National
Service OfficerNational
Service Officer 
As any member of the
PVA knows, our National offices are always strapped for cash. There are too
many important programs to facilitate and too little money to do the things
for veterans that we know are essential. Since the PVA lives on donations alone
and we receive no government subsidies of any sort, there is a dearth of funds
for any kind of advertising to put our name and programs before the general
public. Many folks have no idea we exist or even an inkling of our purpose.
We resort to Public Service Announcements (PSAs) to keep people informed of
our work and the need for new initiatives to help returning veterans.
They are just what
they are called, announcements placed between commercials by television stations,
unpaid, but done as a ‘public service’.
Just completed is
a new PSA titled “Advocating for Our Heroes.” It depicts the story
of Army Specialist Lance Gieselmann who served in Iraq in 2003 when he was just
23 years old. Lance’s tank was destroyed by an improvised explosive device
(ied) several miles north of Baghdad. The explosion killed two other soldiers,
Lance was the only survivor. His injuries were critical, he was paralyzed from
the waist down with one leg gone. Lance will need medical care for the rest
of his life. PVA’s National Service Officer Anthony Steele worked with
Lance to navigate through the complicated, sometimes overwhelming process of
acquiring his military benefits to ensure that he will receive the care and
services he needs and truly deserves. This is but one example of the work of
a National Service Officer (NSO).
For more than 63 years PVA has been dedicated to helping those who have served
our country. Although started as an organization to help paralyzed veterans
and veterans with spinal cord injuries, our mandate has grown to include veterans
with traumatic brain disorders. We’ve also acquired working relationships
with M/S and ALS.
I ask you to help
us to help you by contacting the public service directors of your local television
stations. Ask them to play our PSAs. If they have not received them, give them
the phone number of the PVA manager of the PSA Campaign. Her name is Sheila
Skipper and her phone number is (202) 416-7654. Sheila will be happy to send
them the PSA in the media form they normally use.
And, if you belong to a club, a church group or some other organization you
feel would benefit from hearing Lance’s story, please feel free to tell
them of our work and ask if they’d like to view the PSA. Between the national
distribution and your assistance with local contacts, it may be possible to
educate the American public and raise their awareness of PVA’s mission
and the need for well-trained NSOs to aid our returning veterans.
Closer to home, if
you have questions about the PSAs, call the office. I’d say call me, but
I seem to be traveling a lot lately, so the office is a better bet.
Some of you know the
work we do, others who could use our help but do not know we exist will thank
you for enlightening them. Trust me, it’s true, what goes around does
come around.
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