Posted on 10/17/2016 8:23:11 PM PDT by pboyington
Today, I met a member of the elite US Army Special Forces, the famous Green Berets. He was a veteran who had served in Iraq and in Afghanistan.
He is currently homeless.
I had just received a free flu shot at the VA and was in the process of getting back into my car, when I heard someone holler over to me. A man in his thirties was standing next to a Ford Fiesta hatchback that was filled to the brim with the assorted odds and ends of life that one packs into a car when you’re planning on living out of it.
As I walked over to the vehicle, I saw a rolled up sleeping bag, a Coleman stove, some Ramen and a can of Joe. Yep, this guy had done some serious time in the lean green machine.
I had seen him in the flu shot clinic as well, so I knew he was real, not an imposter posing as a combat vet with a US Army Special Forces license plate holder.
“My battery’s dead. Can you give me a jump?” He said, holding a pair of jumper cables and grinning.
As we flushed some voltage back into his car, we talked about our service in the army. He had done tours with SF in Iraq and Afghanistan. I regaled him with tales of the 7th Cavalry in Iraq, Part I. Sometime during the conversation he told me that he was currently homeless.
This was no obese mall clown claiming he was in the 75th Ranger Regiment, but an honest to goodness American hero who was going through some bad times. In fact, he looked like he was in decent shape, sort of a modern day Billy Jack with an ECW sleeping bag and a bad battery.
When he restarted his car, his radio turned on automatically. Sean Hannity’s voice boomed through the vehicle. A conservative; I was in good company. Did I really think he was going to be for Sanders or the wicked witch?
The conversation switched quickly to politics and the current state of the election. He looked up at me from the engine block with a look of abject anxiety on his face.
“What are we going to do if Hillary wins? I don’t know if this country is going to survive.” He said, seemingly more concerned about his country and its future than perhaps his own immediate problems, which were obviously serious.
He stared at me, as if I somehow had all the answers. “Don’t worry. Trump is going to win this thing. He’s going to take her down on Wednesday night.” I was back to being an officer again; never be negative around the men, LT.
“I hope so.” He said. “Cause if she wins, we’re all doomed.” He shook my hand and said goodbye, never asking me for any money or any other assistance, but looking like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders, as he drove off into a sea of Los Angeles traffic.
De oppresso liber compadre…
I stood there for a moment… thinking. I was getting the same sinking feeling that many Americans who back Trump are experiencing now. What if he doesn’t win? What if the mainstream media Maskirovka campaign is successful at destroying Trump and conning people into voting for a blackguard?
The nation could be on the verge of electing a criminal, a tyrant who is certainly guilty of bribery, obstruction of justice, conspiracy, fraud, national security crimes and possibly is an accomplice to the murder of Vince Foster and others.
The nation could be on the verge of electing a woman who is not only physically ailing, but mentally unstable.
Like all of history’s villains, Hillary Clinton and her husband are quite adept at luring the naïve, and threatening those in their way, in order to support their crimes, which are many and unprecedented in US history.
There are nearly 60,000 homeless veterans on the streets of America tonight. Some have PTSD. Some have addiction problems. Some are just going through tough times. If Mr. Trump is elected, he must take action to not only resurrect or privatize the VA, but to deal with the issue of homeless veterans.
Pray for Trump and our homeless heroes like the Green Beret I met today.
You saw a guy get a flu shot in the VA clinic so you knew he was the real deal?
Did you ask him what group and battalion?
When he went through selection, the Q and SERE?
How he dealt with the Gs?
Iraq and Afghanistan?
Which firebase? VSO? Ruck or Halo team?
Hmmm...but he got a flu shot so I verified him...
He was real. If you read the article, we talked while we fixed his car.
Obviously, you didn’t read more than the first sentence. Next time you argue with me, read the GD article! You hearing me boy?
Bkmk.
...you’re not supposed to notice that..
Thanks for the story. I’ve run into a few real patriots over the years who were really down on their luck. They seldom ask for anything. Sometimes I’ve offered to help them out a bit (pay for a new battery), but they’ve almost always turned me down. Good people out there, always hoping their luck will change for the better.
You appear to be suffering from a lack of self-esteem and severe case of penis envy. Which is not surprising but certainly typical of all dicks. Now, shove off, douchebag.
tragic
that anyine would believe a Politician’s promise
“Pray for Trump and our homeless heroes like the Green Beret I met today.” Prayers to St. Rita, patron of impossible cases. The Lord hears everything and keeps notes.
No need to take the Lord’s name in vain to try to make your point. Just sayin. https://billygraham.org/decision-magazine/may-2013/you-shall-not-take-the-lords-name-in-vain/
Thank you for posting this and reminding me to pray for these men.
I was hoping you would direct me to a crowd-sourced fund, though, for this man. :(
May God watch over our brave fighting men.
I hope his luck changes - I am sure the conversation raised his morale.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) estimates that 39,471 veterans are homeless on any given night. So 60K is an unrealistic stat. More like 300K if you take in all 50 states.
Some have drug/booze/PSTD issues. Some don’t trust our government. IF seeking VA Care there is a $38K cap on income. Disability is the best route to go. Fastest route too. If you have a facilitator from a local AM Legion or VFW who know the ins and outs. Any portion of disability is exempt from Fed Income Taxes. If you are Medicare and Tricare Life, you use private facilities unless you have a disability. Not sure what Tricare Prime covers as we are well past Prime.
When you discharge make sure you have checked all the possible medical issue boxes, and seen the right docs. If it is an eye issue see an Othomologist not a lower grade Optometrist who just does Refraction’s they do not treat eye diseases caused by heavy metal cleaning chems. You work with a lot of heavy metal cleaning chems and eye problems are a big issue some time in your life. Hubby is Ret. SCPO, he developed Rentinitis and heavy doses of Predisone were needed, but all he saw until it was to advanced was a Optometrist. So it is not a claimable disability. Left holes in his vision, now at 77 has glaucoma and is getting a partial cornea transplant in Dec if the infection is gone.
Same goes for hearing if you work a flight deck or loud noise area. Have your hearing checked out before discharge and keep it checked. Just flight deck hearing loss is a 10% disability.
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