[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 133 (Wednesday, September 17, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5690-S5691]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                40TH ANNIVERSARY OF SWORDS TO PLOWSHARES

 Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I take this opportunity to 
recognize the 40th anniversary of Swords to Plowshares, one of the 
preeminent organizations providing quality, compassionate care and 
services to veterans in the San Francisco Bay area.
  In 1974, six veterans concerned about the challenges facing soldiers 
returning home from Vietnam established a program to help ease their 
transition to civilian life by providing education, job training, and 
employment assistance. Swords to Plowshares quickly earned a reputation 
as a trusted resource for veterans, and over the years it has grown to 
meet the needs of each new generation of veterans.
  As veterans came home from Vietnam, Swords to Plowshares created 
extensive health, social services, legal services, and housing programs 
to support them. Following the gulf war, Swords began offering programs 
to address mental health and substance

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abuse among veterans. As veterans returned from Iraq and Afghanistan, 
Swords worked with vets and their families to identify gaps in VA 
services and established the Institute for Veteran Policy to make 
recommendations to the military and VA to better address the needs of 
our newest veterans.
  Today, with the help of more than 100 dedicated staff, Swords 
provides employment and job training, legal services, and housing 
assistance to more than 2,000 veterans in the San Francisco Bay area 
each year.
  I want to extend my special thanks to Michael Blecker, a U.S. Army 
veteran who joined Swords in 1976 and has served as its executive 
director since 1980. I am lucky to have known Michael for more than two 
decades, and there is no one who has been more dedicated to ensuring 
that veterans are treated with the dignity they deserve.
  Our service men and women and their families who have made tremendous 
sacrifices in service to America deserve not only our deepest gratitude 
but also our commitment to help them lead healthy and productive lives. 
As Swords to Plowshares celebrates its 40th anniversary, I offer my 
profound thanks for all it does to fulfill our sacred obligation to our 
Nation's veterans.

                          ____________________