Sister Sarge

Racine Dominican Sister Linda McClenahan was among the Vietnam War veterans represented in the television documentary, “Wisconsin Vietnam War Stories” that aired recently on PBS.

This documentary project spurred the special tribute held on May 22 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, WI, home of the Green Bay Packers. More than 30,000 Vietnam-era veterans and their families attended the “belated welcome home for Wisconsin Vietnam veterans.”

Sister Linda, who grew up in Berkeley, CA, planned on entering religious life after high school graduation, but the Vietnam War intervened. “I thought I should serve my country first,” she said. And she did just that on active duty for three years as a communications specialist followed by six years in the reserves. She was in the U.S. Army’s First Signal Brigade in Long Binh, Vietnam, in 1969-70.

She is glad to be a part of this documentary, seeing it as a way to help “Vietnam veterans lose some of the shame that society imposed upon them and move forward. So many vets were led to believe they should be embarrassed, or had to hide the fact they served in Vietnam,” she said. “I remember we weren’t allowed to wear our uniforms in the airport because it was considered unsafe to do so.”

With a master’s degree in counseling, Sister Linda is a psychotherapist serving both at the Racine Dominican sponsored HOPES Center outreach, located in central city Racine, and at Psychological & Counseling Services, Inc. also in Racine.

Throughout the years, volunteering with veterans and veterans’ groups has been important to her. Commonly called "Sister Sarge," she frequently works with veterans, especially women, to make connections, deal with trauma, and wade through governmental red tape. Last weekend she facilitated a retreat for veterans.

Sister Linda’s cover photo on the Spring 2010 issue of Wisconsin People and Ideas magazine highlights its story about Vietnam veterans in the state.

 To read about other Racine Dominican Sisters, click here.