The impact of military service on the social status attainment of
World War II veterans has been studied since the 1950s; however, the research has failed
to come to any consensus with regard to the level of their attainment. Analyses have
generally focused on cross-sectional data or longitudinal data without considering the
effects of military service over the life course. In this study I argue that World War II
veterans had greater social attainment over their lifetimes; that black World War II
veterans attained more than white World War II veterans relative to their non-veteran
peers; that veterans who served in the latter years of the World War II mobilization
attained more than those who served in the earlier years; and that veterans born in cohorts
with large proportions of veterans attained more than veterans born to cohorts with
smaller proportions of veterans. Social status is measured in terms of education, income,
and Duncan Socio-Economic Index. In order to test these hypotheses I use data from the
1950 through 2000 Public Use Microdata Sample. Military service clearly afforded
veterans significant advantages through their early and middle working years; however,
their non-veteran peers eventually did catch up. Black veterans attained more social

status than their non veteran peers throughout their lives. Furthermore, the magnitude of
the difference in social status attainment is greater for black veterans relative to their
non-veteran peers than the difference for white-veterans relative to their non-veteran
peers until very late in the life course. Additionally, peak mobilization phase veterans
receive advantage although it is relatively short lived.