Blog

The Department of Administration bid a fond farewell this morning to Charlie Smith, longtime Director of the N.C. Division of Veterans Affairs, who is retiring after 40 years of service to the state.

A veteran who saw active duty in the Vietnam War, Charlie has dedicated his life to ensuring that North Carolina veterans receive the services they have earned, not to mention the grateful appreciation  of our state and nation.

Charlie’s service has spanned the administrations of eight North Carolina governors, each of whom has acknowledged the special role he played in providing quality services and leadership through District Offices serving all 100 counties. Gov. Bev Perdue, who described him as a “terrific friend and advisor,” surprised Charlie at his reception to express her appreciation.

“I have known Charlie for 20 years, and he has always asked what he can do to make things better for veterans,” said Perdue, who presented him with the Order of the Long Leaf Pine. “There is no greater way that we can recognize all of the people he has helped. Charlie is the epitome of someone who should receive this award.”

Several top military leaders sent their good wishes in writing, including Tammy Duckworth, Assistant Secretary at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, who Charlie called his “hero.”

“You are a treasure,” Duckworth wrote. “Your unwavering commitment to Veterans and their families is apparent to all and North Carolina Veterans have been truly lucky to have had you as one of their strongest advocates.”

Gen. Shinseki himself, who gave Charlie the Secretary Award’s in September 2009, wrote that Charlie’s “achievements on behalf of North Carolina Veterans … set a high standard for concerned and compassionate leadership.” 

Charlie also was surprised by a presentation from Rep. Grier Martin, a veteran and member of the Homeland Security, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee, who presented a Certificate of Appreciation of behalf of the General Assembly as well as a military challenge coin. 

Gen. Barry McCaffery, former US Director of National Drug Policy, stood with Charlie last August when they participated in the “Recovery Takes Flight” event at the Wilmington Treatment Center, a facility that focuses on the mental health needs of veterans. “I would once more like to thank you for the part you played in drawing attention to the need to veterans to seek and obtain help,” McCaffery wrote. “I was proud to work with you.”

Even Miss North Carolina, Adrienne Core, who made an appearance with Charlie and Gen. McCaffery in Wilmington – and reportedly charmed our retiree – send an autographed photo with her best wishes. On behalf of everyone at DOA, we also send our best wishes and sincere thanks.

I’m no TV critic, but I feel it is my duty – both as a veteran and as a North Carolina citizen dedicated to providing assistance to other veterans – to urge everyone to tune in at 8 p.m. tonight for UNC-TV’s compelling new documentary, World War II.

The two-hour program , which coincides with the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, really is must-see TV. It’s not just about the various fronts on which the war was waged by our young soldiers, though the stories you hear will stay with you. It’s also about what was going on at the same time back home in North Carolina – especially at our coast, where residents took on the deadly serious task of keeping watch for German submarines.

I was first contacted by UNC-TV about this project around four years ago. The Division of Veterans Affairs, our Commission and partners, have been actively involved in helping producers connect with North Carolina veterans who participated in specific conflicts, or had been present at what we now know to have been momentous turning points. I guarantee you’ll never forget the recollections of Jesse Oxendine who, as a young Lumbee soldier serving his country overseas, helped liberate victimized Jews from German concentration camps.

I was fortunate to see the program at a special premiere event last week, during which several of the featured service members were honored.  I had anticipated something like Ken Burns’ epic World War II series, which was as brutally graphic as it was thorough. I believe this outstanding UNC-TV production is even better in tying interviews to historical footage, such as the service member who had been on a ship in the Pacific that was targeted by Japanese kamikaze pilots.

I commend Tom Howe, director and general manager of UNC-TV, for the leadership needed to get this important documentary made, and I fully agree with his own statement that this is the best production they’ve ever accomplished.  I’d also like to thank Julia Carpenter, a former member of the UNC-TV Board of Trustees, and Rob Teer, current co-chair of the Board, for their significant contributions to this project.

Happy families across our state and nation are eagerly planning homecoming parties for service members whose combat mission in Iraq officially ended this week. But for many of those who served, the trauma they experienced will overshadow any sense of celebration.

It’s not easy to walk away from combat stress, and some of our best and bravest have found themselves in the previously unimaginable position of returning home with drug or alcohol addictions. They need and deserve our support, but the unfortunate stigma of needing mental health services still lingers in the military, causing countless service members to suffer in silence.

I was proud to join Gen. Barry McCaffrey, the former U.S. Director of National Drug Control Policy, when he launched “National Recovery Month” on Wednesday at the Wilmington Treatment Center. Staffed by highly dedicated professionals and hailed as a national model, the center specializes in providing counseling to men and women in service and post-service, as well as their families.

On behalf of all North Carolina veterans and service members, I am proud to acknowledge Gen. McCaffrey’s role in recognizing their needs through his efforts to both improve and increase access to meaningful treatment options. Truly a “Soldier’s General,” he has taken this issue to heart and inspired all who attended to embrace the challenge to do more for those who have sacrificed so much to ensure our freedoms.

In Fayetteville on Thursday, August 27, 2010 a statue was unveiled for one of North Carolina’s most respected public servants. Those associated with the military have heard of General Shelton, for those who have not you will be surprised what a small town boy from Tarboro accomplished over a lifetime. General Shelton spent 38 years in a variety of command and staff positions in the United States and Vietnam. He moved up over that career to become the 14th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and served two terms.

General Shelton has been decorated by 16 foreign governments and, in 2001, was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II. The statue dedication was attended by dignitaries from Fayetteville and way beyond the borders of North Carolina. Ross Perot spoke highly of his longtime friend for his service and for protecting the freedoms we hold dear.

Governor Perdue stated, “North Carolina is proud to be the home of General Shelton. He served our state and nation with honor and distinction in two wars and was awarded many honors for his valor. General Shelton has earned the admiration of comrades, as well as the citizens whose freedom he protected as a member of the United States Army.”

General Shelton’s statue is now on display at the Airborne and Special Operations Museum in Fayetteville, NC.

The best rank a general can earn is four stars, but the State Nursing Home in Fayetteville is now the proud owner of a perfect five-star review from Medicare.gov.

The 150-bed facility, which has been serving North Carolina veterans since 1999, has steadily improved its rank from three to four and now five stars since the ratings system was introduced about two and a half years ago. It reflects a deficiency-free inspection conducted in March that examined such indicators as health inspections; ratio of nursing staff to residents; quality measures including aspects of residents’ health, physical functioning, mental status and general well being; and meeting fire and life safety requirements.

We are grateful for this recognition and proud of our staff, which works so hard to help our veterans live safe, healthy and meaningful lives.

Gov. Bev Perdue handed the Marines a letter on June 15th intended for General James Conway supporting the Air Base in Havelock to bring in 11 F-35B Lightning Two Strike Fighter Jets within the next decade.

Residents from all over Eastern North Carolina were able to see Lockheed Martin's new Strike Fighter Jets on display Tuesday night inside the Havelock Tourist and Event Center. The public hearing on the Navy's basing options for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter was the first of five hearings on where to base 13 squadrons of aircraft planned to replace all Marine Corps legacy jets.

Governor Perdue took time during the public hearing to visit with over 200 attendees and many of the 7 different stations throughout the open house format that explained different aspects of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement.

Under the Navy’s preferred plan, Cherry Point would receive eight squadrons of the jets, resulting in a net gain of planes and personnel on the base. Governor Perdue stated during the public hearing that, “All of us have a vested interest in the military in this county and this country.”

Yesterday, I had the privilege and honor of representing Gov. Perdue and the people of the most military friendly State in the America at a ceremony at the Pentagon celebrating the naming of Fort Bragg as the 2010 Gold Medal Winner of the Army Chief of Staff’s Communities of Excellence Award.

Fort Bragg Senior Commander Lt. Gen. Frank Helmick and Garrison Commander Col. Steve Sicinski accepted the award, which was presented by Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey and Assistant Chief of Staff for Installation Management Lt. Gen. Rick Lynch.  Accompanying the award trophy was a check for $1 million to support ongoing multibillion-dollar improvements at the base.

The ceremony was attended by a strong contingent of local community leaders who made the trip to commemorate the recognition of their vision of “America’s premier military community, emulating the spirit of the Fort Bragg Soldier.”   It was a pleasure to join all of them and Congressman Mike McIntyre of the U.S. House Armed Services Subcommittees on Air and Land Forces, and Terrorism and Unconventional Threats to celebrate this prestigious award.

Among the Tar Heel patriots who took the time to travel for the ceremony were Lee Warren, Cumberland County Register of Deeds and former County Commission Chair; Ronnie and Sharon Matthews of Family Foods, Inc.; Tommy Bolton of CASA-NC; Joy Thrash of the North Carolina Defense Business Association; Tom Costello of the Military Affairs Council; Dan Dederick of the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce; W.C. Powers of Powers-Swain Chevrolet; Karen Long of the Crown Coliseum Complex; John Tart of Master Tow Manufacturing; George Breece of the National Association of Amputee Orthotics and Prosthetics; and Graham Moore of Barnhill Contractors.

As the world knows when our President dials 911, the phone rings at Fort Bragg.   The factors that led to Bragg’s selection as the top awardee at the ceremony, of all Army installations worldwide, include its role as the premier no-notice power projection platform for the service, its strategic planning and business process improvement focus, sustainable community and quality of life initiatives, and family support programs second to none.

Since 1990, Fort Bragg leads the Army as a winner or finalist for the Communities of Excellence Award.  This tradition of leadership is clearly going strong as the base prepares for historic growth as the recent round of BRAC and Grow the Force initiatives play out.  With over 10,000 additional soldiers and many more civilians coming by 2013 to expand the bases missions, including the Army’s Forces Command and Reserve Command, it is clear that the Bragg Community of Excellence will remain in the forefront.  Our State and local communities remain committed to maintaining the support and investments necessary to keep Fort Bragg ready and able to fulfill all its vital assignments on behalf of our nation.

Today, Fort Bragg will represent the Army at the Commander In Chief’s Installations of Excellence ceremony, celebrating the accomplishments of the all-volunteer force of men and women across all the military services.

As Lt. Gen. Helmick said in accepting the Gold Award on behalf of Fort Bragg, “All The Way!”

They say that things tend to lose steam when they turn 65. But like a fine wine, the N.C. Division of Veterans Affairs (NCDVA) just gets better with age.

We marked our 65th anniversary on March 17, but we did so without fanfare. We’ve been too busy assisting an ever-growing population of North Carolina veterans, whose service to our nation is recognized daily by our accredited field representatives.

NCDVA has, of course, undergone much change since it was created in 1945 as the Veterans Affairs Commission by Gov. Robert Cherry, a veteran of World War I. The Commission was broadly supported by the governor and our legislators – many of whom returned from the Great War to find little formal support for their return to civilian life.

In 1958, the Commission became the Department of Veterans Affairs. In 1971, amid a reorganization of state agencies, it became a cabinet agency known as the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. Six years later, it was reassigned as the Division of Veterans Affairs under the Department of Administration, where it remains today.

I joined the agency in 1971 as a field representative in Kinston, eventually moving in 1988 as Assistant Director to offices in the old Heart of Raleigh Motel – oddly enough, the same place I bunked 20 years before when I reported to the state capital for my U.S. Army enlistment physical exam.

The majority of our staff has seen active service, or has a spouse who has. No matter our age, we remain dedicated to the same essential cause that inspired our establishment 65 years ago:  assisting in the economic, health and well-being of our veterans. These people need and deserve our help, and we’re proud to be their advocate.

Gov. Robert Cherry (seated) is joined by Lt. Col. Wiley Pickens (standing, in light suit), first Director of the Veterans Affairs Commission, and other leaders in his office at the State Capitol in 1945.

It was a chilly morning in Fayetteville on Friday when I joined a host of volunteers to kick off the building of a home for a soldier who was severely injured in Iraq. This “Build Brigade” and the entire project was organized by Homes for Our Troops a national non-profit group that has now completed 48 homes – all through the generous support of sponsors, donors, and volunteers.

The house in Fayetteville will be home to SSG Maurice Craft and his two young daughters. In 2003, Craft lost both his legs when an IED exploded nearby. His new home was designed to be fully accessible and will provide a comfortable and safe home for this brave young man.

By the end of the day, plans were to get the walls up, doors and windows installed and even shingles on the roof! The team swarming the site included other vets, a professional crew from Greensboro, a contingent of soldiers from the 82nd Airborne, and the father of another injured North Carolina serviceman who had received a house through the program. While the air was indeed cold, it was the warm feelings we all had about working on such a worthy project that I’ll most remember.