Glimpses of Our History: Reflections from Paul F. McCleary

Reflections from Paul F. McCleary, executive director of Church World Service from 1975 to 1984, at the 60 th anniversary celebration of Church World Service, in Cleveland, Ohio, October 24, 2006.

I began my work at Church World Service on April 1, 1975.For those of you who may be changing jobs in the future let me recommend that you not start your first day on the job on April 1 st.

During the month of April 1975, the North Vietnamese Army began a major push and the ARVN forces began a month long retreat that led to the collapse of the South Vietnamese Government. By April 30, the Vietnam War was over.

Along with LWR and the MCC, CWS supported Vietnam Christian Service, which had a staff of 120 in South Vietnam. When the major offensive began, there was a massive exodus of refugees fleeing south, including our staff. Urgent messages when to Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and elsewhere that we would provide travel and assistance to any of our staff who reached there.

The events of April provoked serious reflection that would not have taken place otherwise. Our conclusions were:

there is a high potential for large unanticipated disasters causing unimaginable human suffering;
these disasters would, most likely, be man-made rather than of natural causes;
the origin of these disasters was in the geo-political global construct of two super-powers, each seeking the containment of the other through the Iron Curtain, the Berlin Wall, the DMZ, the Bamboo Curtain and the 38 th parallel.
This construct is entirely incompatible with our understanding of the Christian faith.

We live in one world under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. We have no enemy. We are one together in the human race and share a common humanity.

Our task would be to find ways to make that truth visible to all.

Within a year after the cessation of hostilities Vietnam was suffering from severe drought. There was a critical shortage of food. The end of the war brought an end to the massive food shipments the US had been making. China, once an ally of Vietnam became its opponent and curtailed all rice shipments. CWS, through CROP, made an appeal to wheat farmers in eight states in the mid-west to contribute wheat. Trains were organized to carry the wheat to Houston, Texas. The shipment became the first shipment to leave a US port for Vietnam when in years past 1,500 ships a year had been carrying supplies and munitions. We called on the Longshoremen’s Union to be sure they would load the wheat. They replied, “The war is over. If they are hungry, let’s feed them!”

A delegation of twenty from CWS were in Ho Chi Minh Village to watch the ship snake its way up the river to the harbor. Harvey Schmidt, a Mennonite farmer from Kansas and a contributor to the wheat shipment, came with us. He jumped into the hold and rubbed the wheat between his hands, broke open a kernel with his teeth and pronounced, “It’s good!” To avoid criticism we followed the wheat to the mill which had been swept clean awaiting our shipment. Bags had been provided for the flour, which we followed to the orphanages and hospitals where we ate French bread made from the wheat with the Vietnamese.

Meanwhile, Pol Pot was wreaking his havoc on Cambodia. He wished to return it to an agrarian society. By forced marches he cleared the cities and in the process killed all those who were educated. One of the means of identifying an educated person was if they wore glasses. In October 1979, CWS sent a delegation to Phnom Penh. The delegation returning saying we ought to send food aid immediately. The Communist Government would only allow international aid agencies to have two staff who had to stay in Phnom Penh. In January, 1980 I visited P.P. with other CWS staff. One came to stay. In an interview with the Prime Minister he reiterated that they would accept only two persons from a “capitalist” country. We argued with the prime minister that food aid, while helpful, would not restore food production which was essential to the recovery of Khmer society. He agreed but was unmoved. His country was occupied by Vietnam and he knew his limits. So, I said, “It is the passport that determines whether they are admitted or not.” He confirmed this. Shortly after returning to New York, I flew to Havana and met with the Ecumenical Council. It was to ask if they had within the membership of their churches persons who were engineers, hydrologists, veterinarians and drivers and mechanics for heavy equipment. If so, could they find 20 such persons? They readily agreed they could. But were not optimistic that such an endeavor would meet government approval for the persons to be released from their current jobs and to leave the country.

Together we visited the visited the Central Committee where our proposal met with warm support.

Back in the US, when CWS applied for a treasury license to pay the Cuban technicians and to ship heavy equipment to restore the irrigation systems and pharmaceutical supplies for a veterinarian program to cure water buffalo, we were turned down. The US, we were told, would allow emergency supplies to be sent but nothing that was nation-building or developmental.

In a matter of days I flew to Germany to meet with the five German church agencies. They agreed with the basic proposition. The personnel would be enrolled in Dienste en Uberse, a program for German volunteers. Brot Fur die Welt came forward with about $5 million to pay for and ship bulldozers, backloaders, dump trucks, repair parts and supplies for a maintenance facility. Later, they shipment an entire laboratory for veterinary medicine. The Cubans were the only foreigners allowed to travel freely throughout the country without prior clearance or guard. The program continued for many years.

The world in which we lived was one fragmented by geopolitical considerations. It was the root of great human suffering and dehumanization. We felt called to witness to the fact that we are inhabitants of one world and we share a common humanity with all peoples.

On the anniversaries that occurred during my time at CWS we had the surprise honor at one of having as our guest Mother Theresa. A call came from CRS that Mother Theresa was visiting them and had asked if she could come by to thank us for some support we had sent. It just happened that the anniversary dinner was to be the next night. She came to convey her thanks to all of the board. We kept in touch and a few years later I was in India visiting CASA and Major Michael. We made a side trip to visit Mother Theresa.

We waited in the patio of a small residence to see her. Shortly she came out with her hands raised in greeting. She said, “ What a great gift God has given you!” I was at a complete loss as to what she meant. What was the gift of which she speaking – was it serendipitous visit/ Was it the lovely weather? Was it our good health?

Then, she answered her own comment by saying, “He has given you the gift of the poor. Love them.”

As one from the previous generation let me say to you, the present generation: “What a great gift God has given to us we now pass on to you. He has given us - you the gift of the poor! Love them!

Paul F. McCleary
October 24, 2006

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