Pictures you never forget. Jimmy and I played Little League Baseball in Redwood City against each other in the early 1960s. Good hands. Good Italian kid. But it is from the summer of 1976 that I remember him most. My work took me to the Veterans Administration complex in Menlo Park. I encountered Jimmy one sunny afternoon walking the grounds, I think he may have had a beard, and we talked about baseball. Before I could ask him what he was doing there, he said: “My general left me by myself in a field.” I never saw Jimmy again.
In what must have been 1969, I can still see like it was yesterday the closet door in a narrow hallway at our home in Redwood City. On the door was a map of Vietnam. In Vietnam was my brother, a Marine. My parents kept track. My brother started sending me mail in which there were sealed envelopes marked “War Stories.” He instructed me to not open those War Story envelopes unless he didn’t come back. I still remember kneeling in front of the open closet door of his room, sun from a window to the backyard shining through, looking at the first War Story envelope, and hiding it. I never told my parents. I thank God I never had to open the envelopes.
Recent years have taken our family back to the VA to help serve Thanksgiving meals. The VA is open to veterans whether or not their needs arise from service activities. We see veterans who have mental disabilities often combined with physical problems. Some can’t feed themselves. Conversations are difficult, but one I can’t forget. A bearded gray-haired man in a wheelchair rolled up next to a counter where his food could be placed, looked me in the eye and with a beautiful smile and bright eyes said: “We don’t come here to live, we come here to die.”
I wonder what veterans want. I know from Iraq War veterans that better transitions from combat to home are wanted, and still more recognition of mental health issues. Marine combat veteran Akshay Nanavati, author of FEARVANA, told me that he believes resilience training should start in boot camp.
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What I want is good leaders who care about both the welfare of the troops and their mission, including VA leadership with empathy for those in their care.
I can’t understand how that leadership keeps failing. In October, the VA Office of Inspector General issued a report evaluating the first two years of the Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection created by executive order issued by President Trump, the purpose of which is to “boost accountability” and to “address senior executives’ poor performance.” The inspector general reported the office “floundered in its mission,” had “avoidable mistakes” and created a culture that alienated the very people it was supposed to protect. Where is the leadership?
Gen. Stan McChrystal (retired), in his groundbreaking book on leadership asks the question, “What makes great leaders?” There is no one check list, but he says reading his book won’t in itself make one a great leader as “It won’t overcome weak values, a lack of self-discipline or personal stupidity.” Can’t our national leadership find and listen to dedicated leaders with the right values, discipline and smarts to properly serve our veterans?
Jim Hartnett is a Navy veteran with family members and friends who served in the military in World War II, Korea, Vietnam and today. He is the general manager/CEO of SamTrans and the executive director Caltrain and the San Mateo County Transportation Authority.
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Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.