When I went to class tonight in S.F. there was a homeless guy outside the Starbucks with a sign saying he was an Iraqi War vet. He had on an Army t-shirt. He was probably about 25. I talked to him and he said he did two tours in Iraq. He showed me the scars on both hands (big scars) where they had removed shrapnel. He told me he came out here from North Carolina (I forget why he came here). He was trying to get enough money for a sleeping bag and a bus ride home. He told me all about his MOS and the VA and all kinds of stuff, and also that he had gotten hit by a car a couple days ago in the streets. He was limping. He told me his name and that he was an Army Spec-4. I gave him a $10 bill and my Starbucks coffee, then we went into the nearby Target and I bought him a sleeping bag (he picked one with a carrying strap). When we got back outside to the street corner I gave him the rest of the money in my wallet ($3), then I went inside the Starbucks and got another $20 and gave that to him too. He was trying to give me gift vouchers or something to pay you back, sir but I told him he had done enough for ME and I could never pay HIM back. I thanked him and told him I was proud of him. He told me NOBODY had ever said that to him.
Posted on: Tue, 27 Jan 2015 07:12:21 +0000