Includes bibliographical references (p. 319-330) and index.

A new life -- Patterns of abuse -- Makers of a silent revolution -- Showdown on Pennsylvania Avenue -- A superintending providence -- Rendezvous with destiny -- Coming home -- Storming the campus -- Making modern America -- Can dreams come true again?

"When Dreams Came True is the inspiring history of how millions of World War II veterans and their families achieved the American dream - an education, a home, a stable and profitable career, and ownership of their own business. More than any other law, the GI Bill was responsible for the post-World War II explosion in college graduates, the education of leaders of the civil rights movement, the growth and dominance of the suburbs, and the proliferation of interstate highways, supermarkets, and franchise stores and restaurants. Quite literally, the GI Bill changed the way we live, the way we house ourselves, the way we are educated, how we work and at what, even how we eat and transport ourselves." -- Jacket.