition Team 11 October 1944 to Feburary 1945 training in California and Hawaii March 1945 pre-assault amphibious phases of Battle of Okinawa Shema. Awarded Bronze Star. July 1945 operations in Balikpappan, Borneo. Another Bronze Star September 1945 reconnaissance in Sasebo and Nagasaki, Japan. October 1945 Underwater Demolition 11 decommissioned November 1945 Transfered to Kansas City Discharged December 23 1945 There is nothing in the service record about points, but based on the above he’d have had more than enough. He died a year ago last Tuesday. ---
**Author:** ![obbn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d6d6ee/32.png) [@obbn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obbn)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2011, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ww2-points-system-how-long-did-vets-with-few-points-have-to-wait-to-come-home/602492/4 "2011-11-11T02:31:16Z")
> [@kferr](#): > > From my dad’s service record and some other documents: > > Joined the Navy Reserves in June 2nd, 1943 for a period of 2 years. > September 1942 completed 6 weeks basic course of instruction for hospital corpsman. > November 27 1942 transfered to receiving station, Atlantic fleet > December 1 1942 re-directed to Marine Corp Air Station, St. Thomas > March 1 1943 Advanced to PhM3c > July 15 1943 Advanced to PhM1c > July 1944 volunteered for extra hazardous duty > September 1944 assigned to Underwater Demolition Team 11 > October 1944 to Feburary 1945 training in California and Hawaii > March 1945 pre-assault amphibious phases of Battle of Okinawa Shema. Awarded Bronze Star. > July 1945 operations in Balikpappan, Borneo. Another Bronze Star > September 1945 reconnaissance in Sasebo and Nagasaki, Japan. > October 1945 Underwater Demolition 11 decommissioned > November 1945 Transfered to Kansas City > Discharged December 23 1945 > > There is nothing in the service record about points, but based on the above he’d have had more than enough. > He died a year ago last Tuesday. Sorry to hear about your father. Our vets from WWII are leaving us way too fast. ---
**Author:** ![cornflakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@cornflakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2011, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ww2-points-system-how-long-did-vets-with-few-points-have-to-wait-to-come-home/602492/5 "2011-11-11T05:01:35Z")
(Never mind. I missed the part about demobilization and though that you were asking about being sent home before the cessation of hostilities.) ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2011, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ww2-points-system-how-long-did-vets-with-few-points-have-to-wait-to-come-home/602492/6 "2011-11-11T23:03:17Z")
My father was sent to Georgia Tech to finish his degree. However the war was winding down so the Army college program was shut down and he was sent to France. The Navy kept their college program and those guys had to serve 4 years beyond getting their degree.