A U.S. Army door gunner sits in the wide-open side of the helicopter, a strap around his waist to keep him from falling into the sky. As the pilot flies low over the landscape, the gunner lays down a swath of machine-gun fire as protection for soldiers on the ground. The job takes guts, steady nerves and a lot of trust in the person flying the aircraft.
One such door gunner came home from the 101st Airborne in Vietnam with two Purple Hearts and disabling injuries. Fifty years later, he’d have to put his trust and his safety in someone’s hands again. But this time, they’d let him fall.
We’ll call him Rick.
Rick needed a place to live, and a woman he’d known for years seemed to be the answer. It wasn’t long, though, before Rick discovered she needed him far more than he needed her.
Abuse can happen to anyone, and it happened to this war hero.
A few months into this living arrangement, the woman began mentally and then physically abusing him. “I thought I knew her. I had no idea she would be like that,” Rick said. “She abused me off and on for about a year, but the last six months were the worst.”
He also didn’t know the woman was addicted to drugs or that she couldn’t keep a job. Rick would have to use the money he got for his disability to pay their expenses. He and the woman were forced to move three times in 18 months because rent, utilities and food for two was more than Rick could afford.
In the third (and final) place they shared, Rick slept right under a window air conditioner in the cramped space. He’s not sure if it was related, but that’s when he caught pneumonia.
“I had it twice. The hospital admitted me the first time for six days, I went home for about a week, and then I came back. Then they admitted me for four more days.”
In a way, catching pneumonia was fortunate. It was during his second hospital stay that he told staff about the abuse. They were still concerned about his lungs when he was ready to become an outpatient and knew he wouldn’t be safe at home.
They knew who to call.
“The social worker hooked me up with Sheltering Wings, and I’m glad she did. Everything I’ve needed, Sheltering Wings has taken care of for me. I appreciate everything they’ve done for me, and God is good,” Rick said.
Sheltering Wings coordinated with agencies offering veterans services and found a permanent place for Rick to live. As of this writing, he signs his lease in three days and is raring to go.
“I feel physically great now. Sheltering Wings has taken care of me,” he said. “They gave me vouchers so I could get plenty of clothes and hygiene products and food.”
Sheltering Wings staff also helped Rick kick a near-lifetime habit. He stopped smoking.
“I haven’t had a cigarette for over 30 days,” he said. “I’m proud of myself and of everybody here at the shelter who’s been helping me.”
Rick is grateful.
Grateful to the Veterans Administration. Grateful to the hospital staff for not sending him home. Grateful to Sheltering Wings. Grateful to God.
Rick isn’t the only one who is grateful. I am grateful for you. Your generosity, prayers and involvement are what enable us to continue serving survivors of domestic violence including war heroes like Rick. Thank you!
With gratitude,
Cassie Mecklenburg
Executive Director
P.S. Thank you for making Christmas in July such a huge success. Due to your donations and matching funds provided by our sponsors, we raised nearly $22,000! And, wish list donations have begun to arrive. It’s not too late to participate in our wish list drive. If you’d like to donate but you’re concerned with maintaining social distance, try our Amazon wish list.
Studies show 41% of tweens and 62% of teens spend more than four hours on their phones each day and young people are more than twice as likely as they were just a few years ago to say they must use computers for homework each night. Parents and caregivers, do you know how to protect your kids online? Join us for this interactive, 90-minute webinar on August 13 at 6:30 pm. >> RSVP
Summer is winding down. But, the pandemic rolls on. Join prevention and education officer Melissa Echerd in this series of videos designed to help parents and caregivers maximize all the extra time they have with their kids. You can go beyond just keeping your kids from complaining about being bored. You can use this time to develop their character. Sound too good to be true? >> Join Us
Mark your calendars. Domestic Violence Awareness and Prevention Month – October – is just around the corner. Help us raise awareness and prevent violence from happening by joining us at the Church Leader Breakfast, Men IN Action Breakfast, National Night Out Against Crime, #PurpleInThePews, #PurpleThursday and Dine Out Against Domestic Violence.
Have you checked out our blog latey? Each month, we publish multiple articles designed to educate, equip and engage readers in helping us break the cycle of domestic violence. In the last few weeks, we’ve told a gripping story about a teen’s abusive relationship, we’ve discussed how we can prevent domestic violence during a crisis, we introduced readers to a helpful tool for understanding abuse and we shared an important message from our executive director.
