From a nominator:
Paul has been a resident of Berkeley since 1994. He realized the devastation of war during his deployment in the Marine Corps on the front lines in Viet Nam in 1969/70. After returning from Viet Nam, his life has been dedicated to serving veterans, which includes many years with Swords to Plowshares Veterans Rights Organization, Veterans For Peace, Viet Nam Agent Orange Relief & Responsibility Campaign, and the Veterans Healthcare Policy Institute. He has been on the board of Swords to Plowshares since 2005, which provides permanent supporting housing to 500 elderly and homeless veterans in the SF Bay Area, as well as legal assistance, mental health counseling, employment and training, and health and wellness services to both housed and unhoused veterans. He is active in his local chapter of Veterans For Peace as well as serving on national board working to abolish war and militarism, and provision of justice for all. He works with the Veterans Healthcare Policy Institute striving to prevent the privatization of the VA—our nation’s only comprehensive healthcare system. Lastly, as a member of the steering committee of the Viet Nam Agent Orange Relief and Responsibility Campaign (and Veterans For Peace), Paul is currently organizing the twelfth educational tour to Viet Nam in March 2026. Over the previous eleven tours, this effort has donated more than $325,000 to victims of the American War’s ongoing legacies—Agent Orange and unexploded ordnance. Paul’s lifetime dedication to serving veterans and peace deserves to be honored with the Chris Kindness Award.
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