Posted on 04/18/2008 3:21:41 PM PDT by ButThreeLeftsDo
The U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs was in St. Paul Friday to open a vocational rehabilitation center for the Paralyzed Veterans of America.
Dr. James Peake says veterans coming home from combat with spinal cord injuries need more than just top medical care. He says they also need vocational training to help them get back into society.
Jesse Gonzales will be the first veterans to go through the center in St. Paul.
In 1976, at 17 years old, Jesse became a United States marine. He wanted to see the world.
"Okinawa, Japan and from there I went to Korea and from there I went to the Philippines," says Jesse.
Two years later, Jesse's own world changed. A gunshot to the back left him without the use of his legs. He was a paralyzed military veteran before his 20th birthday.
"You're young and you're a marine and you want to go, go, go and all of a sudden you're stopped right in your tracks," says Jesse.
Now, more than 30 years after the rehabilitation that made him strong again physically, Jesse is about to start another stage of rehab.
He'll soon take part in a new vocational training and counseling program designed specifically for paralyzed veterans.
The vocational rehab center will be housed at the VA Medical Center and is the second of its kind in the country. The first was launched in Virginia less than a year ago. More than a hundred paralyzed vets have been through the program there. It's a growing program because of a growing need.
While specific numbers vary, thousands of soldiers are returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with significant injuries. Many are paralyzed. Traditional rehabilitation has focused on healing physically. This goes beyond that.
"Once they're up and they're healthy, now you have to get them back into the workforce so they can take care of their families," says Maurice Jordan with the group Paralyzed Veterans of America.
The vocational training center is a place where veterans can get resources to enter the job market, be matched up with potential employers.
Jesse Gonzales will use the program to gain skills and tools to open his own small business, and perhaps inspire other veterans like him.
"Don't give up, that's the main thing don't ever give up," says Jesse.
According to Paralyzed Veterans of America, 85 percent of severely disabled veterans are unemployed.
The organization hopes this vocational training program decreases that number.
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