May 2018 Newsletter

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Veterans More Likely To Become Homeless

Vernon is second generation Air Force. He grew up hearing stories of exotic, far away places. At age 21, he volunteered for military service to his country. He was assigned to the motor pool. He started as a dispatcher, then moved up to driving any vehicle from a car to heavy trucks. While stationed in Iceland, he served as a Vehicle Control Officer, a noncommissioned officer, with the grade of sergeant. After six years of service, Vernon was unable to re-enlist because the Air Force was going through a reduction of forces. However, he was able to transfer to the Army, keeping his pay grade and staying in the motor pool. He spent that four year enlistment in Germany. His assignment was in the Protective Services Division. He was a general’s driver, responsible for security that included the reconnaissance of exploring every route and position for the general’s safety. One assignment was to take a general to a conference at Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina during that war. It was a war of ethnic cleansing, one that did not discriminate between combatants or civilian men, women and children. Vernon witnessed the carnage, man’s inhumanity to man, and had to document it with photographs. He said, “The person that caused that is beyond evil, a sickness beyond evil. That is where my PTSD comes from, the night terrors, remembering, seeing…” He was told not to talk to anyone about it for security reasons. So, he held it inside. Post-traumatic stress disorder is “a condition characterized by recurring and, often, disabling symptoms of anxiety, depression, etc., that later affects some persons who have experienced a traumatic event or situation, especially combat.” PTSD is an internal wound that cannot be seen but is a very real and present injury. After ten years of service, this sergeant first class (E-7) returned home, no longer an innocent, adventurous, young man.

Vernon’s homecoming was to that of being a single parent. Another casualty of military life is broken marriages due to long periods of separation. He worked for construction contractors, doing framing, roofing, plumbing. Then he settled into motel maintenance. On the outside of him, there was a semblance of normal, but inside there remained an indelible memory of human atrocity. It kept him awake at night, stressed during the day. There was no avenue to vent his frustration. He said, “It was not being able to talk about it, to get it out and deal with it, holding it in makes things worse. It made me feel guilty, like maybe there was something I could have done about it.” Now, he is more cautious of dangers in his surroundings – people, behaviors, noises, unaccompanied backpacks, crowds, potential threats. He raised his sons and in time remarried. His life savings went for his wife’s medical treatment. When she passed away last year, he had no money left. Then his employers decided to retire, rather than repair their dilapidated motel. Vernon moved in with his aging father for a couple of months, then to the Mission.

While staying here, he is receiving treatment at the VA for his PTSD. At this point, they are still in the evaluation stage. He has joined the Mission’s New Life Program, living in our program area and going to our improvement classes. He said,” I like the Mission. The people around here seem pretty good. Everyone here has something to do. The comfort is good. I feel safe and get along with everyone. I enjoy chapel. I’m picking the Bible back up and haven’t done that in a while. But for everything I’ve seen (in the war), I’ve never given up on the Lord.” He accepted the Lord at church when he was in high school. He said, “Now I’m learning in chapel and reading the Bible on my own.” He rededicated his life to the Lord at the Mission. Now he is sleeping better at night and feels a greater sense of peace. Veterans do have reason to be more likely to become homeless, but there is hope for healing.