This something g that I have never done before on the blog. I am reposting something from Facebook. This was posted by the brother of a friend of my sister's that we grew up with. It involves a Vietnam Veteran who is down on his luck, Please read the posting, this is legit and not a scam.
If there ever was a time to show our appreciation, what is better than the anniversaryof 9/11.
9/9/13:I picked up a hitchhiker this ...morning. He was in his 60s, looked a little disheveled, raggy clothes, and was wearing a Vietnam Vet hat. Turns out he's been driving around the country since June and has hit all 50 states. His van broke down and he was thumbing from a campground where he's been tent camping to the dealership where his car had been towed. I told him to save my contact info in his phone in case he needed a ride back. He already had a Tim in there so he said he was going to enter my name as Tim God for rescuing him this morning. That made my day.
Later that day...My hitchhiker friend from this morning, Bill, called me to see if I could give him a ride back to the dealership tomorrow. After a lengthy conversation it turns out there's a bit more to his story. He appears to be pretty much homeless and has been camping out in his car more out of necessity than adventure. When he can raise some money for gas he moves on to the next place. He is indeed a Vietnam Veteran. He found out today his car is going to cost about $1800 to fix. He's going to reach out to his family and friends and try to raise the funds His plan is to see if the dealership will let him sleep in the car at night while they work on it because he can't afford the campground where he's staying.
I had to coax this information out of him, he seems to be a very proud man. He has asked me for nothing except for a ride in the morning. If anyone is inclined to help a stranger out, feel free to call Brustolon Buick Service Dept. tomorrow at (860) 415-4739 with a credit card and ask them to put it towards Bill Hart's (sp?) van repair. Any amount, big or small, will help.
I see "support the troops" messages on here all the time. Maybe we can't help them all but we can sure make a huge difference in this one's life. Let's see if Facebook can be used for things more important than cupcake recipes, Farmland, and me ranting about Republicans. Help a brother out and pay it forward.
9/10: To those who saw my posts yesterday about the Vietnam Vet I picked up hitch hiking- please call Brustolon Buick Service Dept. at 860.415.4739 and make a small donation to help him get his car fixed. It must happen today. Thanks to all who are stepping up to help a Veteran in need God Bless America.
Later that day: Update on my friend Bill- we went out to Dunkin Donuts for breakfast and now he's taking a nap out in the cabin. Brustolons has received 10 calls and over $600 from you guys. We have about $1000 to go to completely cover his repair bill and get him on his way. His plan is to head back to Florida where he has a small camper to live in. As of now he knows nothing about our efforts to take care of his van. Thank you all and continue to spread the word, &1000 is still a long way to go!
9/11: Just spoke to the service mgr. at Brustolon. They have knocked $250 off Bills van repair. We have raised about $800 leaving a balance of about $700. If you're not aware of what talking about please read my most recent posts. We're trying to get a Vietnam Vet (Marine) back In his van so he can get back to Florida. It turns out the van won't be ready til later today so we have one more day to raise funds. Please call Brustolon Buick at 860.415.4739 if feel like kicking in a few bucks to help a veteran out. I'm hoping on 9/11 we all remember the sacrifices all veterans have made. Lets pay off Bill's bill!!!!
As of 4:30pm today, balance is $290.
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3 comments:
Kevin, These stories make me sick and I'll tell you why . All across America there are homeless vets that are usually alcohol or drug dependant and most with PTSD issues . The kick in the ass is that "our" government is responsible for their well being and refuses to reach out and provide basic needs that they are entitled to. Why dont they help? IT COSTS MONEY! Nationally there are over a MILLION unresolved claims into the Veterans Affairs Administration and those are vets that know the system! The system goes like this ...vet contacts Veterans Affairs and is assigned an agent (hopefully they are competent!) ...Agent opens file...Agent logs in service,years in,conflicts,duties,exposures,injuries etc. etc....Agent facilitates benefits they QUALIFY for, such as, money,housing,medical attention,medication so on and so on. Most spouses are also entitled to some benefits when vet passes on! Most spouses dont know this. I have tried over and over to be an advocate for those who cant help themselves..most in our local media are friends with CT's VA Commisioner Linda Swartz and will not investigate her incompetence and disregard for "her" vets. Such issues as ...5 vacant RENOVATED homes, right on the property in Rocky Hill,THEY HAVE BEEN EMPTY FOR OVER 10 YEARS!,she was on WDRC radio and said she was working on it! There is a new van that has been sitting there for years that was to be used to reachout to those without an address,phone etc. She gave the state back millions of dollars that was in her budget ,(thats all about keeping her appointed position!)Check this one out ,she goes to the Southpark Shelter on Flag Day, watches homeless vets salute/raise the flag and leaves without providing info to get them help! If she wanted to ,there are "respite" beds in Rocky Hill and she could have taken at least 3 vets back with her and got the m immediate help.(these beds are empty most of the year) My favorite part is when she is front and center at the Veterans day parade hosted by The City of Hartford which is at the top of the list for homeless vets. Kevin, you want to help out these deserving vets for real? You say the word and I will "shock and awe " you with some powerful ,factual info.
I would be glad to look at any information you have.
We definitely need to honor our vets and the last I heard the repairs were close to being paid for.
Thank you to everyone who stepped up with a donation
Kevin as a Vietnam Vet I would encourage that Brother to contact the Vet Center in Rocky Hill, the address is 25 Elm Street, and the phone number is 860-563-8800. The person he should ask for is Tim Fahey, Tim is a Readjustment Therapist and a Afghanistan War vet,who has the concern of all Vets he is someone this Brother should contact. Also Councilman Cruz has started the process of putting together a Veterans Commission to help serve the needs of Hartfords Veteran population so that the information that Veterans in Hartford need will be available in written form hopefully at City Hall. Also we will be putting together a plan to do Veteran outreach so that our homeless Vets can be made aware about whats available for them. I will keep this blog posted as we move forward with this Commission. Anyone wanting information on this new Veterans Commission should contact Councilman Cruz at City Hall.
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