Nov. 22, 1962 - President Kennedy gave a good many Americans reason to be thankful today. Before sitting down with his family this evening to a 32-pound turkey, the President instructed the Veterans Administration to pay out in January $327,600,000 in dividends on National Service Life Insurance and U.S. Government Life Insurance policies that otherwise would have been spread out during the entire year. The President said that this windfall, coming on the heels of the Christmas season, should be “of special interest” to the families concerned. At the same time, he added, it should “provide a needed boost to the economy.” The President also ordered that all Federal employees who could be spared from duty should get off Monday, Dec. 24, without loss of pay. This means that Federal employees, like most workers in private employment, will get a four-day Christmas holiday.
