Alter visiting the facilities of The Charlotte Post these
jttotHyi««hod visitors of the Lotheran Church, North
Caroltea Synod stopped tar a moment to take a picture.
They are from I. to r. (float row) Rev. Boyce
Whlteae*. Regional Director of the Divisioa for
Missioa-North America and Rev. Mark Menees,
Assistant to the Bishop-Minister for Leadership; (back
row) Bishop Michael McDaniel. Head of the Lutheran
Church. North Carolina Synod, Rev. Richard Perry.
Director of Inclusive Ministry and Rev. Richard Little,
Assistant to the Bishop,Minister for Church in Society.
(Picture by Loretta Manago)
Battle Continues For Vietnam Vets
By Loretta Manago
Peat Staff Writer
la an article written last week, two
black Vietnam veterans, John
Richardson and Norman Mitchell,
shared their feelings; thoughts, and
opinions on the Vietnam conflict.
lUs wedk Beverly Higgins of The
Vet Center discusses some of, the
. pwWema of the Vietnam veteran
and the uniqueness of the war.
To better understand the trauma
and th* stress that the Vietnam
veteran has gone throi^h and
continues to go through since the end
of the Vietnam conflict, it is
- important to understand how the
Vietnam war was so very different
from previous wars America has
engaged in.
“This'was the first guerrilla war
America had ever fought. And for
the combatant, there was no defined
enemy. Everybody was the enemy,”
started Beverly Higgins, office
manager-counselor at the Vet
Center. Ms. Higgins explained that
—JMapuee the enemy was so hard to
distinguish, because a North Viet
namese could be a friend at day and
the enemy by night and because
women and children were uaed to
further the gains of the Vtocong, the
soldier was never sure whom to
trust.
MM with
3 H
I Mde^Sthsns^astffficult to am
where your enemy was. Situations
like these always kept the soldier on
the edge,” strewed Ms. Higgins.
“In other wars there was always a
Croat line, but in the Vietnam
conflict, there was no frontline;
anybody was subject to Attack.
There was neVer a feeling of
safety," commented Ms. Higgins.
The Vietnam conflict has often
been called America’s first teenage
war. That label in itaetf distingui
♦ shea Vietnam from ether wars.
According to Ms. Higgins, the
. average age of the oombataat
£ veteran was 19. This was the
r youngest-sge group of soliders ever
i involved in a war. And instead of
going through the normal
. postadolescent transitions, the
4 EsffiSfpS'''^.
i A clearly defined length of duty
| acted as both hindrance and
somewhat advantage in separating
ft the Vietnam war front the rest The
Vietnam war was the first war that
tried the rotated tour. Soldiers who
’ went to Vietnam knew that in a
year’s time they would return to the
States. What this did was to result la
the lowest statistics for battlefield
psychological breakdown: "Most
combatants felt that they could
endure Cor the twelve months of
duty. And many did, which
explained the low psychological stat
ftstics ”
Whereas toe definite time of tour
dM much to help the combatant
endure the hardships of the
conflict, -41 denied those same
soldiers thhfroop morale and unity
that existed iaothar wan. For many
mkbwi ine war waa a vary private
and individualistic battle, with few
$ erne friends, v .
an other
•n e(*f
. He wee
band* or
ther with
wfce fait
hed their
t»r£S
a- ft Im
Hag with
ndittao
Second in aeries
counseling at the Disabled
American Veterans Association.
Recognizing the need for counseling
assistance for the Vietnam veteran,
the DAV in 1979 was instrumental in
getting the Vet Center mandated
through Congress. Today, there are
200 Vet Centers across the country.
The Vet Center in Charlotte
opened in 1962 and is located at 1523
Elizabeth Avenue. Counselor
Beverly Higgins noted that out of the
40,000 veterans listed in
Mecklenburg County, 2,000 have
sought the services of the Vet
Center. Ms. Higgins also stated that
the Vet Center is open to all
veterans, but was initially set up to
counsel the Vietnam veteran.
“What we really try to get across
to our clients is that they are not
crazy,” remarked Ms. Higgins.
Many of the Vietnam veterans suffer
from post-traumatic stress
disorders and according to her, the
stress that these veterans feel is a
normal reaction that is also the
same type of stress that victims of
airplane crashes, earthquakes,
rape, etc, undergo.
“The problems that I see from
most of our clients is that they
haven’t been able to put Vietnam
' tnftMttMi. Skffli that they learned
U> help protect them while they were
at war, some vets are still using in
i
their everyday life,” commented
Ms. Higgins. For example, while a
veteran was in Vietnam he was
taught to not get close to people. In
the event of their death, a real
closeness was thought to endanger
the life of the Veteran. But once the
war was over, some veterans
continued to remain distant.
“They were taught to be
emotionally distant, but now they
need to learn to share themselves
and to trust others,” voiced Ms.
Higgins.
Another proolem Ms. Higgins
cited was that of a veteran’s acute
awareness of his surroundings.
“I’ve seen some combatants who
would immediately hit the floor if
they heard a loud noise, others
constantly check their premises
before turning in at night and still
others may sleep with a gun,”
recalled Ms. Higgins.
At the Vet Center, veterans can
get all types of counseling-job,
individual, family, group, drug,
marital and interpersonal skills. “If
we don’t have the answer, we’ll find
the resources,” stressed Ms.
Higgins. The center is open Monday
through Friday from 8 a m. to 5 p.m.
"What we try to do here is to find
alternative ways of dealing with the
negative feelings that the veteran
may feel. The problem is not
Vietnam, but the way that they deal
with their feelings,” surmised Ms.
Higgins.
:: •-■ ■ . • ->*i
A4«le Bradshaw Bayd. currently residing ta Huntersville Hospital, was
ISS-years-oM on Janaary 27, IMS. Ta help her celebrate reaching this
plataaa la her Itfe were her sister. Mrs. Janie Jackson, of Lao Angeles;
her alacas. MrvOHle BeH WUkbM, of Bait!more and Mrs. Eton Shannon.
to bring to Mrs. Bayd messages of lave and best wishes on thfa
mom sat ana occasion.
USE YOUR NEWSPAPER
&<i(Sfr
FOOD SECTION
HELP TO
9Atfv-'fer:
EXTRA CENTS FOR
i. ‘■tf--wjfirP'4'Wii
i riiraduional Female Occupations ,
Area Women Breaking Down Bankn
By AUDREY C. LODATO
Post Staff Writer
Several weeks ago in Tbs Post,
reporter Loretta Manago wrote
about several men in untraditional
occupations. Women, too, are break
ing down barriers and are entering
occupations ooce solely the domain
of males. Constriction and
firefighting are two such areas.
Traci Morris has been with the
Charlotte Fire Department since
last August. "I like helping people
and I couldn’t see myself aitung
behind a desk,” she explained about
her decision to apply for the Job. Ap
plicants must pass a variety of tests,
including such physical activities as
pulling hoses and using sledge ham
mers. She passed on the first try.
“You have to have a lot of en
durance," Morris asserted.
Although slight in appearance, the
firefighter is used to strenuous worir
and outdoor activity. Previous
employment included positions as
sheet rock hanger, security guard,
and laborer with the Parka and
Recreation Department, where she
worked with only men for three
years. She also plays softball and
has been active in rodeos since age
five.
Morris remarked that she has not
encountered any difficulties being
accepted as a woman in a male
dominated field. “They treat me like
one of the guys, yet they have
respect for me,” she commented. As
a new recruit, she was the object of
practical Jokes, but, she noted,
“every new recruit gets something.
It’s all in fun.”
Roblna Pittman and Cher Dodds
are two other women who work
where many other females fear to
tread. Both are employed by Rea
Construction in Charlotte. Pittman
has been with the company for five
years; Dodds, about three. What
made these women decide to go for
Jobs where very few female faces
are seen?
Recalled Pittman, who is now a
tandem roller operator (an asphalt
roller), “1 wasn’t working at the
time and my brother said they (Rea
Construction) were going to hire
some women. I thought it was a Joke,
but he brought me an application
and I filled it out.” Even when her
brother told her to be ready to go in
with him on a Monday morning, she
didn’t take him seriously. “I still
thought It was a Joke ’til they put me
on the road with a flag and a vest."
Pittman started as a flag person.
There were already some women
working for the company, she re
counted.
Dodds, also a roller operator in a
Traci Morris
..Fire Fighter
paving crew, had previous construc
tion experience before going to work
for Rea. Her first taste of construc
tion work came in Nebraska when
she was working for a restaurant.
The owner had hired some men to
demolish an adjacent building so he
could expand his business, but com
plained about their work. Dodds and
another woman challenged the
demolition crew. “They got fired,”
she laughed, “and we stayed on.”
Dobbs also drove a dump truck dur
ing construction at Epcot In Disney
World. “They asked me If I could
and I said ‘yes.’ I’ve never said
‘no,’ ” she related.
Trying new things and accepting
challenges are attributes women in
untraditional occupations seem to
have in common. Pittman told how
she advanced from flag person to
roller operator. “My brother was a
roller, so I got up with him one day
and asked him to show; me how to
operate it. The superintendent saw
and asked if I'd like to try to run
one.” She declined at first but even
tually trained with her brother.
"After about two weeks, the
foreman asked if I was ready to
solo,” she related, adding, “At first I
didn’t know how to drive a straight
drive, but I learned! ”
Declared Dodds, “I enjoy living on
the challenging side of life. Not
many people challenge me. I’ve
never had much respect for a
Older Americans EKgiHfi
For Certain Tax BeneP^ii
GREENSBORO — North
Carolina’s population of older
Americana is approaching the one
million mark, according to the latest
count. These citizens are eligible for
certain Federal income tax breaks,
the Internal Revenue Service says.
Single persons 65 or older do not
have to file a Federal tax return if
their income was less than *4,300 in
1964. For a married couple filing
Jointly the limit is *6,400 when only
one spouse is 65 or older and the
limit rises to *7,400 if both are over
65.
Another break is the double per
sonal exemption of *2,000 for one
person and *4,000 for two persons if
both are over 65, the IRS said.
Another special benefit is the Tax
Credit for the Elderly and Per
manently Disabled. This credit’ can
in some cases reduce taxes due by as
much as *750 for single persons and
*1,125 for married persons filing
jointly. For 1964, individuals under
65 will be eligible for this tax break
only if they retire with total and per
manent disability and have income
from a public or private employer
because of that disability.
Persons over 55 are included in the
once-in-a-lifetime exclusion of
$125,000 on the gain on the sale of
their principal residence. In other
words, any profit of up to $125,000
would not be taxable.
Taxpayers needing assistance
with the preparation of their returns
can turn to the Tax Counseling for
the Elderly (TCE), an IRS program
through which local community
groups provide free information and
assistance to individuals age 60 or
older. Contact 1-800-424-1040, toll
free, for the nearest site.
Hack History Month
The Uptown YWCA will kick off
Black History month with a week
long art exhibit featuring original
and reproductions by local and
southeastern artists. The exhibition
will run from Feb. 1-8.
In addition, a film entitled
“Contemporary History of Afro
American Art in the Southeast,” will
be shown on Feb. 1, at 7.30 p.m. This
presentation will be made by local
artist T. J. Reddy. For more details
contact Terry Hogan at 333-7553.
woman who waa too painted, too
pretty, too delicate. If you dropped a
bomb on her, what would ahe do?”.
She liked the surprised looks ahe got
in times past when ahe drove up in a
truck. Then, when she would unload
it, “that really surprised them.”
Both Morria and Pittman told of
supportive family and friends. Pitt
man, who haa three children now
ages seven, nine, and eleven,
gotten a lot of help from her
with regard to running the honor hold
and caring for the children. Morria
revealed that, although ahe did get
some kidding, moot people close to
her were encouraging.
Although Pittman felt some har
rassment at first, she reported,
“That has never been a problem for
me. I can handle myself.” The
general experience of the three
women, however, haa been one of ac
ceptance. "I feel like the guys
always treated me fair because I
didn’t pull any punches frofh square
one,” stated Dodds. She probably
summed up the feelings of the ethers
when she said, “They don’t m«kf it
hard to be a woman in a man’s
world. They make me feel like a
million. They're telling me, *Go for
it'* ”
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