For over 50 years, NVF Founder and President Shad Meshad has worked as a therapist for Veterans and an advocate for Veterans’ rights.
The Early Journey
Shad Meshad is the founder and President of the National Veterans Foundation. He began advocating for veterans in 1972 after returning from the Vietnam War, where he served as a psych officer.
This marked the first time the US Army had deployed mental health teams to a combat zone.
Establishing Vet Centers Nationwide
Shad co-authored the VA’s Vet Center Program and trained the first counselors.
His groundbreaking vet-to-vet counseling model, initially developed on the streets of LA, is now adopted by 300 Vet Centers across the nation.
Pioneering the Lifeline for Vets
The NVF’s toll-free Lifeline for Vets, an initiative led by Shad, was the first crisis and information hotline of its kind in the US.
Available to all veterans, their families, and loved ones, it continues to provide essential support.
Recognition of PTSD and Veterans' Legal Advocacy
Instrumental in advocating for PTSD to be recognized as a diagnosable condition in the DSM, Shad introduced PTSD into the courtroom as background information for veteran defendants.
International Outreach and Support
In the 80s, Shad was sent twice to Russia to counsel veterans from their war in Afghanistan. Later, he arranged for Russian veterans to receive medical services, including prosthetics, in LA.
Response to National Crisis
Following the tragic events of September 11, 2001, the government recruited Shad to train the critical incident and trauma teams at Ground Zero.
Ongoing Advocacy and Peer Training
Alongside his wife Melinda, Shad continues to train veteran peer-to-peer counselors for the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health’s VPAN Network.
Veterans Hall of Fame Honoring Shad's Achievements
In 2023, Shad was nominated for the Nation’s Finest 50 veteran advocates and will be inducted into the Veterans Hall of Fame on November 4, 2023.
A Riveting Chronicle of Service
Shad's book, Captain for Dark Mornings, provides an authentic account of his service as a psych officer in Vietnam.
Now available in a second edition and audio format, it vividly portrays the chaos of war and the challenging return home for veterans.
Five Decades of Dedication
Shad has been working tirelessly "in the field" as a mental health officer for over 52 years, handling crisis calls from combat zones during the Iraq and Afghanistan war.
His personal cell number, a symbol of his dedication, has been shared from hand to hand among those in need.
Milestones: Shad Meshad's Decades Long Journey of Veteran Advocacy
1970 – On graduating from FSU, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and served as a psych officer in Vietnam.
1971 – Tasked with finding out why vets were not using the VA, he took to the streets of greater Los Angeles, its canyons and beaches, wherever vets congregated.
1971-2 Meshad founded and directed the Vietnam Veterans Re-Socialization Unit at the VA Hospital in Los Angeles, California. It was the first program of its kind, focusing on the readjustment problems of Vietnam veterans.
1972 – on Meshad was among the first to study the disorder now known as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD.
In 1977-78, he worked to develop and lobby for the National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Bill.
1979 - He co-authored the Vet Center Program which now serves veterans in more than 300 locations across the country, offering community-based counseling for veterans suffering from PTSD and/or transitioning back into civilian life.
1981 - Meshad was nominated for the first Olin Teague Medal of Service Award.
1982 - Captain for Dark Mornings, a memoir of his experiences as a psych officer in Vietnam, was published (newly edited and re-published in 2023).
1985 - he founded the Vietnam Veterans Aid Foundation, later renamed the National Veterans Foundation to include all Veterans. The NVF’s Lifeline for Vets was the first national toll-free hotline for veterans and has served over 500,000 veterans and their families.
1986 - NVF operates a Street Outreach program for homeless vets in the Los Angeles area and supports other veteran service agencies with pass-through donations.
1988 - Meshad was sent to Russia to help counsel Russian veterans returned from their war in Afghanistan. He returned to Russia a second time and later hosted Russian vets in Los Angeles, arranging for medical care and services for them.
2001 - In the wake of the catastrophic events of September 11, 2001, Meshad was called helped train the critical incident and trauma teams at Ground Zero.
2006 – 2012 Huffington Post publishes Shad’s blog on veterans issues.
2014 - NVF sponsored both the first and the new revised guide for legal professionals defending the combat veteran in court (The Attorney’s Guide to Defending Veterans in Criminal Court).
2022 – Selected to train Veterans Peer-to-Peer Network counselors in trauma-informed counseling for the LA County Department of Mental Health.
2023 – Nominated for the Nation’s Fifty Finest for work with veterans.
2023 - Inducted into the Veterans Hall of Fame in November 2023.
In addition, he has served as faculty, International Critical Incident Foundation; President and Board Member of the Association of Traumatic Stress Specialists; and on the Green Cross Project’s Board of Directors. of the. Through Quantum Performance Institute, a firm he established in 2001, Meshad consulted and taught stress reduction and anger management techniques to mental health, law enforcement, and critical incident professionals.
For six years, Shad’s regular blog at the Huffington Post addressed the issues returning Vets face, while raising overall awareness of Veterans’ concerns.
Dive into the Unsung Struggles of Vietnam Veterans
Discover their mental battles in this compelling book. Gain a deeper understanding and honor their hidden heroism.
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100% of the proceeds go to the National Veterans Foundation.