Hershel W. Gober

Hershel Wayne Gober (born December 21, 1936)  is a former government official and Vietnam War veteran. He served as acting United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) two times during the Clinton administration. The first time was from July 1, 1997 until January 2, 1998 between the resignation of Secretary Jesse Brown and the appointment of Togo D. West, Jr. as Acting Secretary.  The second time came on July 25, 2000 and lasted until January 20, 2001 after the resignation of Secretary West; this time Gober served in the post until the end of the Clinton presidency.

He started out in the VA as Deputy Secretary, serving from February 4, 1993 until August 10, 2000. Gober was also Secretary-designate, when Clinton named him on July 31, 1997U.S. Senate. Chapter 10: Cabinet Nominations Rejected or Withdrawn Accessed 24 December 2007. to replace Jesse Brown. However, the nomination was withdrawn before Senate action began. That happened on October 27 the same year. 

During his time as Secretary, Gober headed a delegation that traveled to Vietnam to try to find information about missing veterans there.Clinton, Bill. Remarks by the President, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Togo West, and Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs Hershel Gober . July 10, 2000. Accessed 2007-12-25. He also worked to improve health care and create more clinics for veterans. 

Before serving in the VA, Gober was Director of the Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs from January 4, 1988 to February 4, 1993 during President Clinton's time as Governor.

In Vietnam
Gober served two tours in Vietnam. He also worked with an American/Vietnamese team that made Vietnamese songs. Later, in 1969, he was hurt while serving as a company commander.http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7698055.stm Winning hearts and minds in Vietnam

References

 Other websites 
Department of Veterans Affairs biography of Acting Secretary Gober
Profile at American President: An Online Reference Resource 

Category:United States Secretaries of Veterans Affairs
Category:Politicians from Arkansas
Category:1936 births
Category:Living people
Category:Purple Heart recipients