[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 145 (Tuesday, December 2, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1694]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   IN RECOGNITION OF THE NATIONAL ORGANIZATION OF BLACK VETERANS AND 
     NATIONAL COMMANDER BRIGADIER GENERAL (RET.) ROBERT A. COCROFT

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 2, 2014

  Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize the National 
Organization of Black Veterans (NABVETS) and its visionary and founder, 
Brigadier General (Ret.) Robert A. Cocroft for his distinguished 
service as National Commander. This year, under the leadership of 
President and Chief Executive Officer Wendy McClinton, Black Veterans 
for Social Justice, Inc. hosted the National Organization of Black 
Veterans National Conference and Convention in New York City, which 
took place from August 14th to August 17th, 2014. The theme for the 
2014 Convention was ``Transitioning to the Next Level: Fighting for 
Your Focus''. This theme was very apropos, because the conference 
honored Brigadier General (Ret.) Robert A. Cocroft who retired as 
National Commander.
  The National Association for Black Veterans, Inc. (NABVETS) is a 
membership service organization with the charge to address issues 
concerning Black and other minority veterans. NABVETS has served as a 
leader to address the unmet concerns of minority and low-income 
veterans through direct services, empowerment training and 
collaborative partnerships; and in the service design to address the 
``holistic'' issues of homelessness among veterans. Since inception, 
NAB VETS has provided direct services to 65,000 veterans and on behalf 
of 240,000 veterans--primarily of the Vietnam and post-Vietnam era.
  Robert A. Cocroft served with the Army in Korea during the Vietnam 
War and had an active career in the Army Reserve. He served as the 
Deputy Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs, 
President of the National Association for Black Veterans, and President 
and CEO of the Center for Veterans Issues (Milwaukee, Wisconsin).
  Robert A. Cocroft was born in Conway, Mississippi, Nov 16, 1946 and 
was raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He entered military service via the 
draft in 1966, while as a student at the University of Wisconsin-
Oshkosh, where he studied and played football.
  During his illustrious military career and service, he was once 
offered a position in military intelligence, but declined because he 
believed that as a Black officer he would be used to spy on student 
demonstrators such as the Black Panther Party. He describes going to 
Panama for jungle training and becoming anemic due to taking required 
anti-malaria drug Primaquine, which reacted with his G6PD deficiency. 
Sent to Korea, he mentions assignment to headquarter Special Troops and 
processing military personnel with the 8th Army and touches on racial 
tension, infiltrators along the Demilitarized Zone, attitudes towards 
Republic of Korea soldiers, and estimates of military strength.
  After return to Wisconsin, he joined the 84th Division of the 
Reserve, while also working and going to school full time. He graduated 
from the Army War College, climbing the chain of command to Assistant 
Division Commander for Operations with the 98th Division. Cocroft 
examines the problem with minorities getting administrative discharges 
and then having great difficulty getting veteran benefits, and the 
unfairness of this compared to the amnesty offered to draft dodgers, 
who were mostly white. He reports that now the segregation problems are 
not racial, but gender-based, and he addresses the issues of 
fraternization and different standards for women. Cocroft emphasizes 
that the American people need to decide what they want from their 
military. He retired at the rank of Brigadier General.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that you and my distinguished colleagues join me 
and very grateful Nation in paying tribute and salute to Brigadier 
General (Ret.) Robert A. Cocroft.

                          ____________________