Begging WWII Vet Yesterday

[resinryder]

Yesterday afternoon I was over on the other side of town in a shopping center.
As my wife and I were waiting our turn at the stop sign to turn onto the main road, I noticed a 80 to 85 plus year old guy sitting in a wheel chair shyly hold up a sign. It read, WWII vet. Hungry please help. He was clean, with a couple days worth of gray stubble, and looked embarrassed to be there. He struggled to get out the chair so I got out the passenger side I was on and quickly walked to him. I handed the old guy a 20 dollar bill, he smiled and said something softly I couldn't understand. I turned around to get back into the car. When we pulled up to the sign to make the turn, he had by this time stood up and was saluting me while shaking badly, crying, and mouthed thank you.
This guy tore my heart out. It's a shame that this is what things have come to.
Could it have been a scam? Could it be he was for real? I don't know. But I do know this. With no increase in social security for the next 2 years, cuts being proposed in excess of 500 billion to medicaid, and housing losses, I'm afraid this type of scene is going to become more and more common. I surely hope not!
Just thought I'd share this with you guys. I can't get the sight of him saluting, shaking, and crying out of my head as we drove away.

 

[Haps]

Well done.

 

[vonforne]

My father in law......a German man is a WW 2 vet. You should have shook his hand in respect. Ferdinand (my father in laws name) was on the receiving side of the Americans assault on Italy. Those men on both sides should recieve the greatest of respect. It was not their fault to have to fight .

V

 

[JohnnyATL]

that 20 will come back to you man. I usually refrain from giving bums money here cause they are all crackheads, but if it was like an 80 year old wwII vet i would prob give him some cash.

usually i will only give food to homeless, just because of the rampant substance abuse problems. I would rather give them a double cheeseburger or burrito that cost a dollar than give then a dollar for booze or hard drugs.

of couse if i lived in a box i would prob smoke crack too..

 

[Asil]

I try to never hand out money, But I have swung through Mcdonalds and got a bunch of dollar burgers for them. The always seem for tug at my heart.

Well done sir! K+++ for u

 

[BudGood]

Very classy man.

 

[h^2 O]

chances are the guy has alzheimers or dimensia and walked out of his nursing home or VA hospital a couple days before. Was there anything like that in the news?

 

[Stoner4Life]

I try to never hand out money, But I have swung through Mcdonalds and got a bunch of dollar burgers for them. The always seem for tug at my heart.

Well done sir! K+++ for u

good move, once or twice a week in the winter when temps were low & the homeless needed a meal more than the $$ I'd also buy a bag of burgers & a bag of fries and hit the side streets I knew they'd be hanging out in midtown manhattan from the empire state building to grand central terminal. This goes back to the 70s/80s......

 

[KGB47]

Yesterday afternoon I was over on the other side of town in a shopping center.
As my wife and I were waiting our turn at the stop sign to turn onto the main road, I noticed a 80 to 85 plus year old guy sitting in a wheel chair shyly hold up a sign. It read, WWII vet. Hungry please help. He was clean, with a couple days worth of gray stubble, and looked embarrassed to be there. He struggled to get out the chair so I got out the passenger side I was on and quickly walked to him. I handed the old guy a 20 dollar bill, he smiled and said something softly I couldn't understand. I turned around to get back into the car. When we pulled up to the sign to make the turn, he had by this time stood up and was saluting me while shaking badly, crying, and mouthed thank you.
This guy tore my heart out. It's a shame that this is what things have come to.
Could it have been a scam? Could it be he was for real? I don't know. But I do know this. With no increase in social security for the next 2 years, cuts being proposed in excess of 500 billion to medicaid, and housing losses, I'm afraid this type of scene is going to become more and more common. I surely hope not!
Just thought I'd share this with you guys. I can't get the sight of him saluting, shaking, and crying out of my head as we drove away.

God bless you, your kindness will come back to you tenfold.

 

[Mr. Freeman]

Dude thats really sad. I would've given him $100.

K+ to you

 

[habeeb]

Could it have been a scam? Could it be he was for real?

isn't doesn't matter, what matters is what you do

I have giving alot through out my short life, and I have learned a lesson, give if you want to give, and expect nothing in return.. that is true giving

 

[shaunmulok]

good on ya man k+

 

[icmag.is.#1]

isn't doesn't matter, what matters is what you do

I have giving alot through out my short life, and I have learned a lesson, give if you want to give, and expect nothing in return.. that is true giving

exactly what that guy said

would of thought it would of been posted sooner

 

[Mr. Burgundy]

Keep on keepin on folks!

Sometimes I am torn. I have taken leftovers from dinner out, and given it to any moms with kids. In college my frat would take trays and trays of food to the local homeless shelter-after our events, etc. I have given generously, not because of their pain-but because of my own pain. Its selfish, I know. But its how I deal with being homeless as a kid.
But since I am a Vet, and I hate to see my experience exploited-I will sometimes jam a guy up that looks like he may be fronting. I have studied enough military history to ask a guy, "where was Basic? What unit did you belong to? You are a Marine? How many General Orders are there? You ever do a WESTPAC?
I used to work in SF-and this homeless fellow had on a SEAL TEAM TWO hat. If I didn't feel like he bullshitted me after we played "Jewish geography," I would have helped him out.
The other day in Berkeley, I saw a guy that was panhandling running down the street, pretty fast I might add. This got my interest, so I decided to see what happens.

Turns out he was catching the meter maid, and he had to move his truck at the last minute.
What a piece of sh*t. It took everything in me to not follow this clown and kick the shit out of him.

There are real people with real problems that need that money more than him.

K+ to all you out there helping those down on their luck. Please do not let the assholes ruin it for the good ones out there...

Stay Classy!

 

[Guest50138]

ive lived a priveged live thanks to all the solders who have served and given myself and my family a safe place to live our lives, story breaks my heart ,these poor old buggers should be treated like gods,not turned out to fend for themself. and what Mr Burgundy said "K+ to all you out there helping those down on their luck. Please do not let the assholes ruin it for the good ones out there..." Respect .Oldman

 

[all4one1forall]

I think the best thing is to offer food. If you can afford to give cash twenty would be a lot. Maybe food and four or five dollars too. If you can spend some time with the needy that is the best to do. Get a good read of how they will spend the money than if you can afford to give maybe more than five. Also if you spend time you can find out what they will spend the money on. Maybe they want a jacket or shoes or someother clothing item. Instead of cash you can give them some of your not so used stuff or go to a thriftstore and get some real good values there for them. Either way it is truly better to give than to receive. You'll find out that when you are charitabel your kindness will return at least threefold. Keep up the good work. The force is with you!

 

[buckeye-leaf]

you're a good man resin!

 

[smokesalot420]

You did an awesome thing, thank you for caring!

You're going to be seeing more and more of this! Not because of SS or medicare, but because many combat vets no longer feel like they can function in society when they return from combat .... PTSD is only starting to be understood and with the increased tour of duties on U.S. soldiers serving overseas in combat zones is currently causing a rise in this (the more tours and combat a soldier faces the more likely they will develop PTSD).....

I saw a line on the bottom of the news yesterday talking about an increase in women homeless veterans for the first time..... It is sad that people serve their country and are tossed aside when they are done being used by their government. I am a veteran myself who somewhat understands what it is like to try to transition back to civilian life; they program people to be killers but do not deprogram them, what do they expect to happen to soldiers when they get out?

I predict an increase in violence by ex-veterans who suffer from severe PTSD against family, ex's, and the community in general.

 

[ureapwhatusow]

Yesterday afternoon I was over on the other side of town in a shopping center.
As my wife and I were waiting our turn at the stop sign to turn onto the main road, I noticed a 80 to 85 plus year old guy sitting in a wheel chair shyly hold up a sign. It read, WWII vet. Hungry please help. He was clean, with a couple days worth of gray stubble, and looked embarrassed to be there. He struggled to get out the chair so I got out the passenger side I was on and quickly walked to him. I handed the old guy a 20 dollar bill, he smiled and said something softly I couldn't understand. I turned around to get back into the car. When we pulled up to the sign to make the turn, he had by this time stood up and was saluting me while shaking badly, crying, and mouthed thank you.
This guy tore my heart out. It's a shame that this is what things have come to.
Could it have been a scam? Could it be he was for real? I don't know. But I do know this. With no increase in social security for the next 2 years, cuts being proposed in excess of 500 billion to medicaid, and housing losses, I'm afraid this type of scene is going to become more and more common. I surely hope not!
Just thought I'd share this with you guys. I can't get the sight of him saluting, shaking, and crying out of my head as we drove away.

"you must spread more reputation before giving it to resin rider again"

no scam ppl of that age had integrity and trusted their retirement to a generation of thieves

 

[h^2 O]

do you think he made it through the night?

don't feel bad for the guy - bring him to the VA hospital. End of story.