Take
a look at what it's meant to a post-Vietnam vet and a US Navy vet who didn't
see combat.
Steven Waller
served in the Navy from 2002-2006. "I didn't feel needed, I didn't feel
wanted anywhere...with anything...I came back home and still was expected to be
a man, be an adult...but my mind still wasn't there. And, when I came here, I
have a great sense of feeling of helping other people. I feel good for helping
them. I feel like I am somebody because I started this organization to help
people," he says.
Not all wounds
are visible. That's what Steven finally had to accept before he could reach out
for help after his post-service life began to fall apart. He even lived on the
streets for a year and a half. "My pride kept me from going to the VA- and
I didn't know there was a lot of things I qualified for," Steven says.
Larry
Millstead sees it all the time. "They don't reach out to the VA because
they don't see themselves as a veteran...because they didn't deploy to a combat
region or they don't have a physical wound; you know, not all wounds are
physical and not all warriors are wounded. There can be those that just need a
little bit of motivation, of pick me up to say, 'hey, here's a helping hand.
let's get you back on your feet and see which direction you want to go
in," he says.
Opening a
branch of the AWP in Aiken was a natural fit for Larry and the Aiken Tech
Student Veterans founder, Steven Waller. As an advocate, Larry can guide
veterans returning to campus. He understands that the transition can be
extremely hard. "Whether it's education, housing, employment, healthcare,
family relationships... we can link them to the community organization, the
state or federal organization that will assist them with that particular need
that's going on in their life," Larry says.
Neil Reed was
in the service in the late 1970's, but he qualified for services through the
AWP. Thanks to this Aiken Warrior Project office, he has direction and a
support system. "There are a lot of good people just through a couple of
little circumstances and they're lost... and I was one of those
people," he says.
Now, Neil's on
the path to a new career, after what he calls a "series of misadventures"
left him homeless. "But through going to school here and having very good
instructors, and Larry, you know I picked myself up and have been able to move
forward... but it's scary, it's very, very scary," he says.
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