What does WW2 US Army discharge code W.D. CIR 395, 1942 mean?

Question

My father was honorably discharged from the US Army in 1943. My question is what is W.D. Cir. 395, 1942? He served only 2 months and 8 days. His occupation at that time was listed as Turret Lathe Operator.

Answer 1

According to the Office of Medical History , this was a "Discharge for the Convenience of the Government". The language on that page is a bit convoluted, and I'm not sure exactly if it summarizes all the provisions of War Department Circular 395, but it seems to say people who didn't know much English and who were not "useful" to the Army (in a certain technical sense) could be discharged this way. Another (more likely) possibility is that, as a skilled lathe operator, the military felt his skills were more valuable in a factory producing war material.