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1103440
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Veterans Administration
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document
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1
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1103440
sourceUrl
contentType
document
title
Veterans Administration
citationUrl
collections
Bradley H. Patterson Files (Ford Administration)
Bradley Patterson's Native American Programs Files
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Indians of North America
Veterans
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1103440
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1976-09-01
month
9
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1976
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1976-09-01
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9
year
1976
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nara-archive
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The original documents are located in Box 6, folder "Veterans Administration" of the
Bradley H. Patterson Files at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Copyright Notice
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of
photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Gerald Ford donated to the United
States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.
Works prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public
domain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to
remain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid
copyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Digitized from Box 6 of the Bradley H. Patterson Files at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
REVOLUTION
ADMINIS NOILY
VETERANS ADMINISTRATION
OFFICE OF THE ADMINISTRATOR OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
AMERICAN
BICENTENNIAL
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20420
1776-1976
®
1930
September 9, 1976
MEMORANDUM FOR:
Mr. Bradley H. Patterson, Jr.
The White House
Washington, D.C. 20501
This is in response to the President's memorandum of August 26,
1976 requesting that emphasis be placed on insuring effective delivery of
service to American Indians.
The Veterans Administration does not operate any programs
specifically designed or authorized to provide services or benefits
to American Indians. Those American Indians, who are veterans, enjoy
the same rights and privileges to VA benefits as all other honorably
discharged American veterans. Because racial characteristics are not
a prerequisite to the receipt of VA benefits, this information has not
been a standard part of the master record which is compiled on recipients
of VA benefits. There are, therefore, no reports which would indicate how
many Indians are on the Compensation, Pensions or Education rolls.
The Veterans Administration is, however, quite cognizant of the
special needs of minority groups such as American Indians and has designed
special services to provide them increased opportunity for participation
in our programs. The Department of Veterans Benefits, through their out-
reach activities, has operated mobile vans which provided on-the-spot
counseling services throughout Indian reservations and communities. VA's
Department of Medicine and Surgery, in cooperation with the Department of
Health, Education and Welfare, has developed a program for improving the
access of American Indians in the "Four Corners" area of Arizona, New
Mexico, Colorado, and Utah, to health and social services offered by the
Veterans Administration. This latter program, designed in conjunction
with the Navajo Health Authority and the Navajo Tribal Council, will
initially employ eight local American Indians who will be trained to
assist the "Four Corners" area population on medical and benefits eligi-
bility questions.
It is our intention to evaluate the effectiveness of these
programs and to continue our contacts with DHEW Indian Health Services,
Tribal Welfare Councils, and County and State offices of Indian Affairs
to promote the improved delivery of available services and benefits to
America's Indian population.
FORD LIBRARY & GERALD
RICHARD L. ROUDEBUSH
Administrator