How did the GI Bill create the term “sawdust empire”, which is used today to describe the Pacific Northwest of the 1950s and 1960s? It helped veterans buy houses, which sparked a building boom and a rush for great amounts of timber.

It helped returning veterans negotiate labor contracts for employment in the timber industry.

It encouraged veterans to involve themselves in woodworking as a therapeutic remedy for postwar trauma.

It allowed lumber companies to provide sawdust to veterans as a fuel source to heat homes at a low cost.