SEO: Steve McAllisters journey from Vietnam to Greenpeace

Summary blurb: Tales of war and peace are common in novels, but Steve McAllister has lived the real thing. From his time as a soldier in Vietnam becoming head of Greenpeace US, his story demonstrates the impact one person can have on a global scale.

From War to peace

Steve McAllisters journey through Vietnam to Greenpeace By: Samantha Dean He spends his November mornings relaxing by the fire or listening to NPR. He sits at his newspaper-littered table and peers out of his kitchen windows. In the background, he can hear the whistle of the tea kettle. He enjoys his tranquil surroundings, a stark contrast to his mornings in the war. But Steve McAllisters life is anything but ordinary. His story sounds more like that of a great fiction novel. Tales of war and peace are common in novels, but Steve McAllister has lived the real thing. From his time as a soldier in Vietnam, to becoming head of Greenpeace US, his story demonstrates the impact one person can have on a global scale. The contradictions of War Reminders of the war are so prevalent in American culture that for the most part we have become numb to it. Shocking images of bombings and soldiers in the Middle East are not so shocking anymore.
McAllister reads the paper in his Annapolis home. By: Samantha Dean

For McAllister, the evening news clips of the Middle East are all too real reminders of his past in the war. He recalls his first nights in Vietnam. He dug ditches under the tanks and slept in the mud to shield him from possible attacks. At one point, he even slept among the dead bodies in an armored vehicle. The absurdity of it all was always present. Nobody had any idea what they were doing there or who and why people were trying to kill us and why we had try and kill them. It was chaos, McAllister says. Those fearful days are behind him now. He does not own a television, never has, never will. McAllister says he keeps the war out of sight. He hears only an occasional reminder from the radio broadcasts lulling in the background as he works at his large oak desk in his home office. Breaking stereotypes McAllisters desk has seen its fair share of work. From old war documents to lobbyist movements for Greenpeace, there is always work sprawled out. McAllister returned from war feeling low. The public hated veterans. He fled home to Vermont and fell into the holistic hippie lifestyle, even living in a teepee at one point. Times were rough, but nature provided safe salvation. His lifestyle drew him to a new organization, Greenpeace.

An ambitious McAllister worked up the ranks in Greenpeace, eventually running the Australia office. Later that year, he gained a promotion to deputy executive director and campaign director of Greenpeace International at its headquarters in Amsterdam He decided to change the face of Greenpeace to be more credible. He suggested the organization became more mainstream and practical. Breaking the stereotype would give the cause mass appeal. The rest of the organization did not share his views, so he departed with his head held high. I think the attitude that I was lucky to be alive after Vietnam has always stayed with me and led me to take more risks than most. I felt like whats the worst that can happen? Nobody is trying to kill me! says McAllister. This attitude led him to take more risks and be more ambitious. After Greenpeace he went into housing development and took some financial risks. Using his bold business moves he found success, which led him to early retirement. Inspiration for the future McAllisters son, Wilson, now 27, has heard his fathers old stories since childhood. As an adult he can look back and appreciate their true value. He passed along his risk taking and fearlessness. I was raised to chase whatever I wanted. There were no boundaries, Wilson says. Wilson has applied his fathers lessons to his business career. He credits his success in his own housing developing business to his fearless attitude. I think the attitude that I was lucky to be alive after Vietnam has always stayed with me and led me to take more risks than most. I felt like whats the worst that can happen? Nobody is trying to kill me! says McAllister.

Steve McAllister may never hear of his impact on his son. He may never know how his story transcends his time into the next generation. Much like the radio in the background, strong emotions are present but unannounced. McAllister enjoys his relaxing retirement, but continues to work for greater environmental understanding. He now sits on the board of directors for Oceana, an international ocean conservation organization. He donates his boat and his time to the cause. While he plans his next excursion, he takes in the view from his kitchen, grabbing the whistling tea pot and sitting by the fire. For more information on Oceana visit http://oceana.org/en. Also visit http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/en/ to find out more about Greenpeace.
Wilson McAllister posing for the camera after his interview. By:Samantha Dean