Wounded Warrior “A Veteran’s Hope Project”
Friday, September 14, 2012 at 12:51am
There is this beautiful wife of a disabled veteran in Cape Cod, who is directly touching my heart to death this September. We have not connected online, so I would like to reach beyond our National Resource Network and have a bit of personal help from my loving comrades with this project I have been brewing.
As most of you know, our Team is burning nitro with our supporting organizations. We have spent many sleepless hours and AFR “family” nights at our West Coast headquarters, with several laptops, great food and caffeine sending us straight to our 6 o’clock meetings after sunrise. It’s been a busy 6 months. An understatement, most of you know all too well. But it makes my heart warm as deep as it pounds.
With November nearing and our national event becoming as grand as we could have hoped, day-to-day never seems to stray away from the emotional calls that offer purpose to our entire mission. A disabled sergeant on his third, yes third, lunch break struggling to whisper near colleagues that his refinance didn’t approve, his disability was reduced and is selling his car to pay for groceries and a bus ticket. Never asked for money, but to help locate a fourth opportunity to alleviate his also disabled wife, who suffers chronic seizures with two small children and a baby on the way. A seven year veteran, who served at 18 years old, was grenaded when shielding the life of a fellow soldier. He survived, was awarded a medal and discharged without proper skills to utilize in the workforce. He struggled with two jobs, a minimal $240.00 room rental and $20.00 bus pass. He only asked for help with an accredited program that wouldn’t misuse his GI Bill, as six others had. His aim was to learn a skill that would make him an asset to his country. Again. He never wasn’t.
We hear these stories every day. We share deeply in their pain and hardships from the first call, email, and handshake and see the strength behind their eyes and tears in their voices. Our brothers and sisters are lions. What kind of person would stop to think about a complete stranger today? Would you think twice in a bank robbery? Do you jump two steps in front of the guy, who you were making comments about his greasy hair and chirpy voice, or two steps back behind an elderly lady and her granddaughter in tears? Many say they would do the right thing, many only hope they would. But the fact is that few do. People freeze. They misprocess and delay responses. The ones that do without thought are our heroes. There is no question when laying their life for another breathing being. And we have thousands who forget that guy with the greasy hair and chirpy voice was already standing two steps in front of every person in the room as that gun was raised. Firm, alert and calm. He was a 27 year old veteran who served two tours in Afghanistan, shot in the chest several times when pushing two of his battle buddies behind him and using his body to shield his third. His voice is chirpy from the two bullets that entered his vocal box.
We receive exactly what we are hoping to provide these men and women, “HOPE” itself. Hope in America, and in people. My friend Kevyn Major Howard has it right, get up and teach a child to “Thank a Hero Today.”
A few days ago, we were in air from Minneapolis after traveling coast to coast in preparation of meeting thousands of these military and veteran families in November. It was after midnight and I remember closing the laptop and staring at each person sleeping on the plane. I wondered how many had lost a son or daughter, mother or father, brother or sister, and how many of them served in the military. Then how many cousins, aunts or uncles, grandparents, grandchildren, and close friends. I missed husbands or wives and quickly opened my laptop back up to take a few notes. The gentleman from my left put his hand on my shoulder and simply nodded. The other awoke from my other side and offered a meek smile with memories burning right through his eyes. Two others followed suit from across the aisle. It was the longest silent emotion I had experienced since my eldest brother’s passing.
We walked in exhaustingly from the LAX drive and piled up weeks of mail and paperwork next to my little wine rack and desk. I usually melt into a dark room with a bright screen as Diogi nudges the to-do’s my way. It was nearly 2 o’clock in the morning and I forced myself to close my eyes and relax. I prayed for the anxiousness to subside across our Team, and for guardian angels to protect the travelers still commuting home from the airport. For worry and frustration to be released from strangers and friends. I continued for my children, siblings, and mother, and our team’s family members. And asked for forgiveness if I was not waiting for His plans to be clearer. I opened my eyes and looked over at Chris breathing heavily, his body relieved to be still for a few moments. We worked incredibly hard. We were doing great things with a wonderful team and we have all felt honored to be working with one another. I smiled softly. I said my final prayer for our soldiers on-duty, their loved ones, the lost and theirs. I thanked our veterans and thanked Him for miracles and blessings. I let out a relieved sigh, and finally closed my eyes. God brushed my shoulder and whispered, “Go with hope..”
Jeremiah 29:11-13
Here is a letter I received a few days later, barely catching the call myself and moments after reading Jeremiah 29. It was a two and a half hour phone call, followed with several emails.
To Whom It May Concern:
My name is Leah ——– and I am the wife of a Wounded Warrior. My husband and I have been together for 19 years. When we first started out, we lived in subsidized housing with our four children and both worked full-time jobs to save enough money to buy our first home. On June 6th, 2009, we finally had the financial means and courage to purchase our home at ———. It took several months for our family to get situated and make our new house into a home. Just when things were beginning to come together, like the calm before the storm, we got the news that my husband was to be deployed on his second tour to Iraq.
On January 9th, 2010, my husband was deployed to serve his country. My family and I began our period of adjusting but were unprepared for the domino effect of heartache that was to come. Five days after my husband was deployed, my best friend and one and only sister passed away from Lupus after her ten year struggle with this deadly disease. On January 14th, 2010, the day after my sister passed away, my grandmother passed away from natural causes. Several months later, my mother’s only living brother had a massive heart attack and passed away on my mother’s back stairs. My mother, whom I also care for, is disabled with existing and new problems appearing each day. Currently, my mother has a hernia in her belly and the major arteries on both sides of her body are clogged (one side is 100% and will never be the same and her other side is 70%). On top of all this heartache, my husband was unable to attend any of the funerals due to his deployment.
During this deployment, my husbands’ job in the army was as an assistant convoy commander. He ran convoys from Camp Arifjan, Kuwait to Northern Iraq and his duties included to ensure that the convoys ran smoothly and to supervise the soldiers in his squad. On June 18th, 2010, my husband’s convoy was en route returning to Kuwait from Camp Warrior, Tikrit, Iraq. While passing through Hershey Bypass, my husband’s truck was 2 meters away from an IED (improvised exploding device). During the blast my husband and his driver were tossed pretty badly around the rear of the vehicle. When they got to the nearest Camp (which was Camp Spiecher, Iraq) they went to the temporary military hospital known as the CASH. At that point, the doctor checked them for concussions and mobility of specific areas that were injured. A MASE test was also administered to register the severity of the concussions and the traumatic brain injury. After the initial testing, they were put on 48 hours bed rest for observation. The convoy that was only supposed to be 6 days, wound up turning into 25 days. When my husband’s convoy got back to Kuwait, he wasn’t given time to follow up on his injuries. When he got back on base, his convoy was informed that they had 3 days to get their vehicles ready for an upcoming 45 day mission. During the mission, while up in northern Iraq driving convoys from Camp Spiecher to Camp Warrior, Tikrit Iraq, the convoy was in constant contact with small arms fire and rocket propelled grenades. During one time, they used my husband’s convoy as a decoy convoy so that the QRF (Quick Reactionary Force) could filter out the enemy. After the 45 day mission, when my husband returned to Camp Arijan, Kuwait, he had to wait almost a month to see the doctor because he was in a different location. Once seen by the doctor, he administered another MACE test on my husband. The results of the test showed that my husband scored two points lower than his previous score. The doctor then referred my husband’s case to the head neurologist at Lundstul, Germany.
Two weeks later, they med-evacuated my husband, SSG James F —— Jr, to Germany. My husband spent 11 days in Lundstul Germany. There he was diagnosed with TBI, PTSD, lower lumbar bulging, neck strain, post concussive headaches, impaired vision, slight loss of hearing in his left ear and tinnitus in his right shoulder. He also suffers from night terrors, dizziness and vertigo. After being diagnosed, my husband was med-evacuated to Fort Drum, NY. There my husband was in a WTU for which he continued care for his PTSD, TBI and physical therapy. While at Fort Drum, he received a prescription for his service dog, Quincy, from his psychiatrist for severe social anxiety, depression, and nightmares. Quincy’s duties included blocking crowds for my husband when his anxiety flared up, helping my husband navigate through our home, helping my husband up and down the stairs, and retrieving his cane for him. In May 2012, my husband was granted remote care and was able to come home to his family and continue his care locally.
Before my husband was deployed, I sent out his orders to the necessary parties: the VA, Military, Credit card companies, the Mortgage company, Car dealership, car insurance company, etc. After saying afloat for several months after his departure, I received a phone call from the VA stating that I owed them over $15,000. There was a clerical error with the VA and my husband was accidentally receiving disability pay and overseas pay. I had to come to an agreement and give them $1,000 every 2 weeks until it was paid in full or they would take it directly from his paycheck. Due to this clerical error, I fell behind on all of my bills including my mortgage. I had contacted a few representatives about our situation and was told several different things. That’s when I began to focus on my other bills. It seemed as though I was trapped in quicksand and the more I tried, the harder it was to get out. I was behind on everything and from that point on my world began to fall apart even more. I wasn’t able to regain control of all the financial burdens I was in and became overwhelmed. I found myself crying for help to whoever would listen. The reality is, I am behind on my mortgage, and can’t seem to keep up with payments because of my husband’s injuries. I am fearful for our four children (20 year old & 26 year old both in College, 15 year old girl high school sophomore, and an 11 year old 6th grader) that they will not have a home and that the life we spent almost 20 years building will disintegrate. We had to change our sleeping patterns due to house renovations to accommodate my husband’s injuries. Now, my two youngest girls share one small room, my only son has his own room, my oldest daughter is in my room where I sleep during the day, and my husband and his service dog sleep downstairs on a pull out couch. I find myself staying up half of the night to monitor my husband due to his sleep apnea. He walks around at night and has already fallen down our basement stairs once.
Every day I pull myself together to be strong for my family. I’ve held down the household for many years while my husband was gone and they need me now more than ever. I am crying out for help with my story, please can you help me better my life.
There are many things I could go on to ask. Leah is in the same position as many, and it’s not easy to devote your efforts to only a few in particular. But, we can “Go with Hope” and take the two steps to the front without thinking, and offer James the same respect he showed by standing in front of you, your daughter, your father or brother. Veterans’ Hope friend, The Vet Hunters Project, doesn’t take names, they take all. As the many other tremendous organizations helping our military and veterans with Operation Homelessness.
Leah and James need several forms of help from our national community and their local supporters. James will be placed in a wheelchair soon for his deteriorating condition. The insufficient home of seven is becoming tighter and we simply must act quickly.
The 1100 square foot house sets on 0.1 acres with a sweet welcoming entrance. James needs a home that is wheelchair accessible. He will need a bedroom addition to accommodate his chair and aid a form of self-sufficiency from Leah, allowing her to focus on their four children and disabled mother, as well as private time and her career. James needs an office area where he is able to learn computer skills and build a resume for remote opportunities from their family-orientated home. A chairlift, emergency exit and cabinets lowered are only small pieces of the project. With an approval from the Town of Weymouth, received on September 13 to our office, the property has been approved for any and all building permits to the property line for any improvements and/or additions. Architects have estimated variations from $100-$140k for the remodel.
Our plan is to involve the Homebuilders and Remodeling Association of Cape Cod (HR ACC), local businesses and national suppliers for this project. It is my wish, that above and beyond our wonderful event on November 4 and the busy week that follows, that Veterans’ Day on November 11th will mark a memorable moment for this family and our Team. The week of November 12th will begin “A Veteran’s Hope Project” and meet all safety and inspection requirements for the family to return to their home by a very special Thanksgiving.
Veterans’ Hope is working with representatives at Bank of America to expedite a refinance on the veteran’s mortgage. With Toyota Financial to not only gift the remaining balance of the family’s vehicle, but help to make it wheelchair accessible from the passenger side, and an opportunity to work with Extreme Home Makeover design team for an internal facelift for the family’s son and three girls.
Plans and property information will be made available to any individual, organization, business or supplier wishing to assist in this heartfelt project. November will be cooler weather and we are preparing by combining and enlisting the support of our military and veteran community to “get er done” with a sense of urgency.
Thank you for the many moments to share something more meaningful, 9 times out of 10, than what you were interested in fifteen minutes ago.
P.S. I asked Leah what made her call Veterans’ Hope that day, and what she said brings joy to my heart.. James and Leah were online to process additional paperwork for their refinance. She said a small prayer for “hope” and noticed Veterans’ Hope pop up on her computer. She laughed with tears and said she was sure it was her sister.
Many Blessings,
Ms. Al Zeitner
Executive Director & Chairman
Veterans’ Hope, Washington DC
“Building A Bridge For A Better Tomorrow”
From the Veterans' Hope Team 