Peer Support Specialist and Vietnam Veteran Aims to Right the Wrongs of the Past

Carl Vinson VA Medical Center Peer Support Specialist Johnny Payne served with the U.S. Army in B. company 1st battalion 7th Cavalry from 1969 to 1971 and spent a year in Vietnam. During his time serving abroad, Payne was awarded the Bronze Star, Air Medal for valor, Combat Infantry Badge, and the campaign medals of that combat theater.

Then, after doing everything his country asked him to accomplish while putting his life on the line on a regular basis—he returned home to a rude awakening—a “home” that opposed the Vietnam War and villainized U.S. troops and recent Veterans. Veterans like Payne who vividly recall being labeled a “baby killer” and other heinous names that pierced his heart and fractured his soul. Veterans, for the most part, are a proud bunch of people and yet Payne found himself dodging questions about where he had been from members of his community who wondered where he went for a couple years.

Payne took it upon himself to change that narrative and served as the Chairperson for the Vietnam Moving Wall Committee for a year starting August 1974. The wall, a replica of the monument in Washington D.C., was on display at Dublin VA for four and a half days drawing in approximately 15,000 visitors. One of Payne’s biggest honors was serving as the Chairperson of the Dublin VA Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Program that was a standing-room only success!

“It was the second proudest thing I’ve ever been a part of,” Payne said. “Marrying my dearest Sue Ann was the best thing I’ve ever done, and she’s been fully supporting me for 47 years.” Payne is the proud father of 4 children and 6 grandchildren.

While establishing himself as a pillar of the Dublin community, Payne was approached by a member of the Carl Vinson VA Medical Center to be the Master of Ceremonies of the facility’s Veterans Day and Memorial Day programs in the early 1990s and continued that tradition for more than 25 years while being the keynote speaker at other events. His speeches were constant reminders that America needs to treat its Veterans like heroes and to ensure the mistakes of the past, how Vietnam Veterans were treated, are never repeated.

Instead of considering retirement, Payne accepted a position as a Peer Support Specialist at the Carl Vinson VA Medical Center two years ago leaving his position as President of the Heart of Georgia United Way because he felt he could have a bigger impact on his Veteran community. During the COVID vaccination clinic at Dublin VAMC, Payne set up a station outside of that clinic to help Vietnam and other Veterans about VA benefits they may be eligible to receive. Payne’s outreach to Veterans is integral—of the approximate 39,000 Veterans enrolled for VA healthcare, that’s roughly a third of the Veterans in Dublin VA’s 49-county catchment area where most don’t know if they’re qualified for VA benefits.

As a VA Peer Support Specialist, Payne’s career has come full circle of serving his country and demonstrating how caring for America’s heroes should look.