In movies and TV shows many people are turned away from enlisting into the armed forces due to things like flat feet. Was this common? Also, were there any standards regarding attributes like height, weight, strength? Finally, did these standards differ between any of the branches of the armed forces?
For enlistment into the Army in October 1940, a man needed to
Be least five feet tall and weigh more than 105 pounds
Not have flat feet, venereal disease, or hernia
Have at least six incisors and six masticating (chewing) teeth
Have vision correctable with glasses
Be functionally literate and able to write
Not have been convicted of a crime
The Army soon realized these standards were too strict. 50 percent of the men called to serve through the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940 were rejected; 20 percent of the rejections were due to functional illiteracy, probably due to the sad state of education during the Great Depression. The dental requirements were also something that needed to be re-examined; 9 percent of rejections were due to this, and it is estimated that by 1943, 1,000,000 potential soldiers would have to be rejected. In October 1942, the requirement was amended so that men could be completely toothless, their condition corrected (if it was able to be) with dentures. Visual acuity standards were also gradually revised. In October 1940 it was set at 20/100 in each eye without glasses if correctable with glasses to 20/40 in both eyes. These requirements bottomed out in April 1944;
20/200 in each eye or 20/100 in one eye and 20/400 in the other eye if correctable to;
20/40 in each eye, '
20/30 in the right eye and 20/70 in the left eye
20/20 in the right eye and 20/400 in the left eye
The Army furnished over two million pairs of glasses during the war. No registrant with an acute infections disease (excluding venereal disease) was to be inducted until he had fully recovered and did not exhibit any disqualifying symptoms. In the summer of 1942, new therapeutic methods allowed the treatment of some venereal diseases, and men previously rejected were admitted after treatment; the Army "saved" 200,000 men in this way.
Mental standards were at first very strict;
As a result of this Army attitude, it became the rule in many induction centers that if there were any doubt at all as to whether a registrant would perform satisfactorily, he should be rejected. If the candidate gave any suggestive evidence of emotional instability, such as nervousness at the time of examination, sweaty hands, or expressed fears, he was usually rejected.
In April 1944, men with mild personality disorders or neurotic trends were considered by the War Department as acceptable for service. It was unfortunately often not possible for the psychiatrist at the induction station to examine all inductees fully, and many borderline cases slipped through. By this time, men who were missing one or both external ears, or missing three fingers (including a trigger finger) or a thumb on one hand only could be inducted.
For most of WWII, the United States only used only three categories to classify inductees, "fit for general military service", "fit for limited military service" and "unfit for military service". On May 22, 1944, the US Army adopted the "PULHES" system, a Canadian Army classification system. The letters were graded from one to four, one being the best. A 1 represented normal function of the bodily part; a 2 represented a reportable condition that did not affect an individual's ability to perform their job; a 3 represented reportable condition that affected an individual's ability to perform certain jobs, but was not in itself disqualifying; a 4 represented conditions that were unacceptable for military service. The system is still used today.
| Letter | Meaning |
|---|---|
| P | General physical stamina and strength |
| U | Upper extremities |
| L | Lower extremities |
| H | Hearing |
| E | Eyes |
| S | Psychiatric evaluation |
The letter "M", standing for "mentality and intelligence" was omitted as the Army felt that the Army General Classification Test (AGCT) covered it sufficiently. Army personnel officials adopted codes for each Military Occupational Specialty representing the PULHES score necessary to carry it out effectively; a grade for a man accepted for general service (any assignment) might read "121121".
Sources:
The Guns at Last Light: The War in Western Europe 1944-1945, by Rick Atkinson
Preventive Medicine in World War II Volume III: Personal Health Measures and Immunization
Your Number's Up!, by Carl Zebrowski (America in WWII Magazine, December 2007)