U.S. Congresswoman Lois Capps Recognizes NVF Founder & President Shad Meshad’s 45-year Service to Veterans

U.S. Congresswoman Lois Capps (D-CA 24th District) formally recognized the National Veterans Foundation’s President and Founder Shad Meshad on November 14, 2016 to the United States Congress.

“Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor my dear friend and committed community advocate…for his forty four years of work advocating on behalf of America’s veterans,” said Congresswoman Capps.

Capp’s Congressional Record Statement acknowledged the now 45-year career of Meshad, one of the nation’s most prominent veteran counselors and advocates, beginning with his service in Vietnam as a Captain in the U.S. Army counseling soldiers in the field “suffering from a multitude of psychological and emotional problems resulting from their experiences in combat.”

The text of the full statement Congresswoman Capps read into the Congressional Record:

WASHINGTON. DC – MONDAY. NOVEMBER 14. 2016
Congressional Record
HON. LOIS CAPPS
OF CALIFORNIA
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Congressional Record Statement in Recognition of Floyd “Shad” Meshad

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor my dear friend and committed community advocate Floyd “Shad” Meshad for his forty four years of work advocating on behalf of America’s veterans.

Shad served as a Captain in the U.S. Army and as Medical Service Officer in the
Republic of South Vietnam. There, he counseled soldiers in the field who were suffering from a multitude of psychological and emotional problems resulting from their experiences in combat.

Upon his return to the States, he continued this work, dedicating himself to serving American veterans through counseling and pioneered treatment techniques for what would later become known as Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD. Shad’s accomplishments are a testament to his commitment to the wellness of veterans.

In 1971, Shad started the Vietnam Veterans Re-Socialization Unit, where he spent eight years helping veterans readjust to civilian life. And in 1978, Shad worked to develop and lobby for the National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Act, which launched an investigation of PTSD and other psychological issues experienced by some Vietnam veterans. The following year, he founded the Vet Center Outreach Program, which to this day provides readjustment counseling for veterans at more than 300 locations across the country.

NVF President & Founder Shad Meshad

About National Veterans Foundation

 Since 1985, the National Veterans Foundation has helped over 400,000 veterans and their families with crisis and information services through the nation’s first toll-free, vet-to-vet hotline for all U.S. veterans and their families, the Lifeline for Vets. NVF’s veteran counselors provide veterans and their families with information, counseling and service referrals for issues around suicide, VA benefits, mental health counseling, housing, medical services, education benefits, financial issues and more.

For more information about the National Veterans Foundation, visit www.nvf.org.

If you know a veteran who needs help, here’s our Lifeline for Vets number:  888.777.4443

About Congresswoman Lois Caps

 Congresswoman Lois Capps has been a resident of Santa Barbara, California since 1964 and represents the state’s beautiful Central Coast, which includes the entirety of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties, and a portion of Ventura County. She was sworn in as a Member of the 105th Congress on March 17, 1998, succeeding her late husband, former University of California, Santa Barbara professor, Congressman Walter H. Capps.

Rep. Capps is committed to helping people improve their daily lives through better schools, quality health care, and a cleaner environment.

Rep. Capps’ extensive healthcare background informs her work in Congress. She is a respected and effective leader in Congress, especially on issues related to public health. She has successfully spearheaded and passed legislation specifically to: address the national nursing shortage, detect and prevent domestic violence against women, curb underage drinking, improve mental health services, provide emergency defibrillators to local communities, improve research on pediatric rare diseases, support greater diversity in clinical trials for more effective treatments, bring CPR instruction to schools, identify and link newborns with hearing loss to services, strengthen Medicare coverage for patients suffering from Lou Gehrig’s disease, expand TRICARE health coverage for military mothers, and improve rental car safety to protect consumers.

Rep. Capps has also been at the forefront of efforts to protect the environment and promote clean energy and green technology. She has led efforts to prevent new oil and gas drilling off our coast and on the public’s lands, strengthen oil pipeline safety and spill response, protect consumers from shouldering the financial burden of cleaning up water pollution in their water supplies, and conserve wildlife and rare species native to the Central Coast. She has also authored laws to establish a national system for ocean monitoring, expand conservation efforts for our public lands and strengthen labeling standards for organic foods.

A complete list of her legislative accomplishments can be found here.