THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, January 18, 1997 TAG: 9701180371
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: LIZ SZABO, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE LENGTH: 74 lines
George Duggins was driving his car in 1985 when he heard a radio announcement about a meeting for veterans of the Vietnam War. He turned his car around, drove to the meeting and became a member of the Vietnam Veterans of America.
Before that night, Duggins had not been able to discuss his Vietnam experience. His wife of 15 years didn't even know he was a veteran.
After years of refusing to talk about the war, Duggins now devotes much of his time to Vietnam veterans and their families.
The Chesapeake resident became president of the Vietnam Veterans of America this week. Duggins, a native of Norfolk, is the first African-American and the first enlisted man to head the Washington, D.C.-based organization.
America took too long to properly recognize Vietnam veterans, Duggins said Friday. His job now, he said, is to make sure veterans' needs are not forgotten once more.
Duggins has served on the organization's national board of directors for nine years and as vice president since 1995. He joined the U.S. Army in 1965 and served in Vietnam from 1966 to 1969.
Duggins will spend the rest of the week in Washington attending President Clinton's inauguration.
If he gets five minutes alone with the president, he will ask that veterans' benefits not be cut from the budget.
As the Vietnam generation ages, Duggins said, health care will become even more important for them. His work at Options Health Care in Norfolk, where he is a computer support specialist, has shown Duggins the importance of health coverage, he said.
Although many veterans have criticized Clinton, who did not serve in Vietnam, Duggins praises Clinton's efforts on behalf of Vietnam veterans.
Clinton supported legislation providing VA benefits for Vietnam veterans with prostate cancer, which has been linked to exposure to Agent Orange, a chemical defoliant used in Vietnam, Duggins said. Clinton supported extending VA benefits to Vietnam veterans whose children have spina bifida, also linked to Agent Orange exposure, Duggins said. He added that the president also has supported allowing Persian Gulf War veterans more time to file claims related to gulf war syndrome.
``Believe it or not, Clinton has been very good to vets,'' Duggins said. ``I don't know if it's a guilt complex or what, but I love it.''
Duggins' other top priority as president of Vietnam Veterans of America will be to alleviate homelessness among veterans. Approximately 35 percent of the homeless are veterans, he said.
``There's no reason why a guy who served his country should be sleeping in a doorway,'' said Duggins, who proposes using closed military bases to house homeless veterans.
Duggins hopes to recruit more minorities into Vietnam Veterans of America. African-Americans made up 25 percent of those serving in Vietnam, but comprise only 1 percent of the group's 50,000 members, he said.
Duggins' only physical scar from Vietnam is a faint mark on one hand, caused by a piece of shrapnel. But memories of the war gave him nightmares for years, he said.
``I used to wake up in the middle of the night shouting `Incoming!' and my wife had no idea what I was saying,'' Duggins said. He still avoids attending fireworks displays.
``The sound that's made when they shoot the fireworks out of the tube sounds just like a mortar fire,'' Duggins said.
Duggins returned to Vietnam last year as part of a presidential delegation to gather information about Americans still missing in action. But when his tour bus stopped near a rice paddy, Duggins said, he was struck with fear.
``I couldn't get out of that bus,'' Duggins said. ``For me, I was right back in 1968.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo by MORT FRYMAN/The Virginian-Pilot
George Duggins is the first African-American, and the first enlisted
man, to head the Vietnam Veterans of America.
KEYWORDS: VIETNAM VETERANS OF AMERICA