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Dark Mornings to New Beginnings

This chapter discusses the experiences of a combat social worker who was wounded in combat and survived to go on to be a trail blazer as a Veteran Affairs (VA) clinical social worker. He describes how he was hired in 1971 to help the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center to organize an outreach program to Vietnam veterans who refused to seek help from the VA because of their experiences within the military. The author presents the vet-to-vet rap group model and the Vet Center project, where he helped to identify resources and guide vets and their families to what they need. The author describes his successful career as a social activist and veteran advocate through his LA-based National Veterans Foundation.