03Fox2/1
11-08-06, 16:50
The following was posted in the Charlotte Observer today. I believe the death of Rufus Wilson is worth noting by we American Vietnam veterans and also by any veteran that has had reason to use the VA facilities for PTSD. Semper Fi
RUFUS WILSON
VA OFFICIAL KEY IN SHIFT TO AID VIETNAM VETS
______________________
Carter-era worker helped start treatment for combat-stress issues
By Matt Schudel
Washington Post
Washington --- Rufus Wilson, a former deputy administrator of the Veterans Administration who helped develop programs to treat post-traumatic stress disorder and other combat-related syndromes, died Aug. 1 of septic shock from a perforated colon.
He was 80.
Wilson, who was seriously wounded in battle during World War II, spent his life advocating for veterans as an official with the VA (now called the Department of Veterans Affairs).
Because he was a registered Republican, he tendered his resignation when Democrat Jimmy Carter became President in 1977. His resignation was refused, and Wilson stayed on throughout Carter's presidency as the no.2 administrator of the veterans agency under Max Cleland.
"He was the indispensable man," Cleland said Wednesday. "In a world where everyone and everything seems interchangeable, Rufus was the cog that held it all together."
During their four years at the helm of the VA, they launched counseling and job-training programs for veterans and increased benefits through the GI Bill.
Wilson provided institutional stability when the agency was caught between the traditional concerns of World War II veterans and a changing set of demands from Vietnam vets.
"When I appointed Rufus," Cleland said, "the entire VA leadership breathed a collective sigh of relief. He had a reputation among veterans for integrity."
Wilson saw a need for new ways to address post-traumatic stress disorder and helped develop programs to treat other psychological effects of battle.
"I don't think that one class of veterans deserves to be treated better than another," he said in 1981, after leaving the VA. "I don't think a veteran should be singled out because of the war he fought in."
Wilson joined the Marines in World War II and received a paralyzing neck wound during the Battle of Saipan. He was told he would be a quadriplegic, but after long months of rehabilitation at veterans hospitals, he was able to walk with a cane, although he never regained the use of his right arm.
The care he received at veterans hospitals in San Diego and Dearborn, Mich., inspired Wilson to devote his life to the service of other veterans.
"He thought, These are the people who helped me have a life again," said his son, Douglas Wilson.
RUFUS WILSON
VA OFFICIAL KEY IN SHIFT TO AID VIETNAM VETS
______________________
Carter-era worker helped start treatment for combat-stress issues
By Matt Schudel
Washington Post
Washington --- Rufus Wilson, a former deputy administrator of the Veterans Administration who helped develop programs to treat post-traumatic stress disorder and other combat-related syndromes, died Aug. 1 of septic shock from a perforated colon.
He was 80.
Wilson, who was seriously wounded in battle during World War II, spent his life advocating for veterans as an official with the VA (now called the Department of Veterans Affairs).
Because he was a registered Republican, he tendered his resignation when Democrat Jimmy Carter became President in 1977. His resignation was refused, and Wilson stayed on throughout Carter's presidency as the no.2 administrator of the veterans agency under Max Cleland.
"He was the indispensable man," Cleland said Wednesday. "In a world where everyone and everything seems interchangeable, Rufus was the cog that held it all together."
During their four years at the helm of the VA, they launched counseling and job-training programs for veterans and increased benefits through the GI Bill.
Wilson provided institutional stability when the agency was caught between the traditional concerns of World War II veterans and a changing set of demands from Vietnam vets.
"When I appointed Rufus," Cleland said, "the entire VA leadership breathed a collective sigh of relief. He had a reputation among veterans for integrity."
Wilson saw a need for new ways to address post-traumatic stress disorder and helped develop programs to treat other psychological effects of battle.
"I don't think that one class of veterans deserves to be treated better than another," he said in 1981, after leaving the VA. "I don't think a veteran should be singled out because of the war he fought in."
Wilson joined the Marines in World War II and received a paralyzing neck wound during the Battle of Saipan. He was told he would be a quadriplegic, but after long months of rehabilitation at veterans hospitals, he was able to walk with a cane, although he never regained the use of his right arm.
The care he received at veterans hospitals in San Diego and Dearborn, Mich., inspired Wilson to devote his life to the service of other veterans.
"He thought, These are the people who helped me have a life again," said his son, Douglas Wilson.