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I am making a short film, so I spent the lost couple hours filming a homeless Vietnam vet, I know. He's an interesting guy, has a gregarious personality. He has a college degree, was married and divorced and has a teenage daughter. He was addicted to painkillers at one time, after he had been injured by a hit and run driver while crossing the street. This is what first led to his homelessness.
He spent 3 weeks in a hospital and about a year rehabbing his injuries. In this time he had a girlfriend and lived with in his own trailer. He then moved in with another friend who was HIV positive. He then slowly began to slide into the street life. He sometimes would spend the night sleeping out on the streets, this became more frequent and as his addiction grew he eventually became homeless full-time.
We haven't gotten to more recent events, but I believe he's more of an alcoholic than a painkiller addict nowadays. He hasn't told me much, but I know for some reason or another he doesn't go to a VA hospital or anything.
Today he looked haggard and desperate. When he first came over he it seemed like I was staring at death. He lost weight recently. He was shaking and trying to sell me his food stamps for 10 bucks. I just gave him the money. And he went and grabbed a few beers and came back over. He was sweaty and horrid looking. I never have seen him look so bad before. I asked him if he was alright and he said he needed to get out of the heat. Then he told me he went to the hospital and had neurological tests done, it seems he is developing some type of pre-Parkinson's type condition. Even after he drank his beer he was trembling a little. But he did get better, almost a new man after he drank a few beers. He regained color, his face become full again, and not gaunt and tired. But I fear for him, overall he doesn't look so well.
He was honest about Vietnam. I tried not to pry too much, I don't want to know if he saw people die etc. I want to know how the experience shaped him. He was the son of a military man. He loves his country and voluntarily joined the military at the height of the Vietnam War. He spent 10 months over there, moved back, worked in an auto plant for awhile and then went to college. He has a Sociology degree, and worked in the mental health field for several years, although, right now I can't quite recall how long. I'll have to review the footage for that at some point.
All in all it was interesting. I still have more to do, he's going to come over and finish up the interview in a few days. It was an enlightening experience. It sickens me that a veteran is homeless. I have tried to point him in the right direction for help a few times, but nothing yet. I'm not sure if he has taken my advice or anything, or if he remembered any info or kept numbers I've given him. Hard to say, he's an alcoholic, so he easily forgets and misplaces things. I know he has tried to work, but it has to be tough. Not too many places want to hire a raggedy looking homeless guy. He subsists off of nothing panhandling and food stamps, but now he says he has to get on SSI, because of his neurological condition. I do know he sometimes sells his food stamps for cash and sometimes helps a disabled woman who feeds him.
I felt bad about having to send him on his way tonight. But I can get in trouble for having a homeless person stay here at my apartment. Management has warned me about having homeless people around before. Still, I try to be friendly and give them a dollar or two from time to time. I don't judge, even though I know he and his other homeless friend only spend it on alcohol. Tonight he went off to sleep somewhere in the dirt, while the rest of us have beds to sleep in. He'll be lying out under the stairs, trembling from his disease, living in a hellish situation most of us could only imagine.
Before he left, I packed him some cookies and gave him an old pillow and a hat to wear. It seems petty. I almost feel bad that I feel good that I gave him something. Like it wasn't selfless, that I only did it to appease my own guilt. I get a nice apartment. Air conditioning. Electricity. Food. My own computer.
And This man who served his country, got an education, and once had a successful career has none of those comforts.
That's a shame.
So I hope you all can do me a favor and think of him tonight. Remember who he is and what he's sacrificed. He could be any one of us. He could be anybody we know and care for. And for all the flag waving we have in our country and for all of those people out there who are on tv or radio who are always talking about the troops, or have a flag pin on their collar or a Yellow Ribbon tied somewhere, in the end, nobody knows he exists. Nobody really cares. Nobody truly remembers him.
But tonight I hope everybody who reads this does.
And I hope you all include him in your thoughts and prayers.
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