The Official Voice of Vietnam Veterans of America, Inc. ®
An organization chartered by the U.S. Congress
July/August 2005
Veterans Incarcerated Committee ReportIntroduction To Nevada
BY JOHN KOPROWSKI, CHAIR
Vietnam Veterans of America, the Nevada Department of Corrections, and the Nevada State Prison Administration have enjoyed a long and productive collaboration. VVA Chapter 545 at the Nevada State Prison and Chapter 719 at the Northern Nevada Correctional Center—both in the state capital in Carson City—are well into their second decade.Slowly, both chapters developed projects that mirrored their members’ interests, that enhanced the spiritual and psychological development of the inmates, and that gave to the communities within and without the prisons’ walls.
The slow, careful, and deliberate development of a truly astounding variety of programs involved a huge amount of work—on the parts of the incarcerated members, their sponsors, and the prison administration and security personnel. Maybe, however, the work involved paled in comparison to the amount of patience and psychic labor required. (See coverage on Nevada Incarcerated Chapters).
The fruits that have been borne from this collaboration are not just feel-good window dressing. These are programs that require real labor and that yield real results. By using the vehicle of Vietnam Veterans of America, these men are discovering and redefining personal meaning and purpose.
During the 2005 National Convention in Reno, I encourage you to give some thought to what our brother veterans incarcerated are accomplishing just 25 miles south of Reno. I encourage you, too, to take time and seek out Terry Hubert and Gary Meneley. Both of these men will be at the Convention. Both have served as lightning rods for these incarcerated chapters.
When I refer to Terry and Gary as lightning rods, it’s an acknowledgment of the enormous amount of energy both men have been gifted with. It’s also an acknowledgment of the enormous amount of energy they give.
The Nevada VVA chapters, however, are not alone in accomplishing remarkable things. In the next issue, we will highlight the work being done by VVA at the Mansfield Correctional Facility in Ohio.
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