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Vet Center Ambushed: Files Seized, Meetings Wired

By Don Reed, Tom Ashby, David Curry, John Matthews

On February 12, 1982, the Mobile Vet Center had an opening. Simultaneously, combined elements of federal (US Attorney's Office), VA Inspector General (DEA), state (Alabama Bureau of Investigation), and local government entered the Vet Center.

Sam Kaiser of the D.V.O.P. asked if any of the members of the combined operation task force had any form of warrant allowing their activity. There was no warrant obtained for 3 to 5 hours. Client files were removed and later inspected for months. Records from Alabama Veterans Services state that corporate offices were removed and the office was sealed.

Approximately one hour after the Mobile opening ceremonies were completed, a phone call was placed to Tom Ashby and Don Reed, who, after hearing what was happening from their staff, requested to speak to Mr Joe McClean, U.S. Attorney's Office. He read the two vets their rights and informed them that they are their entire operation were under investigation for trafficking in controlled substances and falsification of government records. He also stated that since they had reason to believe that the vets would destroy said records, he was confiscating them. He stated that Dr David Curry, Mobile team leader, was involved. Within 48 hours, seven of the eight Vet Center team members had been involuntarily placed on administrative leave. As a result of the questioning by various investigators with dozens of people connected with the Alabama Veterans Services (AVS) and the Vet Center programs, suspension notices began appearing for certain employees. Some suspension notices were accompanied by a statement from Mr Grady Gibson, Alabama Bureau of Investigation (ABI) alleging that on November 11th, 1981, Veterans Day, he had seen various members of AVS, the Vet Centers and others smoke some marijuana.

A recap of the AVS/Vet Center activities on Vets Day reveals that both staffs worked diligently preparing for a long news conference late in the morning with Alabama governor fob James who declared that day to be Vietnam Veterans Day. An open house was held in the afternoon and phone banks were manned in conjunction with the Red Cross that night to answer statewide response to the televised showing of "Frank: A Vietnam Veteran."

The currently suspended Vet Center staff and numerous AVS members all worked fourteen to sixteen hours that day without pay. Many Vietnam vets were contacted and helped that day, to include over 150 phone calls that night.

Further information revealed that for over two years agent provocateurs had clandestinely and systematically been sent into the Vet Center posing as veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorders. These people were wired for sound recording on at least some occasions.

Our analysis of the situation is that the spirit and intent of Public Law 96-22 (which set up the Vets Centers) has been clearly violated. Vietnam vets, nationally, have no guarantee that their groups meetings are not being taped by government agents and that their confidential Vet Center and association community based organizational files will not be confiscated and inspected. This coordinated attack threatens not only the two Vet Centers in Alabama and the regional office in Atlanta, but all Vet Centers and their clients everywhere.

Now that the Vietnam veterans' leadership has been removed, the bureaucrats have moved into the Alabama Vets Centers and have destroyed the positive image we were building for Vietnam veterans. They have closed the Alabama Veterans Services state office, dismantled our employment program and taken VVA, NACV, and VVAW files. Their approach to operating our program is poor. For instance, the "Fee for Services" monies, for which we have all fought, will soon be squandered through poor design. Their recruitment and training approach are out of phase with the past successful models. Having physically dismantled the Birmingham Vet Center and AVS and publicly attacked them, the VA and the investigative arms of the executive branch of our government have insured that Alabama Vietnam-era veterans have gotten their message: you shall gather together neither for therapy nor as an organization.

We in Alabama have provided the nucleus and leadership for the Southeaster portion of the Vietnam veterans movement for a decade. For the last two years we have been "investigated" by various agencies of various levels of our government. There may have been "improprieties" by connected individuals. This would not surprise us—our truth and our survival have stemmed from the fact that our consciousness has necessarily preceded social understanding and change. We certainly have not survived the system by imitating it.

Regardless of any individual charges that may come from this, we and our program are what we are purported to be. We may not have been the government's favorite program and/or employees but we were damned successful with those we served.

Our reputations for helping Vietnam veterans all preceded this program. Now, simultaneously as a group and as individuals, we are under assault as is the order of our business for all of these years.

The stress levels of many here in Alabama has been high for weeks now, but the Vet Center directorship has refused to respond to our needs either as employees or Vietnam veterans. The mental/emotional stress of surviving such an ambush is demanding and depleting. Many have become casualties to this attack. Two team leaders, Don Reed and Dr David Curry, and two counselors, Tom Ashby and John Matthews are apparently the primary targets. Of these wounded, John Matthews is critical. John has proven to be an excellent counselor, and like many Vietnam-era veterans has had related problems. John was hit immediately, fainting when his proposed suspension notice was served on him. He required three weeks of inpatient psychiatric care and is currently under medication. During the process of John's emotional destruction, the VA took the opportunity to shoot a wounded man—they fired him for not cooperating. We are pinned down and in immediate need of support.

Sincerely,
The Alabama Four
Don Reed
Tom Ashby
David Curry
John Matthews