Ask the Scholar
Document scope · 1 page
Scholar
Ask about this object, its catalog metadata, its source description, or the page inventory.
For page-specific OCR and visual context, open one of the page chats.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
475678552
label
Vietnam Veterans Leadership Program - ACTION: 11/10/1981 (1 of 4)
core
doc
dtoType
document
citationUrl
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
475678552
contentType
document
title
Vietnam Veterans Leadership Program - ACTION: 11/10/1981 (1 of 4)
citationUrl
identifierLocal
47
collections
Records of the White House Office of Public Liaison (Reagan Administration)
Morton Blackwell's Veterans' Liaison Files
imageCount
1
hasImages
yes
source
import
hasTranscription
no
Source extras
naId
475678552
levelOfDescription
fileUnit
recordType
description
ocrSource
nara-archive
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
document
mediaId
3ca5be453c642eed
ocrText
Ronald Reagan Presidential Library
Digital Library Collections
This is a PDF of a folder from our textual collections.
Collection: Blackwell, Morton: Files
Folder Title: Vietnam Veterans Leadership Program -
ACTION: 11/10/1981
(1 of 4)
Box: 52
To see more digitized collections visit:
https://reaganlibrary.gov/archives/digital-library
To see all Ronald Reagan Presidential Library inventories visit:
https://reaganlibrary.gov/document-collection
Contact a reference archivist at: [email protected]
Citation Guidelines: https://reaganlibrary.gov/citing
National Archives Catalogue: https://catalog.archives.gov/
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
Oct. 21, 1981
TO:
Morton Blackwell
FROM: KARNA SMALL
This item was in a stack
of things Gergen asked me
to check on. Greg
Newell's office has this
on the schedule for Nov. 10 -
would you check with him
about ho has the action
though -- setting up the
room, doing the briefing
papers etc. I think it
should be your event.
Thanks.
ACTION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20525
9/20
Dear Morton,
These men reflect very,
very positively on the President.
Their biogs (enclosed) will
give you a lift!
we hope that Credy Newell's
office can schedule 2 November
event to recognize the Program.
Can you puting good word?
Jack
Wheeler
254-8270
THE WHITE HOUSE
AUG : 1031
WASHINGTON
MEMORANDUM
5 AUGUST 1981
TO:
TOM PAUKEN, DIRECTOR, ACTION
FROM: GREGORY J. SENELL, DIRECTOR
PRESIDENTIAL APPOINTMENTS AND SCHEDULING
THE PRESIDENT'S
PROGRAM
SUBJ: ANNOUNCEMENT OF/VIETNAM VETERANS LEADERSHIP PROJECT.
Please be advised that the Presidential
Appointments and Scheduling Office has
received your request from Dave Gergen,
and we are penciling it in tentatively
in November.
We will get back to you as the date
draws nearer.
CC: David Gergen
Jack,
F.Y.I
AGENCY
ACTION
FOR
X
ACTION
SERVICE
WASHINGTON, DC 20525
OFFICE OF
THE DIRECTOR
July 30, 1981
MEMORANDUM
To:
Dave Gergen, Assistant to the President for Communications
From:
Tom Pauken, Director, ACTION Jon Parker
Subject: Announcement of Vietnam Veterans Leadership Project
The President has approved ACTION's new Vietnam Veterans Leadership
Project. See attached PDM.
The Project recruits Vietnam Veterans who successfully made the
transition back to civilian life to serve as volunteers to help fellow
Vietnam Veterans who have lingering problems associated with their military
service. The program is starting in five cities; with fifty by the end of
1982; for about $50,000 per city.
Rocky Bleier, Jim Webb, and Chuck O'Brien are a few of the well-known
Vietnam Veterans who have agreed to help the project. Roger Staubach and
Al Bumbry should be on board soon.
Recommendation:
President announces project in Oval Office around Veterans Day
(Wednesday, November 11th) with Bleier, et al., looking on. Proclamation.
Photo opportunity. Out the door.
All we need right now is OK to plan on Veterans Day announcement.
PLACE cours
VISTA
UNIVERSITY YEAR FOR AC:
)N
NATIONAL CENTER FOR SERVICE
ARNING
FOSTI R GRAN PARENT PROGRAM
RETIRED SE NIOR
LUNTEE R PROGRAM
SENIOR COMPANION PROGRAM
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT
FROM:
Richard Schweiker
for the Cabinet Council on Human Resources
SUBJECT: Decision on Proposed ACTION Program for Vietnam Veterans
At a meeting on June 9, 1981, the Human Resources Cabinet Council,
with the Vice President's concurrence, approved an outreach
program for Vietnam Veterans proposed by Thomas Pauken, Director
of ACTION. The program would encourage able and successful
Vietnam veterans to serve in their communities as volunteers to
help fellow Vietnam veterans with lingering problems associated
with their military service. The proposal is endorsed by the
Human Resources Secretariat and the Office of Management and
Budget.
The ACTION program will complement the already existing federal,
local, and private veterans programs, and place particular
emphasis on working closely with the Veterans Administration and
the traditional veterans organizations.
The program will begin with a pilot phase in some four or five
test communities which will last long enough to assure effective-
ness.
Assuming a successful pilot phase, the operational phase will
proceed in some 50 communities under a national project director
and a local ACTION director in each community. Cost for the
pilot phase is estimated at under $200,000, now funded by ACTION.
The operational phase is estimated at $2 million per year from
direct budget authority and appropriation to ACTION, and/or fund
transfers from other federal agencies which have an interest in
veterans.
The ACTION Program would be planned to end in late 1983 or
early 1984 with the continuing flow of volunteers to be handled
by existing agencies and programs.
RECOMMENDATION: The Human Resources Cabinet Council unanimously
recommends that implementation of the ACTION program be given
high visibility with participation by the President and senior
Administration officials.
DECISION:
approve
approve as amended
reject
no action
THE AGENCY ACTION FOR
ACTION
SERVICE DEPARTMENT
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20525
OFFICE OF
THE DIRECTOR
September 18, 1981
THE VIETNAM VETERANS LEADERSHIP PROGRAM
REPRESENTATIVE BIOGRAPHIES
For Public Release on
November 11, 1981
Phone contact:
202-254-8270
PEACE CORPS VISTA UNIVERSITY YEAR FOR ACTION NATIONAL CENTER FOR SERVICE LEARNING
FOSTER GRANDPARENT PROGRAM RETIRED SENIOR VOLUNTEER PROGRAM SENIOR COMPANION PROGRAM
The President's Vietnam Veterans Leadership Program
ACTION
Washington, D.C. 20525
Phone: 202-254-8270
J. P. RESIGNS TO HEAD VET PROJECT
Wayne R. Hanby
Wilmington, Delaware Program Director
"I wanted to be a baseball player more than anything,"
Wayne says. "And to coach. I wanted to coach."
A Marine with the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Division in
Vietnam, 1968-70, Wayne was wounded. He lost his left eye to
the war, suffered shrapnel damage to the other and lost a
hand.
"So, at 22 I had to take stock and reevaluate my whole
life," he paused. "I had a fantasy of becoming a judge. I
felt drawn to the law. "
Hanby, 33, is a Justice of the Peace for the State of
Delaware. He became the first Justice of the Peace to be
invited to swear in that state's legislators.
And he still plans to go to law school. "I'll get there,"
he says and adds firmly, "I don't like to fall short."
"I am impressed with the commitment of the Leadership
Program to actually doing something. I'm willing to resign
the two years remaining on my current appointment to give this
a go. "
September 17, 1981
The President's Vietnam Veterans Leadership Program
ACTION
Washington, D.C. 20525
Phone: 202-254-8270
VET WHO CONQUERED MT. RAINIER TO HEAD PHILADELPHIA PROJECT
Chuck O'Brien
Chairman, Philadelphia Vietnam Veterans Leadership Program
In 1970 as a platoon leader with the 9th Infantry
Division, Chuck O'Brien was airborne and ranger qualified.
He fought in Cambodia, was wounded and lost part of his leg.
"I've emerged from the experience with a positive
attitude," he said. "And I went on to teach skiing to the
handicapped in New England. We put alot of emphasis on restoring
confidence in physical ability."
Last July 3 Chuck was the first of a group of eight
handicapped people to reach the summit of Mt. Rainier. The
group returned from the mountain on Independence Day and received
national recognition for their climb, including honors bestowed
by President Reagan.
"I discovered I have a natural affinity for Vietnam
veterans, says O'Brien, who is now an attorney with the
Philadelphia law firm of Pepper, Hamilton and Sheetz. "They
are more disciplined, more generous and cooperative under
pressure. And I just like their company. I've worked in
the state government and the private sector and I know that
to succeed requires hard work and discipline. These are
characteristics of the men who served in Vietnam."
"These men have labored under tremendous disadvantages,
O'Brien
page 2
he points out. "They" ve had 2-4 years taken from them.
Persons my age who were not in the service are now partners
in their firms. This is a fundamental inequity and yet one
that can be worked around."
He adds, "I wouldn't change a single thing that's
occurred in my life. We need to reassure other veterans
that the experience is one that can be built upon; that
we can actually provide assistance to help regain those
2-4 years. "
September 17, 1981
The President's Vietnam Veterans Leadership Program
ACTION
Washington, D.C. 20525
Phone: 202-254-8270
THE LEADERSHIP PROGRAM IS NEEDED NOW
Luis Sanz, M.D.
Advisor
Dr. Luis Sanz, 38, was a combat medic in Vietnam in
1968 with the 29th Evacuation Hospital.
"For a long time it was a striking thing to me that men
could go through what they went through over there and not
get any credit for it at all when they got home," commented
Dr. Sanz.
Sanz graudated from college in three years after
returning from Vietnam and finished medical school at the
top of his class. He now practice obstetrics and gynecology
and is a full time faculty member at Georgetown University.
"It was frustrating," he says of his homecoming, "to
be one day in a place where people are dying all around you
and the next day in San Francisco where life is going on
as usual and to have no real acknowledgement of that.'
Dr. Sanz said, "The Vietnam Veterans Leadership Program
is a positive thing. It's important to make the distinction
that the problems of that time were political but that the
solider who served was not. He was simply doing his duty.
Thousands of men returned and have done very well and been
successful in their businesses and professions. The true
picture of the Vietnam is not one of a loser. The Leadership
Program is needed now. Much better to have it now than never
at all."
September 17, 1981
The President's Vietnam Veterans Leadership Program
ACTION
Washington, D.C. 20525
Phone: 202-254-8270
MARINE LEADER TO HEAD SAN ANTONIO VET PROGRAM
William C. Stensland
San Antonio Program Director
Bill Stensland, 43, left active Marine Corps service as a
Major with 15 years of service, as a result of war wounds.
He was a company commander in Quang Tri in 1967 when he
was wounded. Stensland returned to Vietnam in 1970 as an
advisor in the Rungsat Special Zone -- the point of the entry
for all shipping south of Saigon. He was again wounded.
Bill Stensland is one of the most respected of Vietnam's
combat leaders. Several marines have said, "If I had to
go back and could pick my commander I'd choose Stensland,
hands down."
"I want to be involved with the Leadership Program,"
says Bill. "A lot of people are hurting and hurting very,
very deeply. There is pain over what happened in the war
but there is even a deeper pain because of what happened, or
didn't happen, when we returned. That's what this work is
about now."
September 17, 1981
The President's Vietnam Veterans Leadership Program
ACTION
Washington, D.C. 20525
Phone: 202-254-8270
ACTION DIRECTOR: VETS ARE WINNERS
The Honorable Thomas Weir Pauken
Director, ACTION
Tom Pauken left his law practice in Texas to head the
agency which houses Federal volunteer programs. He directs
the activities of some 300,000 Americans who serve as volunteers
in ACTION programs.
Pauken graduated from Georgetown University in 1965
and two years later enlisted in the U.S. Army, where he
served in Vietnam. He earned his law degree from Southern
Methodist University in 1973.
"The Vietnam veteran was portrayed in the late 60s and
early 70s as little more than a drug crazed killer. NOW
we are portrayed as guilt-ridden victims
I've had enough,"
said Pauken recently. "More than 80% of the Vietnam veterans
who came home have made the successful transition back to
civilian life and are doing fine. There are those that
still do need help but it does them no service to encourage
them to wallow in self-pity to reinforce their doubts about
their own self worth.
"I have been tremendously impressed by the calibre
of men who want to participate in the Vietnam Veterans
Leadership Program. We want it known that there is no
Pauken
page 2
shame or stigma to being a veteran of the Vietnam War."
He continued, "We may not yet comprehend the full
meaning of that common experience which Vietnam veterans
shared, which somehow binds us together in spite of our
disparate backgrounds and viewpoints. Yet of one thing
I am certain -- there is better way to insure that those
who gave their lives for our country will not be forgotten
then for the returning veterans to demonstrate that we
are capable of exercising the kind of leadership so badly
needed in America today."
September 17, 1981
The President's Vietnam Veterans Leadership Program
ACTION
Washington, D.C. 20525
Phone: 202-254-8270
AUTHOR VOICES SUPPORT FOR VET PROGRAM
James Webb
Advisor
My greatest concern is how a society views itself
and what values this society is passing down to the next
generation," says Jim Webb, best-selling author of two
novels based on his Vietnam experience, "Fields of Fire,"
and "A Sense of Honor."
A 1968 Annapolis graduate, Webb was a Marine company
commander in Vietnam, where he was twice wounded.
After a law degree at Georgetown University he became
counsel to the House Veterans Affairs Committee and taught
poetry and the novel at the Naval Academy.
"We are in a watershed time in this country," Webb
has said. "I think people are starting to look around
for new answers and when they look around for new answers
they're going to be looking for new role models. I think
what people are going to be looking for are individuals
who have manifested a sense of country."
"Essentially there has been a misperception about
the upside of the people who served in Vietnam," concluded
Jim. "They are very strong poeple. With the Leadership
Program we have an opportunity to make this element of the
Vietnam veterans constituency visible to the public. This
Webb
page 2
program gives us the opportunity to apply the aspects of our
successes to the needs of those who have not yet had the
same good fortune in the years since service in Vietnam."
September 17, 1981
The President's Vietnam Veterans Leadership Program
ACTION
Washington, D.C. 20525
Phone: 202-254-8270
SAN ANTONIO VET PLANS TO "SET RECORD STRAIGHT"
John D. Baines
Chairman, San Antonio Vietnam Veterans Leadership Program
As President of John D. Baines Properties, John, 35,
develops commercial real estate throughout the Southwest
U.S. and abroad.
From 1968-70 Baines was a Navy seabee serving in
Quang Tri, Dang Ha, Khe Sanh and Hue. His primary function
was building fire-bases and, he says, "building what was
the longest bridge in Vietnam at the time."
When he returned home, he began working in real estate
because he found it difficult to go back to college life.
"I guess I was like a lot of people," he says. "When the prisoners
of war were released I thought the war was over and done with."
But then, years later, his attention was caught by an
article in the press and "I discovered Vietnam was a very
sensitive issue with me." He called a college classmate who
happened also to be a Congressmen and they talked.
"I realized that while I've worked hard for everything
I've got there are guys out there who need a hand and it's
up to me," John stated. "The Leadership Program can do more
to reestablish patriotism in this country than anything that's
come before. This nation was ripped, torn apart by the Vietnam
war. It's time now to set the record straight."
September 17, 1981
The President's Vietnam Veteran Leadership Program
ACTION
Washington, D.C. 20525
Phone: 202-254-8270
BALTIMORE VET PROGRAM HEAD "READY TO GO"
John David DeChant
Baltimore Program Director
"I've often thought that America is like an Olympic
champion who has been deeply wounded by Vietnam," says
David DeChant, 34. "This great athlete has bandaged the
wound but underneath it has become infected. Until the
bandages are torn off and the wound is cleaned and allowed
to heal, the very essence of the champion is affected."
David spent 31 months in Vietnam. For part of his
tour he was a liaison with military and civilian leaders
and was also a scout. "I spent 13 months in combat making
life and death decisions every day," he says. "Yet when I
returned home I worked filing 3x5 cards. I was upset."
Currently the manager of the Dubliner Restaurant in
Washington, D.C., David plans to use his degree in Chinese
language and area studies to move into international relations
influencing foreign policy. "Ever since I watched the media
coverage of the Russian tanks invading Hungary in 1956, I
have wanted to work in the area of foreign policy," he says.
David worked as public relations volunteer with the
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund raising monies for the Memorial.
"My father was a Marine in charge of fund raising for the Iwo
Jima Memorial," he paused. "I looked around and asked, 'Where's
ours?'"
DeChant
page 2
Ironically, he accepted his post with ACTION's Leadership
Program over lunch at a Vietnamese restaurant. "I'm
honored," he continued, "There's very important work to
do. For years I've thought that veterans need to be taken
care of by veterans. I'm ready to go!"
September 17, 1981
The President's Vietnam Veterans Leadership Program
ACTION
Washington, D.C. 20525
Phone: 202-254-8270
EX-POW TO LEAD LEADERSHIP
John S. McCain
Phoenix Vietnam Veterans Leadership Program
Advisor
McCain, 45, was a Navy pilot when he was shot down in
Vietnam. He was a prisoner of war in North Vietnam from
1967-73.
John is the Vice President of Public Relations for
Hensley and Co., Anheueser Busch distributor for Phoenix,
Arizona.
"Both my father and grandfather were Navy. I served as
Navy liaison to the U.S. Senate." He continued, "The Leadership
Program is vital and necessary. It will, hopefully, rectify
a lot of neglect and errors that have taken place in the last
few years concerning Vietnam veterans."
September 17, 1981
The President's Vietnam Veterans Leadership Program
ACTION
Washington, D.C. 20525
Phone: 202-254-8270
TIME TO REMEMBER VETS SAYS BALTIMORE LAWYER
Mark C. Treanor
Chairman, Baltimore Vietnam Veterans Leadership Program
A graduate of the Naval Academy, 1968, Mark, 34, served with
the 1st Marine Division as a rifle platoon commander in Vietnam
in 1969-70.
After his tour of Vietnam he spent three and one-half years
in the Marine Corps. "I just always thought I'd be a career
Marine," he said. Treanor is now an attorney with the Baltimore
law firm, Miles and Stockbridge.
"It's been a long time since anyone has done anything at
a senior level to afford successful veterans the opportunity to
help those who are not yet so successful. I think we all
want to be involved. For too long many of us forgot about
those who were there with us." He concludes, "If we weren't
personally scarred there is tendency to forget. Now it's
time to remember."
September 17, 1981
The President's Vietnam Veterans Leadership Program
ACTION
Washington, D.C. 20525
Phone: 202-254-8270
BLINDED VET SETS SIGHTS ON WHITE HOUSE
David L. Huffman
Program Planner
David, 33, was a Marine rifleman in Vietnam, blinded in
combat when a booby trap detonated.
"You know, I flunked kindergarten, 7th and 9th grades.
After I came back from Vietnam I had to turn my life around.
And I had to rely on my head."
Last May Huffman became the first blind student to graduate
from Delaware Law School.
"I have a special feeling for the Vietnam veteran. He's
had bad press. This program will take a different approach
and it's a great idea," David comments.
Asked what he would say if he had an opportunity to speak
with the President, David did not hesitate. With a soft chuckle
he replied, "It won't be too long now before a Vietnam veteran
has your job!"
September 17, 1981
The President's Vietnam Veterans Leadership Program
ACTION
Washington, D.C. 20525
Phone: 202-254-8270
DEPUTY DIRECTOR LOOKS TO FUTURE
William Jayne
Deputy Director
Bill Jayne, 35, came to the Leadership Program from his
position as Director of Information at the Associated General
Contractors of America.
He served in Vietnam as a Marine rifleman in 1967-68 and
was among the men wounded in an ambush at Khe Sanh during the
Tet offensive of 1968.
Jayne received his degree, with honors, from the University
of California, Berkeley and came to Washington to work for a trade
magazine before joining the Associated General Contractors in
1977.
A volunteer who helped launch the Vietnam Veterans
Memorial Fund, he says, "The whole subject of Vietnam has been,
obviously, of great personal concern to me. My work on the
Memorial gave me an opportunity to do something useful with
that concern. Working with the Vietnam Veterans Leadership
Program is a natural progression for me."
He goes on to say, "I have two children. That has a lot
of bearing on my work with the Leadership Program -- looking
to the future to do what I can to make sure the legacy of
Vietnam and the position of veterans in the national outlook
is used to strengthen this country for those children who
will be around 20 years from now.
September 17, 1981
The President's Vietnam Veterans Leadership Program
ACTION
Washington, D.C. 20525
Phone: 202-254-8270
VET PROJECT DEPUTY SEPARATES WARRIOR FROM WAR
Edward T. Timperlake
Deputy Director
"I authored a position paper a long time ago," says
Timperlake, 34, "voicing my concerns that the public was
blaming the warrior for the war. They are two very separate
issues."
Ed was stationed in Thailand and flew F-4s in Southeast
Asia. Before taking his position as Deputy Director with the
Vietnam Veterans Leadership Program he was a consultant to
the Office of the Secretary of Defense, analyzing the national
security balance between the Soviets and the U.S.
"The Vietnam veteran has been portrayed as a loser," he
says. "I knew it's long past time to turn that one around.
I came aboard the Leadership Program because I've wanted to
do anything I could to change the image. It's time to get
these men back in the mainstream so they can demonstrate what
they really are." "
September 17, 1981
The President's Vietnam Veterans Leadership Program
ACTION
Washington, DC 20525
Phone: 202-254-8270
VET PROGRAM DIRECTOR DID IT FOR TOMMY
John P. Wheeler, III
National Program Director
"The men who served in Vietnam have a tremendous amount
to offer this country -- because of the hardships of their
service they are stronger and more mature. Hardly a day goes
by when
...
I don't hear from at least one Vietnam veteran
who has made a good, busy life for himself and wants to know
what he can do to help other veterans. What we are doing in a
careful, methodical way is sending a bolt of electricity through
the network of able veterans who want to help others."
Jack Wheeler was commissioned from West Point as a
Distinguished Cadet in 1966, holds an M.B.A. from Harvard and
graduated with honors from Yale Law School. Wheeler, 36, was
a captain with the Army's general staff in Vietnam
He returned from Vietnam to Washington, D.C. working on the
staff of the Secretary of Defense and the Joint Chiefs of
Staff.
Although he returned confident he had left
the war behind, every spring Jack found himself
remembering his friend Tom Hayes, a West Point classmate.
In a fire-fight in 1968, Tommy dragged first one,
Wheeler
page 2
then another of his wounded men across a rice paddy to safety.
Marked as a target of choice, Tommy was killed that April
day by enemy fire.
One spring day, with the memory of Tommy's life and death
lingering, "it dawned on me that there was important unfinished
business," says Jack.
The author of newspaper and other articles on the Vietnam
war and its veterans, Wheeler was instrumental in organizing
and building the Southeast Asia Memorial at West Point. In
collaboration with the Washington Post he is soon to publish
the book THE WOUNDED GENERATION. Co-founder of the extra-
ordinarily successful Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund he writes:
"The battlefield, for most men, nurtured the recognition
that sacrifice is a part of any strong community. The typical
act of gallantry wasn't assaulting the foe; it was saving a
friend's life."
September 17, 1981
Juch Wheeler
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
MEMORANDUM
5 AUGUST 1981
TO:
ToM PAUKEN, DIRECTOR, ACTION
FROM: GREGORY J. NEWELL, DIRECTOR
PRESIDENTIAL APPOINTMENTS AND SCHEDULING
SUBJ: ANNOUNCEMENT OF VIETNAM VETERANS LEADERSHIP PROJECT.
Please be advised that the Presidential
Appointments and Scheduling Office has
received your request from Dave Gergen,
and we are penciling it in tentatively
in November.
We will get back to you as the date
draws nearer.
Icc: David Gergen
Nov. 10th an Par vochedule
hered Raffel
ACTION
IDJUNTEER SIRUCE
WASHINGTON, D
OFFICE OF
THE DIRECTOR
July 30, 1981
MEMORANDUM
To:
Dave Gergen, Assistant to the President for Communications
From:
Tom Pauken, Director, ACTION 20m Parken
Subject: Announcement of Vietnam Veterans Leadership Project
The President has approved ACTION's new Vietnam Veterans Leadership
Project. See attached PDM.
The Project recruits Vietnam Veterans who successfully made the
transition back to civilian life to serve as volunteers to help fellow
Vietnam Veterans who have lingering problems associated with their military
service. The program is starting in five cities; with fifty by the end of
1982; for about $50,000 per city.
Rocky Bleier, Jim Webb, and Chuck O'Brien are a few of the well-known
Vietnam Veterans who have agreed to help the project. Roger Staubach and
Al Bumbry should be on board soon.
Recommendation:
President announces project in Oval Office around Veterans Day
(Wednesday, November 11th) with Bleier, et al., looking on. Proclamation.
Photo opportunity. Out the door.
All we need right now is OK to plan on Veterans Day announcement.
7/31 Referred to being newell f handling Dave corcurs
w/Tom Parken
PEACE CORPS
VISTA
UNIVERSITY YEAR FOR ACTION
NATIONAL CENTER FOR SERVICE LEARNING
FOSTER GRANDPARENT PROGRAM
RETIRED SENIOR VOLUNTEE R PROGRAM
SENIOR COMPANION PROGRAM
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT
FROM:
Richard Schweiker
for the Cabinet Council on Human Resources
SUBJECT: Decision on Proposed ACTION Program for Vietnam Veterans
At a meeting on June 9, 1981, the Human Resources Cabinet Council,
with the Vice President's concurrence, approved an outreach
program for Vietnam Veterans proposed by Thomas Pauken, Director
of ACTION. The program would encourage able and successful
Vietnam veterans to serve in their communities as volunteers to
help fellow Vietnam veterans with lingering problems associated
with their military service. The proposal is endorsed by the
Human Resources Secretariat and the Office of Management and
Budget.
The ACTION program will complement the already existing federal,
local, and private veterans programs, and place particular
emphasis on working closely with the Veterans Administration and
the traditional veterans organizations.
The program will begin with a pilot phase in some four or five
test communities which will last long enough to assure effective-
ness.
Assuming a successful pilot phase, the operational phase will
proceed in some 50 communities under a national project director
and a local ACTION director in each community. Cost for the
pilot phase is estimated at under $200,000, now funded by ACTION.
The operational phase is estimated at $2 million per year from
direct budget authority and appropriation to ACTION, and/or fund
transfers from other federal agencies which have an interest in
veterans.
The ACTION Program would be planned to end in late 1983 or
early 1984 with the continuing flow of volunteers to be handled
by existing agencies and programs.
RECOMMENDATION: The Human Resources Cabinet Council unanimously
recommends that implementation of the ACTION program be given
high visibility with participation by the President and senior
Administration officials.
DECISION:
RP
approve
approve as amended
reject
no action
AJION
more
DA
ACTION
STRATA
WASHINGTON C 20525
OFFICE OF
:H: DIRECTOR
July 30, 1981
MEMORANDUM
To:
Dave Gergen, Assistant to the President for Communications
From:
Tom Pauken, Director, ACTION 2022 Parker
Subject:
Announcement of Vietnam Veterans Leadership Project
The President has approved ACTION's new Vietnam Veterans Leadership
Project. See attached PDM.
The Project recruits Vietnam Veterans who successfully made the
transition back to civilian life to serve as volunteers to help fellow
Vietnam Veterans who have lingering problems associated with their military
service. The program is starting in five cities; with fifty by the end of
1982; for about $50,000 per city.
Rocky Bleier, Jim Webb, and Chuck O'Brien are a few of the well-known
Vietnam Veterans who have agreed to help the project. Roger Staubach and
Al Bumbry should be on board soon.
Recommendation:
President announces project in Oval Office around Veterans Day
(Wednesday, November llth) with Bleier, et al., looking on. Proclamation.
Photo opportunity. Out the door.
All we need right now is OK to plan on Veterans Day announcement.
YEAR FOR AC
)N
NATIONAL CENTER For SERVICI
ARNING
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT
FROM:
Richard Schweiker
for the Cabinet Council on Human Resources
SUBJECT:
Decision on Proposed ACTION Program for Vietnam Veterans
At a meeting on June 9, 1981, the Human Resources Cabinet Council,
with the Vice President's concurrence, approved an outreach
program for Vietnam Veterans proposed by Thomas Pauken, Director
of ACTION. The program would encourage able and successful
Vietnam veterans to serve in their communities as volunteers to
help fellow Vietnam veterans with lingering problems associated
with their military service. The proposal is endorsed by the
Human Resources Secretariat and the Office of Management and
Budget.
The ACTION program will complement the already existing federal,
local, and private veterans programs, and place particular
emphasis on working closely with the Veterans Administration and
the traditional veterans organizations.
The program will begin with a pilot phase in some four or five
test communities which will last long enough to assure effective-
ness.
Assuming a successful pilot phase, the operational phase will
proceed in some 50 communities under a national project director
and a local ACTION director in each community. Cost for the
pilot phase is estimated at under $200,000, now funded by ACTION.
The operational phase is estimated at $2 million per year from
direct budget authority and appropriation to ACTION, and/or fund
transfers from other federal agencies which have an interest in
veterans.
The ACTION Program would be planned to enc in late 1983 or
early 1984 with the continuing flow of volunteers to be handled
by existing agencies and programs.
RECOMMENDATION: The Human Resources Cabinet Council unanimously
recommends that implementation of the ACTION program be given
high visibility with participation by the President and senior
Administration officials.
DECISION:
&
approve
approve as amended
reject
no action
AGENCY
THE ACTION FOR
ACTION
SERVICE
DRAFT
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20525
OFFICE OF
THE DIRECTOR
September 18, 1981
THE VIETNAM VETERANS LEADERSHIP PROGRAM
REPRESENTATIVE BIOGRAPHIES
For Public Release on
November 11, 1981
Phone contact:
202-254-8270
PEACE CORPS VISTA . UNIVERSITY YEAR FOR ACTION NATIONAL CENTER FOR SERVICE LEARNIING
FOS TER GRANDPARENT PROGRAM RETIRED SENIOR VOLUNTEER PROGRAM SENIOR COMPANION PROGRAM
The President's Vietnam Veterans Leadership Program
ACTION
Washington, D.C. 20525
Phone: 202-254-8270
J. P. RESIGNS TO HEAD VET PROJECT
Wayne R. Hanby
Wilmington, Delaware Program Director
"I wanted to be a baseball player more than anything,"
Wayne says. "And to coach. I wanted to coach."
A Marine with the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Division in
Vietnam, 1968-70, Wayne was wounded. He lost his left eye to
the war, suffered shrapnel damage to the other and lost a
hand.
"So, at 22 I had to take stock and reevaluate my whole
life,' he paused. "I had a fantasy of becoming a judge. I
felt drawn to the law. "
Hanby, 33, is a Justice of the Peace for the State of
Delaware. He became the first Justice of the Peace to be
invited to swear in that state's legislators.
And he still plans to go to law school. "I'll get there,"
he says and adds firmly, "I don't like to fall short."
"I am impressed with the commitment of the Leadership
Program to actually doing something. I'm willing to resign
the two years remaining on my current appointment to give this
a go. "
September 17, 1981
The President's Vietnam Veterans Leadership Program
ACTION
Washington, D.C. 20525
Phone: 202-254-8270
VET WHO CONQUERED MT. RAINIER TO HEAD PHILADELPHIA PROJECT
Chuck O'Brien
Chairman, Philadelphia Vietnam Veterans Leadership Program
In 1970 as a platoon leader with the 9th Infantry
Division, Chuck O'Brien was airborne and ranger qualified.
He fought in Cambodia, was wounded and lost part of his leg.
"I've emerged from the experience with a positive
attitude," he said. "And I went on to teach skiing to the
handicapped in New England. We put alot of emphasis on restoring
confidence in physical ability."
Last July 3 Chuck was the first of a group of eight
handicapped people to reach the summit of Mt. Rainier. The
group returned from the mountain on Independence Day and received
national recognition for their climb, including honors bestowed
by President Reagan.
"I discovered I have a natural affinity for Vietnam
veterans," says O'Brien, who is now an attorney with the
Philadelphia law firm of Pepper, Hamilton and Sheetz. "They
are more disciplined, more generous and cooperative under
pressure. And I just like their company. I've worked in
the state government and the private sector and I know that
to succeed requires hard work and discipline. These are
characteristics of the men who served in Vietnam."
"These men have labored under tremendous disadvantages, "
0' Brien
page 2
he points out. "They've had 2-4 years taken from them.
Persons my age who were not in the service are now partners
in their firms. This is a fundamental inequity and yet one
that can be worked around."
He adds, "I wouldn't change a single thing that's
occurred in my life. We need to reassure other veterans
that the experience is one that can be built upon; that
we can actually provide assistance to help regain those
2-4 years. "
September 17, 1981
The President's Vietnam Veterans Leadership Program
ACTION
Washington, D.C. 20525
Phone: 202-254-8270
THE LEADERSHIP PROGRAM IS NEEDED NOW
Luis Sanz, M.D.
Advisor
Dr. Luis Sanz, 38, was a combat medic in Vietnam in
1968 with the 29th Evacuation Hospital.
"For a long time it was a striking thing to me that men
could go through what they went through over there and not
get any credit for it at all when they got home," commented
Dr. Sanz.
Sanz graduated from college in three years after
returning from Vietnam and finished medical school at the
top of his class. He now practice obstetrics and gynecology
and is a full time faculty member at Georgetown University.
"It was frustrating," he says of his homecoming, "to
be one day in a place where people are dying all around you
and the next day in San Francisco where life is going on
as usual and to have no real acknowledgement of that."
Dr. Sanz said, "The Vietnam Veterans Leadership Program
is a positive thing. It's important to make the distinction
that the problems of that time were political but that the
solider who served was not. He was simply doing his duty.
Thousands of men returned and have done very well and been
successful in their businesses and professions. The true
picture of the Vietnam is not one of a loser. The Leadership
Program is needed now. Much better to have it now than never
at all."
The President's Vietnam Veterans Leadership Program
ACTION
Washington, D.C. 20525
Phone: 202-254-8270
MARINE LEADER TO HEAD SAN ANTONIO VET PROGRAM
William C. Stensland
San Antonio Program Director
Bill Stensland, 43, left active Marine Corps service as a
Major with 15 years of service, as a result of war wounds.
He was a company commander in Quang Tri in 1967 when he
was wounded. Stensland returned to Vietnam in 1970 as an
advisor in the Rungsat Special Zone -- the point of the entry
for all shipping south of Saigon. He was again wounded.
Bill Stensland is one of the most respected of Vietnam's
combat leaders. Several marines have said, "If I had to
go back and could pick my commander I'd choose Stensland,
hands down. "
"I want to be involved with the Leadership Program,"
says Bill. "A Iot of people are hurting and hurting very,
very deeply. There is pain over what happened in the war
but there is even a deeper pain because of what happened, or
didn't happen, when we returned. That's what this work is
about now . "
September 17, 1981
The President's Vietnam Veterans Leadership Program
ACTION
Washington, D.C. 20525
Phone: 202-254-8270
ACTION DIRECTOR: VETS ARE WINNERS
The Honorable Thomas Weir Pauken
Director, ACTION
Tom Pauken left his law practice in Texas to head the
agency which houses Federal volunteer programs. He directs
the activities of some 300,000 Americans who serve as volunteers
in ACTION programs.
Pauken graduated from Georgetown University in 1965
and two years later enlisted in the U.S. Army, where he
served in Vietnam. He earned his law degree from Southern
Methodist University in 1973.
"The Vietnam veteran was portrayed in the late 60s and
early 70s as little more than a drug crazed killer. Now
we are portrayed as guilt-ridden victims
I've had enough,"
said Pauken recently. "More than 80% of the Vietnam veterans
who came home have made the successful transition back to
civilian life and are doing fine. There are those that
still do need help but it does them no service to encourage
them to wallow in self-pity to reinforce their doubts about
their own self worth.
"I have been tremendously impressed by the calibre
of men who want to participate in the Vietnam Veterans
Leadership Program. We want it known that there is no
Pauken
page 2
shame or stigma to being a veteran of the Vietnam War. "
He continued, "We may not yet comprehend the full
meaning of that common experience which Vietnam veterans
shared, which somehow binds us together in spite of our
disparate backgrounds and viewpoints. Yet of one thing
I am certain -- there is no better way to insure that those
who gave their lives for our country will not be forgotten
then for the returning veterans to demonstrate that we
are capable of exercising the kind of leadership so badly
needed in America today. "
September 17, 1981
The President's Vietnam Veterans Leadership Program
ACTION
Washington, D.C. 20525
Phone: 202-254-8270
AUTHOR VOICES SUPPORT FOR VET PROGRAM
James Webb
Advisor
My greatest concern is how a society views itself
and what values this society is passing down to the next
generation," says Jim Webb, best-selling author of two
novels based on his Vietnam experience, "Fields of Fire,"
and "A Sense of Honor."
A 1968 Annapolis graduate, Webb was a Marine company
commander in Vietnam, where he was twice wounded.
After a law degree at Georgetown University he became
counsel to the House Veterans Affairs Committee and taught
poetry and the novel at the Naval Academy.
"We are in a watershed time in this country," Webb
has said. "I think people are starting to look around
for new answers and when they look around for new answers
they're going to be looking for new role models. I think
what people are going to be looking for are individuals
who have manifested a sense of country."
"Essential.ly there has been a misperception about
the upside of the people who served in Vietnam," concluded
Jim. "They are very strong poeple. With the Leadership
Program we have an opportunity to make this element of the
Vietnam veterans constituency visible to the public. This
Webb
page 2
program gives us the opportunity to apply the aspects of our
successes to the needs of those who have not yet had the
same good fortune in the years since service in Vietnam."
September 17, 1981
The President's Vietnam Veteran Leadership Program
ACTION
Washington, D.C. 20525
Phone: 202-254-8270
BALTIMORE VET PROGRAM HEAD "READY TO GO"
John David DeChant
Baltimore Program Director
"I've often thought that America is like an Olympic
champion who has been deeply wounded by Vietnam," says
David DeChant, 34. "This great athlete has bandaged the
wound but underneath it has become infected. Until the
bandages are torn off and the wound is cleaned and allowed
to heal, the very essence of the champion is affected."
David spent 31 months in Vietnam. For part of his
tour he was a liaison with military and civilian leaders
and was also a scout. "I spent 13 months in combat making
life and death decisions every day," he says. "Yet when I
returned home I worked filing 3x5 cards. I was upset."
Currently the manager of the Dubliner Restaurant in
Washington, D.C., David plans to use his degree in Chinese
language and area studies to move into international relations
influencing foreign policy. "Ever since I watched the media
coverage of the Russian tanks invading Hungary in 1956, I
have wanted to work in the area of föreign policy," he says.
David worked as public relations volunteer with the
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund raising monies for the Memorial.
"My father was a Marine in charge of fund raising for the Iwo
Jima Memorial," he paused. "I looked around and asked, 'Where's
ours?'"
DeChant
page 2
Ironically, he accepted his post with ACTION's Leadership
Program over lunch at a Vietnamese restaurant. "I'm
honored," he continued, "There's very important work to
do. For years I've thought that veterans need to be taken
care of by veterans. I'm ready to go!"
September 17, 1981
The President's Vietnam Veterans Leadership Program
ACTION
Washington, D.C. 20525
Phone: 202-254-8270
EX-POW TO LEAD LEADERSHIP
John S. McCain
Phoenix Vietnam Veterans Leadership Program
Advisor
McCain, 45, was a Navy pilot when he was shot down in
Vietnam. He was a prisoner of war in North Vietnam from
1967-73.
John is the Vice President of Public Relations for
Hensley and Co., Anheueser Busch distributor for Phoenix,
Arizona.
"Both my father and grandfather were Navy. I served as
Navy liaison to the U.S. Senate." He continued, "The Leadership
Program is vital and necessary. It will, hopefully, rectify
a lot of neglect and errors that have taken place in the last
few years concerning Vietnam veterans."
September 17, 1981
The President's Vietnam Veterans Leadership Program
ACTION
Washington, D.C. 20525
Phone: 202-254-8270
TIME TO REMEMBER VETS SAYS BALTIMORE LAWYER
Mark C. Treanor
Chairman, Baltimore Vietnam Veterans Leadership Program
A graduate of the Naval Academy, 1968, Mark, 34, served with
the 1st Marine Division as a rifle platoon commander in Vietnam
in 1969-70.
After his tour of Vietnam he spent three and one-half years
in the Marine Corps. "I just always thought I'd be a career
Marine," he said. Treanor is now an attorney with the Baltimore
law firm, Miles and Stockbridge.
"It's been a long time since anyone has done anything at
a senior level to afford successful veterans the opportunity to
help those who are not yet SO successful. I think we all
want to be involved. For too long many of us forgot about
those who were there with us." He concludes, "If we weren't
personally scarred there is tendency to forget. Now it's
time to remember."
September 17, 1981
The President's Vietnam Veterans Leadership Program
ACTION
Washington, D.C. 20525
Phone: 202-254-8270
BLINDED VET SETS SIGHTS ON WHITE HOUSE
David L. Huffman
Program Planner
David, 33, was a Marine rifleman in Vietnam, blinded in
combat when a booby trap detonated.
"You know, I flunked kindergarten, 7th and 9th grades.
After I came back from Vietnam I had to turn my life around.
And I had to rely on my head."
Last May Huffman became the first blind student to graduate
from Delaware Law School.
"I have a special feeling for the Vietnam veteran. He's
had bad press. This program will take a different approach
and it's a great idea," David comments.
Asked what he would say if he had an opportunity to speak
with the President, David did not hesitate. With a soft chuckle
he replied, "It won't be too long now before a Vietnam veteran
has your job!"
The President's Vietnam Veterans Leadership Program
ACTION
Washington, D.C. 20525
Phone: 202-254-8270
DEPUTY DIRECTOR LOOKS TO FUTURE
William Jayne
Deputy Director
Bill Jayne, 35, came to the Leadership Program from his
position as Director of Information at the Associated General
Contractors of America.
He served in Vietnam as a Marine rifleman in 1967-68 and
was among the men wounded in an ambush at Khe Sanh during the
Tet offensive of 1968.
Jayne received his degree, with honors, from the University
of California, Berkeley and came to Washington to work for a trade
magazine before joining the Associated General Contractors in
1977.
A volunteer who helped launch the Vietnam Veterans
Memorial Fund, he says, "The whole subject of Vietnam has been,
obviously, of great: personal concern to me. My work on the
Memorial gave me an opportunity to do something useful with
that concern. Working with the Vietnam Veterans Leadership
Program is a natural progression for me."
He goes on to say, "I have two children. That has a lot
of bearing on my work: with the Leadership Program -- looking
to the future to do what I can to make sure the legacy of
Vietnam and the position of veterans in the national outlook
is used to strengthen this country for those children who
will be around 20 years from now. n
September 17, 1981
The President's Vietnam Veterans Leadership Program
ACTION
Washington, D.C. 20525
Phone: 202-254-8270
VET PROJECT DEPUTY SEPARATES WARRIOR FROM WAR
Edward T. Timperlake
Deputy Director
"I authored a position paper a long time ago,' says
Timperlake, 34, "voicing my concerns that the public was
blaming the warrior for the war. They are two very separate
issues."
Ed was stationed in Thailand and flew F-4s in Southeast
Asia. Before taking his position as Deputy Director with the
Vietnam Veterans Leadership Program he was a consultant to
the Office of the Secretary of Defense, analyzing the national
security balance between the Soviets and the U.S.
"The Vietnam veteran has been portrayed as a loser,' he
says. "I knew it's long past time to turn that one around.
I came aboard the Leadership Program because I've wanted to
do anything I could to change the image. It's time to get
these men back in the mainstream so they can demonstrate what
they really are. "
September 17, 1981
The President's Vietnam Veterans Leadership Program
ACTION
Washington, DC 20525
Phone: 202-254-8270
VET PROGRAM DIRECTOR DID IT FOR TOMMY
eeler, III
rogram Director
men who served in Vietnam have a tremendous amount
his country -- because of the hardships of their
ey are stronger and more mature. Hardly a day goes
I don't hear from at least one Vietnam veteran
ade a good, busy life for himself and wants to know
an do to help other veterans. What we are doing in a
methodical way is sending a bolt of electricity through
ork of able veterans who want to help others."
Wheeler was commissioned from West Point as a
ished Cadet in 1966, holds an M.B.A. from Harvard and
with honors from Yale Law School. Wheeler, 36, was
with the Army's general staff in Vietnam
from Vietnam to Washington, D.C. working on the
the Secretary of Defense and the Joint Chiefs of
hough he returned confident he had left
behind, every spring Jack found himself
his friend Tom Hayes, a West Point classmate.
e-fight in 1968, Tommy dragged first one,
Wheeler
page 2
then another of his wounded men across a rice paddy to safety.
Marked as a target of choice, Tommy was killed that April
day by enemy fire.
One spring day, with the memory of Tommy's life and death
lingering, "it dawned on me that there was important unfinished
business," says Jack.
The author of newspaper and other articles on the Vietnam
war and its veterans, Wheeler was instrumental in organizing
and building the Southeast Asia Memorial at West Point. In
collaboration with the Washington Post he is soon to publish
the book THE WOUNDED GENERATION. Co-founder of the extra-
ordinarily successful Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund he writes:
"The battlefield, for most men, nurtured the recognition
that sacrifice is a part of any strong community. The typical
act of gallantry wasn't assaulting the foe; it was saving a
friend's life. "
September 17, 1981
THE WHITE HOUSE
AUG : 1031
WASHINGTON
MEMORANDUM
5 AUGUST 1981
TO:
TOM PAUKEN, DIRECTOR, ACTION
FROM: GREGORY J. SENELL, DIRECTOR
PRESIDENTIAL APPOINTMENTS AND SCHEDULING
THE PRESIDENT'S
PROGRAM
SUBJ: ANNOUNCEMENT OF/VIETNAM VETERANS LEADERSHIP PROJECT.
Please be advised that the Presidential
Appointments and Scheduling Office has
received your request from Dave Gergen,
and we are penciling it in tentatively
in November.
We will get back to you as the date
draws nearer.
CC: David Gergen
Jack,
F.Y.I