[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 104 (Tuesday, July 22, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7876-S7877]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          MILWAUKEE VET CENTER

 Mr. KOHL. Mr. President, I rise today to praise the people of 
the Milwaukee Vet Center. For 17 years now these Wisconsinites have 
counseled and assisted veterans during the difficult period of 
readjustment from frontline to homefront.
  Fighting a war is a terrible experience, inflicting physical and 
psychological wounds which few veterans can fully heal on their own. 
The Milwaukee Vet Center has helped over 8,800 veterans of American 
missions in their attempts to overcome these psychological battle 
scars. Originally established for Vietnam veterans, its doors are now 
open to veterans of every major American engagement since World War II.

[[Page S7877]]

  This center stands as a prime example of success in our Nation's 
social services. A division of the Department of Veterans Affairs, it 
provides comprehensive and personalized counseling, not only to male 
and female veterans but also to their spouses and children. Although 
the center's responsibilities include 91,513 eligible veterans in 13 
eastern Wisconsin counties, its workers strive to make personal contact 
with as many veterans as possible. Its outreach programs engage 
veterans in the context of their communities, granting a fuller 
knowledge of where each individual stands geographically, 
psychologically and socially. Working with other specialized 
organizations, the center provides individualized services for native 
American and African-American veterans, among others.
  Those who enter the Milwaukee Vet Center seeking help know they are 
dealing with some of America's most experienced social workers. 
Collectively, the center's employees possess decades of experience in 
the fields of drug and alcohol abuse, mental health problems, 
vocational rehabilitation, women's health treatment, and psychiatric 
treatment. They have worked in the public and private sectors, schools, 
hospitals, even disaster areas.
  The Vet Center provides hands-on field experience for students in 
local colleges and universities such as the University of Wisconsin at 
Milwaukee, the Milwaukee Area Technical College, and the Stratton 
Business Institute. By sharing their wealth of experience, the Vet 
Center's professionals enrich these students' education and more 
importantly guide them on the path to a fulfilling career in public 
service.
  I commend the heroic efforts of these public servants, and personally 
thank them for playing an important part in making Wisconsin 
great.

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