From: jewell@mace.cc.purdue.edu (Larry Jewell)
Newsgroups: soc.veterans
Subject: 'NamVet Newsletter, Vol.5, no.10 (3/7)
Date: 22 Aug 92 02:21:43 GMT














     NAM VET Newsletter                                         Page 30
     Volume  5, Number 10                             October 24, 1991

                                 L'chayim
                            by Ralph S. Carlson
                        VETLink #1 - Pittsfield, MA
                              (413) 443-6313
     
     Carl came gentle to basic
     and none of the D.I.'s snapping at our heels
     nor the direct orders yelled up our nostrils--
         EVERY RECRUIT AND I MEAN EVERY
         RECRUIT INCLUDING YOU WISE GUY
         WILL ON MY COMMAND MARCH TO THE
         NEXT BAYONET PRACTICE STATION
         WITH WEAPON AT PORT ARMS AND
         EVERY TIME YOUR PEACE-LOVING LEFT
         FOOT HITS MY TRAINING GROUND
         YOU WILL WITH EVERYBODY ELSE 
         IN THIS PLATOON YELL 'KILL' DO
         YOU UNDERSTAND ME BOOT!--
     by sergeants short on more than inseams 
     subdued his gentleness.
     
     nor did that night on base camp perimeter guard,
     Martin and Sedrowski in the M79 emplacement,
     Lee out left in the rifle pit, Carl and Duffy
     on starlight scope, field phone and M60 in the
     main bunker when 86th Sappers under new moon
     cloud cover pulled infiltration and assault
     to satchel the ammo bunkers and blew the humid
     black to tracers crazing the whole perimeter,
     with friendly 81s and 105s dropping shit right
     in the wire under chute flares to catch Charles
     coming and going, and Lee taking an AK slug in
     the chest and yelping till Carl and Duffy shitcan
     common sense and belly out under the lead to drag
     him back into bunker four-two, work his flak
     jacket and jungle blouse off and rip enough
     t-shirt away to start a gauze wrap around the
     ribs, letting the rest of the world play war
     in silhouettes spattering rounds dizzy under
     the dangle of white phosphorus hissing down
     to cigar-glow, their rifles chinned against
     the back wall beyond the aid kit, out of reach,
     when a shadow rises in the east door, grenade
     shoulder high for the lob, and Carl, Duffy,
     Lee and the universe freeze, gauze rolls at the 
     ready over Lee's staining chest - four shadows
     welded in the breath none could take - till
     the grenade hand melts back into the short
     bulk and then the doorway flickers once more
     with the pink spray of tracers from four-three's
     machinegunner working his field of fire and
     Carl, still gentle,
     names his every breath thereafter
     a gift.
     




     NAM VET Newsletter                                         Page 31
     Volume  5, Number 10                             October 24, 1991



     ==================================================================
                              Together then...
     ==================================================================

                          Still fighting Vietnam
                Support group forms for Viet vets' families
                            by Carolyn A. April
                            The South Advocate
                          Input by G. Joseph Peck
                         NamVet's Managing Editor
                        VETLink #1 - Pittsfield, MA
                              (413) 443-6313
     
       Alma  Schilling of Otis knew little about Post Traumatic  Stress 
     Disorders  (PTSD)  until this year,  when her husband,  a  Vietnam 
     veteran,  underwent  the  dramatic personality changes and  temper 
     flares associated with the disorder.
       Now  23  years after her husband's return from  Southeast  Asia, 
     Schilling  has  formed  a support group in  Berkshire  County  for 
     families  whose spouse or loved one is still suffering the  after-
     effects of the Vietnam War.
       The  support  group  is called SURVIVOR  (Support  Understanding 
     Recovery  for  Veteran's  families Independent  of  the  Veteran's 
     Origins  or Readjustment problems).   Schilling's group will  meet 
     weekly  in  Pittsfield to discuss the effects of PTSD and to  help 
     wives  handle  stress associated with their husbands  readjustment 
     problems.   SURVIVOR  will be based on a 12-step recovery  program 
     similar  to the one used by groups like Alcoholics and  Overeaters 
     Anonymous.
       "There  is  a  big need for this group,"  Schilling said  in  an 
     interview  last week.   "For some men it has taken up to 25  years 
     for  symptoms  to come out because they have been repressing  them 
     unknowingly  all this time.   So what do we as families do when it 
     happens to us?"
       Schilling's  husband  (she would not reveal his name to  protect 
     his  anonymity)  served  in the military  from  1965-1968,  seeing 
     active combat duty from 1967-1968.  Once home, he became a virtual 
     workaholic,  holding  down  three jobs at once for most  of  their 
     married life.  Keeping busy was his way of repressing the war, she 
     said.
       But  when an accident last winter kept him confined to the house 
     for  six  months,  her  husband's entire  personality  started  to 
     change.
       "I  didn't know what was happening to him,  and he just couldn't 
     explain  it to me,"  Schilling said.   "He simply went nuts  being 
     here in the house all day."
       At  the  time,  Schilling noted that her husband's at-home  time 
     coincided  with  the  Persian  Gulf  War  and  television's  daily 
     broadcast  of  soldiers'  celebrated return home.   Her  husband's 
     mental  health  failed  to  improve over this  time,  and  he  was 
     eventually hospitalized at the Veterans Administration Hospital in 
     Northampton for PTSD treatment.
       Schilling  says her need for a support group like SURVIVOR  came 
     after  she  discovered  that  there were no  support  services  or 
     literature out there to help her understand and cope with what was 
     happening to her husband.
       "I had nowhere to turn to get answers," she said.
       So  she  has  started  SURVIVOR,  in the hope it  can  become  a 
     recovery  tool  for wives of men still devastated by  the  Vietnam 
     
     NAM VET Newsletter                                         Page 32
     Volume  5, Number 10                             October 24, 1991

     War.
       "Our  intention is not to explain the Vietnam experience to each 
     other,"  Schilling  said.   "We can't do that,  because only  they 
     [veterans]  know  what happened then.   We want to try and explain 
     what is happening now, and see what can be done about it."
       Approximately  500,000  Vietnam veterans nationwide suffer  from 
     PTSD, according to Renee Mendez,  a psychiatric nurse clinician at 
     the  Northampton  Veterans Hospital.   Mendez specializes in  PTSD 
     treatment  at the hospital and is the professional consultant  for 
     the new SURVIVOR group.
       She  says  PTSD  symptoms  can lay  dormant  for  years,  to  be 
     triggered by something later on in a veteran's life.  (The Persian 
     Gulf  War,  for  example,  has  intensified  many  PTSD  sufferers 
     symptoms).  PTSD symptoms include isolation,  violence,  insomnia, 
     rage, depression, combat flashbacks and substance abuse.
       As  women  struggling to keep their families intact,  wives  are 
     under  an enormous amount of stress,  Mendez said.   Many PTSD men 
     are unable to work because they can not concentrate for any length 
     of  time -  therefore,  women not only run the household,  but are 
     also the breadwinners.
       "It is the superwoman syndrome," she said.  "And these women are 
     walking  on  eggshells whenever their husbands  are  around.   His 
     problems  cause  them  to feel like they are not  doing  something 
     right, which then leads to feelings of guilt and inadequacy."
     
     GROUNDBREAKING PROJECT
       Mendez hails the SURVIVOR group as a groundbreaking project that 
     finally  deals  with  the wives of PTSD victims.   Up  until  this 
     point, she says,  most professional attention has been centered on 
     treating the veterans only.
       Like wives of alcohol and drug abusers,  Schilling and the other 
     PTSD  women  often  lose a sense of their identity and  become  as 
     isolated  from the outside world as their husbands,  Mendez  says.  
     SURVIVOR's  12-step  program will give these women a clear set  of 
     recovery  guidelines  to  follow.   The steps will help  women  to 
     redefine  who they are and to stop trying to be all things to  all 
     people.
       The   program  will  also  incorporate  reading  materials   and 
     educational  literature about the Vietnam War and PTSD,  so  women 
     can  get a better sense of what their husbands have gone  through.  
     Most  veterans,   Mendez  said,   refuse  to  relate  painful  war 
     experiences to their families.
       "It's  important  for these women to get out of their homes  and 
     share  their experience with other women who are going through the 
     same  thing,"  she said.   "Mutuality of experience is integral to 
     any type of recovery."
       Ongoing  support  groups like SURVIVOR are especially  important 
     because PTSD may not be curable.  "We just don't know yet if it is 
     or not,"  Mendez said.   "We do know that many men are chronically 
     affected."
       The first meeting of the SURVIVOR support group will be Sept. 30 
     at  7  p.m.  at the Veterans Outreach Center on Whipple Street  in 
     Pittsfield   (MA).    Both  transportation  and  child  care   are 
     available.  For more information call (413) 269-4252.
     




     NAM VET Newsletter                                         Page 33
     Volume  5, Number 10                             October 24, 1991

     .                                                               .
     .                                                               .
     .                                                               .
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     .                                                               .
     .                                                               .
     .                                                               .
     .                                                               .
     .                                                               .
     .                                                               .
     .                                                               .
     .                  Among the honored and proud!                 .
     .                                                               .
     .                                                               .
     .                                                               .
     .                                                               .
     .                                                               .
     .                                                               .
     .                                     xxxxx  XXXXxxxxx,         .
     .                          xx''xxxxxxX     XX   xX    XXx       .
     .xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXX   x              xX'  x''  XXXx    .
     .                          x   x                 xX  xXX   Xx   .
     .                           'x'                     X      XXxx .
     .                                                       xxx    X.
     .                                                     xX        .
     .                                                   xX          .
     .     VIETNAM           x x x                     xX            .
     .     VETERANS       x xX   X x                  X      IRAQ    .
     .                  X   X   X   X x              <     VETERANS  .
     .                 X   X   X   X   X              Xx             .
     .       xxxxxxxxxX   X   X   X   x                 Xxx          .
     .     XXX''      /__X__ XX__X___xXX                  xXxxxxx    .
     .  xXXX                            'Xxxxx             xX    Xxx .
     .XX             WE SUPPORT YOU           XxxxxxxxxxxxX         X.
     .X     BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN SERVICE                          .
     .                                                               .
     .                                                               .
     .                  "We are with you                             .
     .                     Wherever you may be                       .
     .                   We are sailing                              .
     .                     With you on every sea                     .
     .                   We are standing                             .
     .                     With you on desert sand                   .
     .                   We're your country                          .
     .                     Together we stand!"                       .
     .                                                               .
     .                          From                                 .
     .                    The Staff of NamVet                        .
     .                                                               .
     .                    and participants in                        .
     .                                                               .
     .       The International Vietnam Veterans EchoConference       .
     .                                                               .
     





     NAM VET Newsletter                                         Page 34
     Volume  5, Number 10                             October 24, 1991

             "WHEN REMEMBERING IS TOO MUCH ... OR NOT ENOUGH"
                             by G. Joseph Peck
                         NamVet's Managing Editor
                        VETLink #1 - Pittsfield, MA
                              (413) 443-6313
     
       Tears traced their crooked fingers down the paraplegic veterans' 
     face, wrapped themselves around the stylus held in his mouth,  and 
     gently spiraled towards his computer keyboard.  "Finally,"  sobbed 
     the veteran,  "Someone who understands what I'm talking about when 
     I  mention  bouncing betty's,  C-Rats or mad-minutes!   A  brother 
     veteran!"  35-minutes later,  telephone wires from his home jumped 
     to  life  as he connected with a faraway computer  bulletin  board 
     (BBS)  that  was part of FidoNet(tm),  a worldwide network of over 
     11,000  amateur computer operators,  and delivered his reply to  a 
     message  he'd read earlier.   The walls around him slowly began to 
     dissolve  as  the  howling winter wind screamed through  the  dark 
     night outside.  He was no longer alone.
     
       After working his eighth consecutive 16-hour day,  the tired but 
     restless veteran found himself again unable to sleep.   Inside his     
     luxurious home, trophies, plaques and civic awards hung on all the     
     walls.   To  all  that  knew him,  he WAS a success  -  but  still 
     something gnawed at,  agitated,  irritated him.   He turned on his 
     computer  and called a local FidoNet BBS to see what new  messages 
     had come in that day.
     
       Reaching for her cup of tea,  hand brushing a potted plant,  the 
     nurse  began  to tremble as hot steam and plant  leafs  reawakened 
     memories  of long-ago hurried footsteps from a medevac helicopter. 
     Closed in on all sides by tall jungle grass,  the pathway was soon 
     dotted  with droplets of blood and fluids from the  battle-wounded 
     soldier  she helped carry to the field hospital.  A wave of relief 
     came  over her as she saw the familiar characters:  "Please  input 
     your  name-"  appear  on  the  monitor  screen  of  her  computer.  
     Quickly, she signed in and navigated her way to an area of the BBS 
     entitled  "VIETNAM_VETS  International Echo".   (An  "echo"  is  a 
     message base that is shared - echoed -  from BBS-to-BBS around the 
     world.)
     
       In  March of 1987,  G.  Joseph Peck,  a Pittsfield,  MA service-
     disabled  veteran,  veteran  activist,  and  founder/President  of 
     Berkshire Veterans' Center, Inc. (BVCI) -  a grassroots electronic 
     veteran  service  organization whose Board of  Directors  includes 
     members in Herndon, VA; Katy, TX; Shady Side, MD;  Chatsworth,  GA 
     and Staten Island,  NY -  came upon the International VIETNAM_VETS 
     Echo Conference (IVVEC)  which had been created by Todd C.  Looney 
     of San Jose,  CA,  and added it to the offerings of VETLink #1,  a 
     BVCI-sponsored BBS veteran outreach effort.
     
       In a very short time,  BVCI helped create the VETNet echoes -  a 
     collection of veteran-oriented file and message bases - which also     
     soon began to be shared throughout the U.S. and Canada.  Veterans,     
     spouses  and  children of veterans,  and those interested  in  the 
     veteran  experience  began  sharing  and  relating  their  various    
     experiences, their nightmares,  their good times and bad,  as well 
     as important veteran information into the message bases.  Veterans 
     who  had  long  ago  lost  contact with  others  they  had  served 
     alongside found long lost friends and service buddies.   IVVEC and 
     
     NAM VET Newsletter                                         Page 35
     Volume  5, Number 10                             October 24, 1991

     the VETNet echoes began to shine with a truly international hue as 
     veterans  from  Canada  and Australia added their  voices  to  the 
     rapidly  growing veteran kaleidoscope,  and VETLink #1 became  the 
     Eastern hub of the VETNet echoes described below.
     
     VIETNAM_VETS-- An echo by, for and about veterans, primarily those 
                    of the Vietnam era but often participated in by 
                    veterans of ALL era's and conflicts.    
     MIA-POW------- An echo for the discussion(s) of efforts involving 
                    the MIA-POW situation.  
     VET_REUNION--- An echo for announcing reunions of various military 
                    outfits and groups.  
     MILITARY_ISSUE An echo for discussions related to life in the 
                    military. 
     VETREACH------ An echo for locating missing military buddies and 
                    friends. 
     IN_TOUCH------ An  echo for discussions concerning the Friends  of 
                    the Vietnam Memorial's In-Touch project.  
     TOUCH_BACK---- An echo for discussions concerning those who have 
                    made contact with the family/friend of a soldier 
                    whose name is on The Wall. 
     FVVM_NEWS----- An echo sharing information from Friends of the 
                    Vietnam Veterans Memorial. 
     JEWISH_VETERANS An echo for veterans of the Jewish faith. 
     VETERANS_TOO-- An echo for the children of Vietnam Veterans. 
     VETS_FRIENDS-- An  echo  for discussions amongst  those  concerned 
                    about veterans and the issues that concern them.  
     HOSP_VETS----- An echo for discussions of various situations 
                    surrounding the hospitalized veteran.  
     CHRISTIAN_VET- An echo for discussions concerning Faith, Religion 
                    and the veteran. 
     12STEPS_VETS-- A recovery-type echo devoted to helping veterans 
                    recovering from various forms of addictions.
     VETS_JOBTALK-- An echo for discussions concerning the hunt for the 
                    elusive  job,   lack  of  promotions  <in  civilian 
                    sector>, and other job-related hassles.
     BROWN_WATER--- An echo for discussions concerning the Brown Water 
                    Navy  -  The  River Rats,  PBR's,  small boats  and 
                    crews.
     KOREAN_VET---- An  echo for discussions by,  for and about  Korean 
                    vets.
     ISAW---------- (Institute for Study of American Wars) An echo for 
                    discussions concerning all wars and the 
                    soldiers/participants therein.
     VETLINK_CENTCOM - A "VETLink-ONLY" echo for service and other 
                    communication between the various VETLink's
     
       On Veterans' Day,  1987 (11/11/87)  Looney and Peck,  mindful of 
     the  fact  that  messages on many BBSs get  deleted,  created  and 
     produced  the  premier  issue of an electronic  newsletter  called 
     "NamVet"  that  would  distill  much of the information  from  the 
     VETNet echoes,  include contributions from echo participants,  and 
     add other important information for all veterans,  their families, 
     and  those  interested  and concerned  about  America's  veterans.  
     Averaging  90  -  100  pages in length,  NamVet  continues  to  be 
     produced  monthly  and is now in high demand by Vietnam and  other 
     veterans and their families.
     
       With VETLink #1, the VETNet echoes, and NamVet, it appeared that 
     
     NAM VET Newsletter                                         Page 36
     Volume  5, Number 10                             October 24, 1991

     the work of BVCI was complete and there was nothing left to do but     
     polish  up and keep adding to the offerings of VETLink #1 -  among     
     them   being  Electronic  Service  Officers  (disabled  or   other     
     house/homebound  veterans who could devote time and energy towards     
     serving  their  fellow  veterans)  and  computerized  versions  of    
     Department  of  Veterans Affairs forms  for  processing/submitting     
     claims.   The  quiet  breeze of support,  camaraderie and  veteran    
     benefit information that had softly begun to rustle quickly became 
     a whirlwind as, zephyr-like, more and more veterans discovered the     
     variety of VETNet echoes and NamVet.
     
       With  no  thought  of reward save that of "continuing  in  proud 
     service to America and those who serve(d) her",  the repertoire of 
     VETLink  #1  efforts  and  services  resulted  in  other  veterans 
     volunteering   to   set   up   a  VETLink   in   their   hometown.  
     Korean/Vietnam  Navy  veteran  Raymond  Moreau,  designer  of  the 
     Friends   of  the  Vietnam  Veterans  Memorial  IN_TOUCH  computer 
     program, became VETLink #2 in Herndon, VA; Mike Bryeans,  software 
     designer of the OSIRIS BBS and ISIS mailer in use by all VETLink's 
     to-date,  became  VETLink #3 in Cape Girardeau,  MO;  Retired Army 
     veteran  James  Hildwine,  with  a great  deal  of  communications 
     expertise,  became  VETLink #4 in Shady Side,  MD;  and medically-
     discharged  Marine  Corps veteran Fred  Sochacki,  experienced  in 
     veteran job-searching techniques, added VETLink #5 in Passaic, NJ.  
     VETLink's  for the western part of the U.S.,  Canada and Australia 
     are now in the process of being established.
     
       "Getting  veteran  news  and  information  out  to  the  public, 
     operated  with  a  spirit  of dedicated  and  committed  care  and 
     concern,  a  VETLink is totally a volunteer effort on the part  of 
     all  our VETLink System Operators,"  says Peck.   "I would like to 
     see  telephone companies provide 800-  numbers to the VETLink's so 
     that  veterans,  who  have  already paid so dear a price  for  the 
     freedom  we enjoy today,  wouldn't have to continue paying to  get 
     information  and camaraderie they've EARNED;  I would like to  see 
     Berkshire  Veterans'  Center,   Inc.   -   a  nonprofit  501(c)(3) 
     organization, listed in the IRS List of Charitable Organizations - 
     become  the recipient of funding because,  since its creation,  it 
     has  only  been supported by my VA Disability Compensation  check, 
     donations  of needed equipment and supplies from other  VETLink's, 
     and small donations from the general public; and I would really be 
     happy,  deep  down  in my heart,  if I knew that any  veteran,  no 
     matter  where s/he is,  could find the  information,  camaraderie, 
     support  and  fellowship  they so well earned by virtue  of  their 
     military service."
     
       John F. Kennedy once said: "Some men dream dreams and say 'Why?'    
     I dream dreams and say 'Why not!'"
     
       When  all that remains is a stylus to tap-tap-tap out a message; 
     when memories of yesterday agitate and annoy, and when life-fluids 
     seem to ebb low, the dream -  and hard work -  of G.  Joseph Peck, 
     Berkshire Veterans' Center, Inc., and all VETLink System Operators 
     stand ready for you and those you care about... 
     
                  when remembering is too much - 
     
                                       ... or not enough.
     
     NAM VET Newsletter                                         Page 37
     Volume  5, Number 10                             October 24, 1991



     ==================================================================
                             Forgotten - again?
     ==================================================================

                         Incarcerated Veterans Bill
                              By Joyce Flory
              NamVet's Incarcerated Veterans Section Editor
                   Desert Dolphin BBS - Las Cruces, NM
                             (505) 523-2811
     
       In recent months, I have been asked by at least three Vietnam 
     Veterans, incarcerated (from New York, Pennsylvania, and Indiana) 
     to get the following Bill out into the public to try and gain 
     support for it.
       This Bill was introduced to Congress in early 1991 and has, 
     apparently, been stalled or put onto a back burner as to its 
     importance. This is not the case with the Vietnam Veterans, 
     incarcerated. They *need* this Bill to be passed. It will help 
     many of those presently incarcerated to obtain services and 
     benefits now denied them and will set up guidelines for those 
     imprisoned in the future.
       Please take a few moments to read this Bill, and then a few more 
     to write to your Congressmen and Senators in support of it.  We, 
     as a whole, have been able to do wonders by writing Congress on 
     behalf of the Agent Orange and POW/MIA issues, let's see what we 
     can do to help the incarcerated vets. 
     
                       102ND CONGRESS   H.R. 1181 IH
                                1ST SESSION
     
       To improve the availability of veterans' benefits and services 
     to veterans incarcerated in Federal penal or correctional 
     institutions, and for other purposes. 
     
                      IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
                             February 28,1991
     Mr. Brown (for himself, Mr. Bonior, Mr. Evans, Mr. Ravenel, Mr. 
     Abercrombie, Mr. Rangel, Mr. Serrano of New York, Mr. Ackerman, 
     and Mr. Kopetski) introduced the following bill; which was 
     referred jointly to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs and the 
     Judiciary as: 
                                  A BILL
       To improve the availability of veterans' benefits and services 
     to veterans incarcerated in Federal penal or correctional 
     institutions, and for other purposes. 
       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
     United States of America in Congress assembled, 
     
     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
       This Act may be referred to as the "Incarcerated Veterans 
     Rehabilitation and Readjustment Act of 1991". 
     
     SECTION 2. FINDINGS.
     The Congress finds that --
       (1) there are rehabilitation needs unique to incarcerated 
           veterans which, because of their incarceration, need to be 
           addressed; 
       (2) the Readjustment Counseling Program of the Department of 
           Veterans' Affairs could be an effective part of efforts to 
     
     NAM VET Newsletter                                         Page 38
     Volume  5, Number 10                             October 24, 1991

           rehabilitate incarcerated veterans; 
       (3) veterans' benefits that incarcerated veterans are entitled 
           to are not being provided on a consistent basis; 
       (4) the resources provided by the Readjustment Counseling 
           Program could be beneficial to incarcerated veterans if the 
           Program were utilized to assist veterans released from 
           Federal, State, and local penal institutions; and 
       (5) incarcerated veterans treated for psychological readjustment 
           problems can be expected to have lower recidivism rates than 
           such veterans who do not receive such treatment. 
     
     SEC 3. PURPOSES.
     The purposes of this Act are to --
       (1) ensure that the rehabilitation and readjustment needs of 
           incarcerated veterans that are related to military service 
           are addressed in a coordinated manner by the Department of 
           Veterans' Affairs and the Federal Bureau of Prisons; 
       (2) provide mental health care professionals employed by Federal 
           prisons with the information necessary to diagnose and treat 
           incarcerated veterans with mental disabilities, particularly 
           post-traumatic-stress disorder, stemming from their military 
           service; 
       (3) integrate the resources available from the Readjustment 
           Counseling Program and veterans employment programs into the 
           parole and probation programs of incarcerated veterans who 
           are released from Federal prisons to promote successful 
           readjustment of such veterans into society; 
       (4) provide incarcerated veterans with information relating to 
           veterans' benefits and services; 
       (5) assist incarcerated veterans after their release from 
           Federal prisons in readjusting to society after their 
           incarceration; 
       (6) provide veterans incarcerated in State and local penal 
           institutions with benefits similar to those provided in this 
           Act by encouraging States and local governments to adopt, 
           where applicable, the provisions of this Act; and 
       (7) ensure the veterans incarcerated in Federal prisons receive 
           the benefits and services from the Department of Veterans' 
           Affairs to which they are entitled. 
     
     SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.
     As used in this Act--
       (1) the term "Assistant Secretary" means the Assistant Secretary 
           for Labor for Veterans' Employment and Training; 
       (2) the term "Department" means the Department of Veterans' 
           Affairs; 
       (3) the term "Federal prison" means a Federal penal or 
           correctional institution; 
       (4) the term "incarcerated veteran" means an individual 
           determined to be a veteran under section 101(b) who is 
           incarcerated in a Federal prison; 
       (5) the term "prisoner" means an individual incarcerated in a 
           Federal prison; 
       (6) the term "Secretary" means the Secretary of the Department; 
       (7) the term "vet center" means a facility as defined in section 
           612A(i) (1) of title 38, United States Code; and 
       (8) the term "veteran" has the same meaning such term as in 
           paragraph (2) of section 101 of title 38, United States 
           Code. 
     
     NAM VET Newsletter                                         Page 39
     Volume  5, Number 10                             October 24, 1991

     
     TITLE I- INCARCERATED VETERAN ASSESSMENT AND ASSISTANCE 
     SEC. 101. DETERMINATION OF VETERAN STATUS OF PRISONERS. 
       (a) DUTIES OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL.--
           (1) IN GENERAL.-- The Attorney General shall, to the extent 
               practicable, identify those individuals who may be 
               veterans among those--
               (A) entering Federal prisons after the effective date of 
                   this Act; and 
               (B) who are incarcerated in Federal prisons on the 
                   effective date of this Act and who are to remain 
                   incarcerated more than 30 days after that date. 
           (2) TRANSMITTAL OF NAMES.-- The Attorney General shall, with 
               the consent of the prisoner involved, transmit to the 
               Secretary the names and locations of those prisoners 
               identified as possible veterans pursuant to paragraph 
               (1). 
           (3) METHODS OF IDENTIFICATION.-- In attempting to identify 
               those prisoners who may be veterans, the Attorney 
               General shall rely only on the records in the possession 
               of the Attorney General, interviews with prisoners, or 
               both. 
       (b) DUTIES OF SECRETARY.--
           (1) DETERMINATION OF VETERAN STATUS.--The Secretary shall 
               contact those prisoners whose names were transmitted 
               pursuant to subsection (a)(2) within 30 days after the 
               receipt of their names. The Secretary shall inform each 
               prisoner of their ability to have their veteran status 
               determined. Those prisoners requesting such 
               determination shall be supplied with the material needed 
               by the Secretary to make the determination. 
           (2) INFORMATION RELATING TO VETERANS' BENEFITS.-- As soon as 
               practicable after determining the veteran status of each 
               prisoner requesting such determination, the Secretary 
               shall--
               (A) inform the prisoners of the determination of their 
                   veteran status; 
               (B) inform those prisoners who determined to be veterans 
                   of their rights and responsibilities with regard to 
                   veterans' benefits and services and provide them 
                   with the information described in section 102; and 
               (C) if the incarcerated veteran so desires, provide the 
                   information described in section 102 to those family 
                   members designated by the incarcerated veteran. 
     
     SEC. 102. INFORMATION REGARDING VETERANS' BENEFITS.
     The information referred to in sections 101(b)(2)(B) and (C) shall 
     include--
       (1) the effect of the incarcerated status of the veteran on the 
           receipt of veterans' benefits and services; 
       (2) the ability of dependents of the incarcerated veteran to 
           receive benefits available to dependents of veterans during 
           the period of incarceration of the veteran; 
       (3) the ability to have debt collection actions pursued by the 
           Department against the veteran suspended during the time 
           period provided by section 103; 
       (4) the availability of counseling services within the Federal 
           prison, wether provided by the Department or the Bureau of 
           Prisons; 
     
     NAM VET Newsletter                                         Page 40
     Volume  5, Number 10                             October 24, 1991

       (5) the potential effect on parole considerations of the 
           participation by the veteran in counseling activities; 
       (6) the reasons for any reduction in, or termination of, 
           veterans' benefits resulting from the incarcerated status of 
           the veteran; 
       (7) the ability of the veteran to seek a correction of the 
           military records or a review of the discharge or dismissal 
           from military service of the veteran; 
       (8) services from public and private organizations available to 
           the veteran while incarcerated; 
       (9) the ability of the veteran and dependents of the veteran to 
           appeal the decisions of the Secretary affecting the 
           provision of veterans' benefits and services; and 
      (10) other information the Secretary considers appropriate. 
     
     SEC. 103. SUSPENSION OF DEBT COLLECTION.
       (a) FEDERAL INMATES.-- Within 30 days after the Secretary 
           confirms, pursuant to section 101(b), that a prisoner is a 
           veteran, the Secretary shall suspend debt collection 
           activities of Department against the incarcerated veteran, 
           and the obligation of the veteran to pay for debts owed to 
           the Department, for the duration of his or her incarceration 
           and for a period not to exceed 6 months following his or her 
           release from a Federal prison. 
       (b) STATE AND LOCAL INMATES.-- The Secretary shall suspend debt 
           collection activities of the Department against any veteran 
           the Secretary knows is incarcerated in a State or local 
           penal institution, and the obligation of that veteran to pay 
           for debts owed to the Department, for the duration of his or 
           her incarceration and for a period not to exceed 6 months 
           following his or her release from such an institution. 
     
     TITLE II-- INCARCERATED VETERAN REHABILITATION COUNSELING 
     SEC. 201. DUTIES OF THE SECRETARY.
       The Secretary, in consultation with the Attorney General, 
     shall--
       (1) provide readjustment counseling to those incarcerated 
           veterans suffering from mental and psychological disorders 
           stemming from their military service; 
       (2) take measures to ensure that incarcerated veterans have the 
           same ability of being adjudicated as having service-
           connected disabilities as nonincarcerated veterans; 
       (3) designate an employee in each of the regional offices of the 
           Department to act as a liaison between each Federal prison 
           and the Department to coordinate the provision of veterans' 
           services and benefits for incarcerated veterans; 
       (4) review the physical examinations forwarded by the Attorney 
           General pursuant to paragraph (1)(A)(ii) of section 202 to 
           determine whether the incarcerated veteran is eligible for 
           the benefits provided by the Veterans' Dioxin and Radiation 
           Exposure Compensation Standards Act (38 U.S.C. 354 note) or 
           other relevant Federal laws; and 
       (5) ensure that the employee designated pursuant to paragraph 
           (3) provides liaison services between families of 
           incarcerated veterans and Federal prisons. 
     
     SEC. 202. DUTIES OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL.
     The Attorney General shall--
       (1) with the consent of the incarcerated veteran--
     
     NAM VET Newsletter                                         Page 41
     Volume  5, Number 10                             October 24, 1991

           (A) for the purpose of determining eligibility for benefits 
               under the Veterans' Dioxin and Radiation Exposure 
               Compensation Standards Act (38 U.S.C. 354 note) or other 
               relevant Federal laws--
               (i) conduct physical examinations on each incarcerated 
                   veteran consistent with the protocol utilized by the 
                   Department in conducting Agent Orange registry 
                   examinations; and
               (ii) transmit such examinations to the Secretary; and 
           (B) as soon as a date has been set for the release of the 
               incarcerated veteran from a Federal prison, transmit the 
               name and location of that veteran to the Secretary; and 
       (2) consistent with the security requirements of each Federal 
           prison, encourage and facilitate the organization within 
           Federal prisons of "self-help" groups and other such 
           programs that may contribute to the rehabilitation of 
           incarcerated veterans. 
     
     TITLE III-- READJUSTMENT COUNSELING EDUCATION 
     SEC. 301 DEVELOPMENT OF TRAINING CURRICULUM
       (a) DEVELOPMENT.-- The Secretary shall develop a training 
           curriculum for use in assisting medical, psychiatric, 
           psychological, and other relevant professionals employed by 
           the Bureau of Prisons in acquiring the expertise necessary 
           to diagnose and treat psychiatric disabilities peculiar to 
           veterans. 
       (b) AVAILABILITY OF CURRICULUM.-- The curriculum developed 
           pursuant to subsection (a) may be made available to 
           individuals, organizations, governmental agencies, and 
           health facilities interested in the diagnosis and treatment 
           of psychiatric disabilities peculiar to veterans. 
     
     TITLE IV-- POST-INCARCERATION READJUSTMENT SERVICES 
     SEC. 401. DUTIES OF THE SECRETARY.
       (a) DUTIES OF THE SECRETARY.-- Upon receipt of the names 
           transmitted to the Secretary pursuant to paragraph 
           (1)(A)(ii) of section 202, the Secretary shall inform those 
           veterans of the veterans' benefits and services available to 
           them upon release. This information shall include--
           (1) the effect of the release of the incarcerated veteran on 
               the entitlement of the veterans to veterans' benefits 
               and services, including those terminated or reduced at 
               the time of the incarceration of the veteran; 
           (2) the availability of readjustment counseling services 
               under the Readjustment Counseling Program of the 
               Department, including the location of the vet center 
               nearest to where the incarcerated veteran intends to 
               reside after release; 
           (3) the availability of additional readjustment services 
               from State, local, and private agencies and 
               organizations in the community in which the incarcerated 
               veteran intends to reside; and 
           (4) the availability of veterans programs administered by 
               the Department of Labor and the Small Business 
               Administration. 
     
     SEC. 402. DUTY OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY.
     The Assistant Secretary shall designate a disabled veterans' 
     outreach program specialist in each State where a Federal prison 
     
     NAM VET Newsletter                                         Page 42
     Volume  5, Number 10                             October 24, 1991

     is located to serve as a liaison between each Federal prison and 
     the disabled veterans' outreach program in that State. 
     
     SEC. 403. DUTIES OF THE CHAIRMAN OF THE UNITED STATES PAROLE 
     COMMISSION. 
       The Chairman of the United States Parole Commission, in 
     consultation with the Secretary, shall--
       (1) integrate, to the extent practicable, the services available 
           from the Readjustment Counseling Program of the Department 
           into the parole programs of veterans paroled from Federal 
           prisons; and 
       (2) require that parole officers employed by the Commission who 
           have responsibility for paroled veterans establish and 
           maintain contact with appropriate vet center personnel in 
           order to ensure that paroled veterans who are eligible to 
           use vet center are encouraged to do so. 
     
     TITLE V-- STATE AND LOCAL OUTREACH ASSISTANCE 
     SEC. 501. EXTENSION OF BENEFITS TO VETERANS INCARCERATED IN STATE 
     AND LOCAL PENAL INSTITUTIONS. 
       Within 6 months after the effective date of this Act, the 
     Secretary and the Assistant Secretary shall implement a program to 
     extend, to the extent practicable, the benefits of this Act to 
     State and local penal institutions with respect to veterans 
     incarcerated in such institutions. 
     
     TITLE VI-- MISCELLANEOUS
     SEC. 601. REPORT
       The Attorney General, the Secretary, the Assistant Secretary, 
     and the Chairman of the United States Parole Commission each shall 
     submit to the Congress an annual report relating to their 
     activities in implementing this Act. The first report shall be due 
     on the January 1 occurring after the effective date of this Act 
     and each January 1 thereafter. 
     
     SEC. 602. MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING.
       Within 3 months after the effective date of this Act, the 
     Secretary, the Attorney General, the Assistant Secretary, and the 
     Chairman of the United States Parole Commission shall agree to and 
     sign a memorandum of understanding detailing how the organizations 
     and operations controlled by each shall interact to implement this 
     Act. The Attorney General, or his designee, shall be responsible 
     for convening and chairing meetings and initiating communications 
     in order to reach the memorandum of understanding. 
      
     SEC. 603. EFFECTIVE DATE
       This Act shall be effective 3 months after the date of enactment 
     of the Act. 
     










     NAM VET Newsletter                                         Page 43
     Volume  5, Number 10                             October 24, 1991

       XXXXX           XXXXX                XXXXX                 XXXX
       XXXXX           XXXXX                XXXXX   \   \   \  \ \XXXX
       XXXXX           XXXXX.::::::::::::::.XXXXX  INCARCERATED   XXXX
       XXXXX           XXXXX   ---------    XXXXX \ \ \  \  \  \ \XXXX
       XXXXX          .XXXXX   W W   I I    XXXXX.   VETERANS \  \XXXX
       XXXXX         ::XXXXX   ---------    XXXXX::.  \  \  \   \ XXXX
       XXXXX        :::XXXXX -------------  XXXXX:::.             XXXX
       XXXXX       ::::XXXXX K  O  R  E  A  XXXXX::::             XXXX
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       XXXXX       ::::XXXXX V I E T N A M  XXXXX::::             XXXX
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       XXXXX           XXXXX                XXXXX                 XXXX
     


     NAM VET Newsletter                                         Page 44
     Volume  5, Number 10                             October 24, 1991

     [Note  from Joe:  Joyce went to a LOT of work to get the O.K.  for 
     this article's reproduction in NamVet.  Immediately preceding each 
     segment of the article (it is in three parts), her request and the 
     answer to her request are printed.]
     
                                                   August 23,1991
     
     To Who It May Concern;
     
       I am trying to locate Mr. Marc Leepson. I was recently sent a 
     copy of his article called "Viet Cons" and I would like to 
     reprint it, with proper credit, into a monthly Vietnam Veterans 
     newsletter. I would like Mr. Leepson's permission, the magazine 
     name, and date that it was published. The managing editor of the 
     newsletter requires this information before reprinting anyone's 
     work. 
       I am the section editor for the Vietnam Veterans, Incarcerated 
     section of the newsletter. I found Mr. Leepson's article 
     informative and would like to pass this on to other Vietnam 
     veterans. I, also, have contact with Vietnam veteran inmates in 
     fifteen states across the country. I would like to pass this 
     article on to them.
       It was stated at the end of the article that Mr. Leepson was a 
     columnist and book editor for "Veterans" magazine and your's was 
     the closest address I could find to locate him.
       If I have contacted the wrong person or place, thank you for 
     your time. If there is any way you may be able to help me contact 
     Mr. Leepson, I would appreciate the information.  Thank you, in 
     advance, for any time and trouble taken on my behalf.
     
                                                     Yours truly;
     
                                                     Mrs. Joyce Flory
                                                      XXXX XXXXXX XXX
                                           Las Cruces, N.M.     88001
                                                       (505)-XXX-XXXX
     
     On Sept. 16th I received the following handwritten reply from Mr. 
     Leepson:
     
      "9-12-91
     
      TO Joyce Flory,
     
     My  article on Vietnam veterans in jail appeared in the July  1988 
     issue of Gallery magazine.
     
     You  have my permission to reprint it in your  newsletter.  Please 
     send  me  a copy.  And please identify me as:  ARB Editor of  "The 
     Veteran," The Monthly Newspaper Published By Vietnam Veterans of 
     America.
     
         Thank you,
         Marc Leepson"
     




     NAM VET Newsletter                                         Page 45
     Volume  5, Number 10                             October 24, 1991

                                 VIET CONS
             "Why American Vets have gone from jungle to jail"
                        By Marc Leepson, ARB Editor
                         The VVA Veteran Magazine 
                           Input by Joyce Flory
               NamVet's Incarcerated Veterans Section Editor
                    Desert Dolphin BBS - Las Cruces, NM
                              (505) 523-2811
     
     [Note  from  Joyce:  The  following piece was sent to me  by  Mike 
     Harris. In order to have the article included in the newsletter, I 
     have broken it into a three part series.  This is Part 2 of 3.]
                         
     Combat and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
     
       Exactly   how   many  vets  in  prison  are  there  because   of 
     psychological  trauma  associated  with  their tours  of  duty  in 
     Vietnam is an open question.  The psychological problems of combat 
     soldiers have been recognized and measured during and after nearly 
     every war in modern times. But Vietnam was different,  and several 
     factors  peculiar  to the fighting there have  made  psychological 
     adjustments for returning vets particularly difficult.
       For those in the field, fighting in 'Nam was "mostly a matter of 
     enduring weeks of expectant waiting and,  at random intervals,  of 
     conducting  vicious  manhunts through jungles  and  swamps,  where 
     snipers harassed us and booby traps cut us down one by one,"  says 
     Marine  combat vet Philip Caputo in his widely praised  memoir,  A 
     Rumor  of  War.  "Without a front,  flanks or rear,  we  fought  a 
     formless  war  against  a formless enemy who evaporated  like  the 
     morning  jungle  mists,  only  to materialize in  some  unexpected 
     place. Most of the time nothing happened;  but when something did, 
     it happened instantaneously and without warning."
       Add  to  that  trauma the fact that most of those who  bore  the 
     brunt  of the fighting in 'Nam were teenagers -  at a time of life 
     when  one  is particularly vulnerable to mental stress.  And  then 
     there's  the extremely controversial nature of the war -  and  the 
     fact that people back home weren't exactly on total war footing.
       And  that's not to mention the underwhelming reception most vets 
     received once they survived the ordeal and made it back home. When 
     World  War  II vets came home and went to bars,  the  story  goes, 
     everybody bought them a round of drinks. When Korean War vets came 
     home, they had to buy their own drinks. And when Vietnam vets came 
     home,  they  had to buy everybody else a round of drinks.  Vietnam 
-- 
#Larry W. Jewell (ex-USN)     WWII-L Listowner    jewell@mace.cc.purdue.edu # 
#"Sunday's horoscope is noteworthy because of its strange, sudden and wholly#
#unpredictable and inexplicable occurrences, affecting all phases of life." #
#--"Your Horoscope," L.A. Evening Herald Express, Saturday, Dec. 6, 1941.   #