Opinion
One of those small gestures we too often dismiss is the simple act of saying “thank you.” And, yet, for some people, hearing those words can make all the difference.
Today, March 30, is an important day to think about not just saying “thank you” but also “welcome home” to our Vietnam veterans. That's because this is the inaugural “Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day,” approved by resolutions of both houses of Congress last year.
Thirty-five years ago on this date, the US finalized its pullout of combat troops from Vietnam, after more than a decade of US presence in that country, eight of those years engaged in combat that resulted in more than 58,000 deaths and 300,000 casualties among US Armed Forces members. More than 1,700 soldiers are still missing in action from that war.
Whether or not we'll ever have a truly accurate count of that war's walking wounded – the men and women who came home with post traumatic stress disorder, other mental health issues and drug problems – may never be known.
Believe it or not, many of the men and women who served in Vietnam have never had anyone thank them for their service, or felt really welcome home to the country they served.
I've talked to many veterans about what they encountered when they came home. It ranges from indifference from friends and family, to physical attacks and taunting by those who disagreed with the war.
I also have some personal interest in the subject. My own uncle, Darrel Gray, was a Green Beret in Vietnam, a winner of the Bronze Star for Valor, wounded or injured five times, and a victim of Agent Orange exposure, all in the space of one year, 1968.
The son of a World War II vet and great-grandson of a Confederate soldier, he had been in the Army for years by the time he landed in Vietnam.
Now in his early 60s, my uncle still suffers from the effects of post traumatic stress disorder, hearing loss, a body ravaged by the impacts of old wounds and the rigors of his service. Not only did he encounter a bad reception in the US, but an ongoing battle with the Veterans Administration, which didn't want to recognize Agent Orange exposure as a health issue.
Luckily, he had a family who loved and respected him to come home to when his service was up. Personally, I always looked on him with awe. He was my fun uncle, a man who never let on to how much he truly was suffering.
Between my uncle and Dean Gotham, I've learned a lot about the trials of Vietnam veterans.
Gotham is one person who I think should rightfully be called a local hero because of his efforts to reach out to fellow veterans and the community on the many issues Vietnam veterans still face – besides just being an all-around good guy. Quite frankly, his whole chapter is filled with good guys, good gals and heroes.
He's president of Lake County's Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 951, and he and chapter members worked over the weekend to bring attention to veterans issues and this new day of remembrance through the first-ever sales locally of Agent Orange and POW/MIA clovers.
It was tough duty, standing outside in cold weather, but Gotham joked that he'd had tougher perimeter watch while in Vietnam.
Gotham is an expert at spotting fellow Vietnam vets, many of whom still wear their service as a badge of shame.
As I stood talking to him outside of Bruno's Shop Smart on Friday, a man came up to make a donation and Gotham handed him clovers. Shaking the man's hand, Gotham asked him if he was a Vietnam vet and the man said, somewhat abashedly, that he was.
Gotham said he can recognize Vietnam vets because of the “faraway look” in their eyes.
The more cynical among us might suggest that a welcome home celebration today, so many years shamefully overdue, can't make a difference.
But, I disagree. I think it's a start.
Today should be a day of healing for our vets, and gratitude from the rest of us because they did the frightening work while we enjoyed life at home. They kept the watches through the night and guarded the perimeters to protect their country, even though they were thousands of miles away.
The fact that we're coming full circle, that today you find people who are opposed to the Iraq War yet who still are careful to pay respect to the soldiers who are doing their job, is – I believe – thanks to the lobbying over the last three decades by Vietnam veterans.
In fact, Vietnam Veterans of America have as their motto, "Never again will one generation of veterans abandon another." Many local vets affiliated with the local Vietnam Veterans of America have worked hard to look out for young vets coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan.
Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day day isn't yet a national holiday, but it should be. It's the least we can do in an effort to repair the hurt suffered by the men and women who have waited to be welcomed home all these years. Likewise, it's a reminder of the path we've traveled, and the course we shouldn't ever follow again.
Some moments in our national history will always be a source of pain and division. The Vietnam War is one of them. But the disagreement and pain of that division should no longer rest on the shoulders of the soldiers who went to serve. It's their time to rest.
To our veterans: Thank you for your service. Welcome home. What you did mattered and it won't be forgotten.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
Ullman responded that The Foundation Center is still seeking a location in Lake County. The suggestion was then made that if the library was not adequate, perhaps the Calpine Visitor Center could meet the need. But, what exactly does The Foundation Center require of these cooperating collections? Is the Calpine Visitor Center even appropriate?
The good news is that The Foundation Center is in the process of accepting proposals from qualified institutions. These may include but are not limited to: public, academic, or special libraries, nonprofit resource centers, community or other foundations, state associations, and United Way agencies. The determining factors in designating a new Cooperating Collection are the commitment and readiness of the host organization to work with the Foundation Center to reach organizations and individuals whose needs are not already being met.
Guidelines
Eligible host institutions must:
* Be open to the public, without restriction, a minimum of 25 hours per week
* Be located in an area serving at least 100 nonprofit organizations
* Provide access to a computer(s) connected to the Internet for public use
* Have staff available to become expert in foundation funding resources and to assist the public in their use
* Be prepared to offer training on the basics of grantseeking
* Send a representative to regional and/or national meetings of Cooperating Collection supervisors held at various locations
Fees and Membership Services
Membership Fee — All Cooperating Collections are required to pay an annual membership fee of $995. Collections receive an invoice for that amount upon designation as a CC. CC membership is billed on a calendar year basis (January-December) and covers the following resources and services.
Core Collection
Electronic resources:
• The Foundation Directory Online Professional
AND
• Foundation Grants to Individuals Online
Print publications:
* Board Member's Book (2003)
* The Foundation Center’s Guide to Proposal Writing (2007)
* The Foundation Center’s Guide to Winning Proposals (2003)
* The Grantseeker’s Guide to Winning Proposals (2008)
* The Foundation Directory (2008)
* The Foundation Directory, Part 2 (2008)
* The Foundation Directory, Part 3 (2008)
* The Foundation Directory Supplement (2008)
* Foundation Fundamentals (2008)
* Foundation Grants to Individuals (2008)
* Foundations Today Series (2008)
* Guía para Escribir Propuestas (2008)
* Guide to Funding for International and Foreign Programs (2008)
* International Grantmaking IV (2008)
* Philanthropy Annual (2008)
* Securing Your Organization’s Future (2001)
* Social Justice Grantmaking II (2008)
CCNet — Cooperating Collections are expected to visit and use CCNet, a special web site designed by the Foundation Center for Cooperating Collections. Information and materials provided there enhance the ability of CC supervisors and staff to assist patrons and stay informed about the latest developments at the Foundation Center. CCNet includes training and promotional support, important news, brochure and publication order forms, calendars of upcoming events, a networking directory, and an electronic message board. Since the most expedient, cost-effective communications are electronic, our CC supervisors must have both Internet and e-mail access.
Ready Reference — Cooperating Collection staff at the Center's headquarters in New York—as well as staff at the Center's four regional locations—are equipped to provide "ready reference" services to all Cooperating Collections via CCNet, e-mail, phone, or fax. Upon request, we fax single copies of articles from our extensive library collection.
Brochures and Supporting Materials — Informational brochures, network address lists, and Foundation Center catalogs are available for bulk shipment to CCs for their use as handouts in meetings or seminars. There is no charge for these materials. In addition, user guides and supporting training materials developed by the Foundation Center are made available to CCs through CCNet.
Training Opportunities — The Center provides numerous opportunities for CC supervisors and staff to attend free training sessions offered at our libraries, appropriate regional meetings, and Network Days, our annual conference for Cooperating Collections. Supervisors are also awarded free tuition for the Center's fee-based, full-day grantseeker training courses (as space permits) and they have free access to the Center's online training courses and Webinars.
Center staff regularly conducts site visits to Cooperating Collections, during which they give workshops for the public and staff. Cooperating Collections are invited to arrange for short classes or full-day workshops for the public in their own locales, working with the Center's Coordinator of Cooperating Collections and regional trainers.
It would certainly be a tremendous benefit to all of Lake County to have a Foundation Center Cooperating Collection located within the Calpine Visitor Center. But, are there even 100 nonprofit organizations in Lake County? Would the Calpine Visitor Center be willing to increase its hours of operation to be in compliance with The Foundation Center's 25 hour minimum requirement? Is there a group willing to pay the $995 membership fee? And, what about the staffing needs? There is a lot involved in this undertaking. Who in Lake County is prepared to meet this challenge?
For more information about a Foundation Center Cooperating Collection, visit http://foundationcenter.org/collections.
Lamar Morgan lives in Hidden Valley Lake.
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- Written by: Lake County News Reports
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