About Us
The Paralyzed Veterans of America California Chapter has a proud legacy that predates the formation of the National Organization itself.
In 1945, the U.S. Army opened a Paraplegic Center at Birmingham General Army Hospital, led by Dr. Ernest Bors (1900–1990), a pioneer in neurourology and spinal cord injury care. His holistic, multidisciplinary approach to treatment—developed here—remains a standard in modern spinal cord injury centers. Doctors from around the world visited Birmingham General to study this groundbreaking work.
After World War II, the hospital was transferred to the Veterans Administration on March 31, 1946, and renamed Birmingham Veterans Administration Hospital. Dr. Bors played a key role in forming the National Paralyzed Veterans organization, and the Birmingham Paralyzed Veterans Association was officially chartered that same year. When the Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) was founded in 1947, the Birmingham chapter became one of the original eight— and the only one west of the Mississippi River.
Located just north of Hollywood, the hospital often welcomed celebrity visitors. Stars such as Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Stewart, Bob Hope, and Mary Pickford regularly visited veterans, and the Jack Benny Christmas program was even broadcast live from the hospital in 1944. Hollywood’s connection continued—Marlon Brando’s 1950 debut film The Men and the movie Backfire were both filmed at Birmingham General, inspired by its Spinal Cord Injury Center.
During the war, Desi Arnaz was stationed there to entertain troops with the USO and coordinated celebrity visits before being discharged in November 1945.
When the hospital closed in 1950, the veterans and chapter offices relocated to the VA Long Beach Hospital, where the organization continues its mission today. The chapter was renamed the California Paralyzed Veterans Association, operating independently from 1951 to 1963 before rejoining the national organization as the Paralyzed Veterans of America California Chapter.
Today, the Spinal Cord Unit at the Tibor Rubin VA Medical Center proudly bears Dr. Bors’ name in honor of his extraordinary contributions to veterans’ care. The California Chapter offices are still located on the second floor of this center—continuing a legacy of service, advocacy, and hope that began nearly 80 years ago.
