DOCUMENTRESUME A CE 041 806 , ED 259 137 It AUTHOR Martin, Terry 'H. TITLE An American Sunrise:The Vietnam Veterans:Leadership Program. A History of ACTIOWs Three -Year, veteran's jnitiatiVe. Technical Report'. INSTITUTION ACTION;; Washington, D.C. PUB/DATE -30 Sep 84 NOTE 221p. I'UB TYPE Reports - Detdrilptive (141) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC09 Plus Postage. `DESCRIPTORS Adults; Economic Development; *Leadership Training; 4 -*Program Development; PrOgrap Effectivenest; Program IMplementation; Publicl Relations; *Small Businesse,s; ,-"Veterans; Veterans Education; Vgluntary Agencies; r. *Volunteers IDENTIFIERS : *Vietnam Veterans Leadership Program ABSTRACT An idea*conceivellby federal Volunteer agency' director Thomas Rauken in.1919, fhe Vietnam Veterans.Leadership Program (VVLP) was officially launched in. November, 194. The program was scheduled to be federallyfunded' for three years, alp thereafter to be privately funded and operated. The WE& formed anetworeof veteran volunteers who accomplithed the following: (1) the 40 e,ptablishment of 47 nonprofit corporations across the country to bhild the volunteer network, enhance its image, build support, develcip employment and training opportuhities, hidin small Ousiness development, raise funds, and collaborate with other organizationson veterans' affairs; (2) the involvement of about 6,000 veteran volunteers who have given 350,449 hours of unpaid time'to help-their gfelloW veterans and to introduce a new, positive image of Vietnam veterans to the AMerican public; (3) the raising of anestimated $1,208,00 in material donations-,made through the network's contacts; and (4) thWcreation of iorkshops and programs that have counseled veterans on 'starting small buenesses and helped them .obtain employment. This book is s history of the" VVLP and its. accomplithmentsv as well as its hopes for the fpEurgu.ItIs organized in six chapters. The first chapter pretents a sUmmaft ot the program's accomplishments as well as a historical perspective on the program; In the second chapter, the needfor such a program is documented; this is followed by a chapter detailing the start-up of the program and ttroject funding. The fourth chapter reports on the i*ojects thatwere implemented, while the fifth chapter Vets the tone for the challenge of the tuture. The final chapter summarizes the design, approach, and source materials,ed in compiling the. eport. (KC) . 0 ******************************************************************ye**** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can .be. made from the original cloctunenv. ************************A*********************ffic*******k*************** 410 r., re\ r-1 tr. n-^ U.S. DEPARTMENT N TIONAI OF EDUCATION INSTITUTE OF ED CATICZNAL EDUCATION RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC! This documenihas peen raCmYed cenioduced as from theparson Cat otioinatinu rt organization 11 Minot chenues have boon mecte to reproduction quality immove ti Points of view or opinions stated ;Dant do not in this docu necessarily reptesent s°1 position or pokY official NIE tam.. BEST COPYAV .0" 'AN AMERICAN SUNRISE THE VIETNAM VETERANS LEADERSHIP PROGRAM A H IS1DRY OF ACTION'S THREE-Y4 VETERAN'S INITIATIVE TECHNICAL REPORT ACTION 806 CONNECTICUT AVEN N. Wr WASHINGTON D. C.2 525 I 'I PREPARED BY JERRY., H MARTINPH. D. CONSULTANT 0 SEPTEMBER 30, 1984 A I'hope that every. American will follow the 'example of the Vietnam Veterans Leadership Program volunteers and reach out individually to extend.a- helping hand where needed to all cur fine Vietnam veterans. Recognition and appreciation for all they went through is long Overdue. * A nation's future iq only as,certailh as'the devotion of its defenders, and the nation must be, as loyal to them as they are to the nation. 4 President Ronald Reagal November 1981 Rose Garden Ceremony Inaugurating the Vietnam Veterans Leaderspip Program CONTENTS'. 1 Prologue ii Contents 4 , iii , List Of Charts .. iv - List Of. Tables . ,.. ,- -. v .. List-cif. Attachment,s '," vi -Ackncwledgements. t vii A. SUMMARY , I. A Leadership Program for Veterans . 2 2. Historical Perspective' 6 B. A NEED FOR ACTION 1. UnmetiNeeds 9 2. The Nation* Interest 17 C. TAKING THE INITIATIVE 1: Vietnam Veterans Step, Forward 21 ,z2. ACTION'S Catalytic Role 23 \ 3. Program Start-Ups . 32 4. Financial Support Fran ACTION '33 5. Distribution of Funds to the Field 6. Average_COst of A' Leadership Project 36 . D. DOING THE JipB - VETERANS HELPING VETERANS 1. Statistical Profile of National Results 37 An 2. Average Results From A' Leadership Project . .-- 3. The WaUntear Network , . 41 t. 4. Image Enhancement and 'Symbolic Support . 58 5. Employment Opportunities' 64 6. Small Business Development ft.. 79 . 7. Fundraising 88 8. Collaboration With Other Organizations 91 \ E.. PROSPECTS FOR THE FUTURE Nab 1. The Federal Sunset 95 2.- The Chicago Conference on the Future . 3. The Challenge of Leadership . t . 102. F. METHODOLOGY 1. Design and Approach.,. R 2. Source Materials 3 iii LIST OF CHARTS No. 1 Number of Field Projects Establisiled During the 36-Mcnth Derlionstraticn Period ..... 32 No. 2 Annual WLP Funding Ijt4s as Projectedto September 30, 1984 33 No. 3 GeographicDisiiibuticnct VVIlas in the Nat icnal Netwk 42 (e 4 a , - 4 t r LIST OF TABLFS No. 1 Total WLP Funding throug Sepeefiber 30, 1984: . .1 34 . No. 2 Distribution of Funds National Offices vs. Field Projects ..... .... 35 A No. 3 ...Distribution of Salaries for VVLP Project Directors 36 No. 4 Program Results for 47 VVLPs in 41 States - I. 36-Month emulative Total 38t, No. 5 Total Dollar Value of Volunteer Contributions During 36 -Month Demonstration Period 45 No. 6 List of Programs that Have Raised Sta'fe and Federal Funds 90 , V f t LIST Or ATI' , . ,. No, 1 Renarks ofthe Preiident a.the Mripuncenent ofthe Vietnam Veterans Leadership Prdgram., ., . ,,,-,-, . rt " , ,. No. 2 The Contra "of' NstIcnal Values,,iiir.j the VietnamWu".- ,,,, , 1 O. 41 , .. , t , , a tlk ? . % e, No. 3 Chronological-History of 1L4TIO0 FkuldUci, for the 47, Granteesin .41:Statei. , , . I . No. 4 Highlights of State and .L cal Accomplishments. No. 5 Monthly 'ReportingRequirenepts aril Format. No.'6 Litt of Rsrtici6ants.Vtho Man6ged the 47Projects. No. 7 Method of Estimating Dollar Value of Volunteer Service and Contributions. No. 8 Highlights ofTechniques BeingUsed to Develop a National and Local Networks. .. No. 9 "HighlightsofTechniques Being Used to Project A Positive 'image to the American lublic. No. 10 Highlights of Techniques Being Used to Help Veterans Find Jobs.' No. 11 A Model Process far ,HelpingVeterans Find Jobs. No. 12 AProposal. to Create ANational, Computerized Bnployment and Training .Network. No. 13 ,Highlights of Techniques Being Used to RaiseFurds. No. 14 Model Budget for LeadershipjEmployment Projects. No. 15 The ChicAgo Conference Reporton Goals for the Nett Five Years for Vietmn-yeteran6. .1 0 PCKNOWLEDGEMENTS The 'Vietnam Veterans Leadership Program would like to thank the White House, ACTION, the Departments of Labor and Health and Humad Services, and the various camnittees in Congress Chat have had oversight for support that made the leadership program possible. The program's-suCcess shows that Vietnam veterans will step forward again to help their fellow veterans and their country. This underscores one of the major lessons learned from the aftermath of the(Vietnam war; namely, that veterans who have dramatically and often at great personal cost shown a sense / ofcountry during a time of war,"are a great national resource in time of peace. Effective use of this resource is crucial to the health of the body politic. 4 America-has always depended on the energy,responsibilityand creative, intelligent leadership of its citizens. it is reassuring to know that among those citizens are the three million Vietnam, veterans who served their country in the war zone whenthey werecalled. Many of them are, leaders. The leadership program was, successful because of the vision, energy and'hard work othe more than 5,000 Vietnam veterans who volunteered to paraMpate in its many different Acvi- ties. 'This report is dedicated to them, the living, imemory of those who didnot- return -- thos% who, having made ultimate sacrifice 'berving their country, 'are not able to participate in-ts future JP 3 vii AN AMERICAN SUNRISE THE VIETNAM VETERANS LEAfiERSHIPFROGRAM A. SUMMARY 4 The Vietnam war is now a part ofiwcrld history.To participants of that conflict, it seems the war happened a long time ago.The wounds are slow in healing and the lessons to be learned are only now beginning to be discussed by expert cannentators. The twenty years between the Tonkin Gulf incident in 1964 and the publication of this eeport in 1984, for _ exanple, is virtually the sane lengthlength of time separating the end of World Wm I in 1918 and the outbreak World Wr II in Europe in 1939. Most of the soldiers who fought the Americeth part of the war were very young, at an average age of 19.Most came from working class families. The great majcrity had high ochool educations, and there were ,very few college graduates among the enlisted men (in the rifle conpaniee and other combat units.American forces in Vietnam nevertheless were.made up of the most educated and best 'organized soldiers ever put onto the fields of war, according to military statistics and, historians.' It. The large majority of these soldiers concluded their service.honorably an5 returned hone successfully, doing well -for t,hanselves fdr their. families.This isthe case for. all groups including former enlisted and foot soldiers. Mile it is, a fact that many Vietnam.veteratis have' A needed helpdueto.problens associated with'their Vietnam experience,' , `.. more thAn 80 t of the Vietnam Veterans who cane hone. have made a successful tr Rion back into 'civilianlifeand are doing well.One of the'leadere iii program's guiding premises is that they vast majority of Vietnam veterans are now responsible, hard-working menbere of their cam:tit-ifs The problens faced by Vietnam veterans an indifferent or hostile 'reception upon returning fromVietnam,unemployment and underemploiment, negative stereotyping in the.media, and readjustment problems arewell 4.