A Morning I Will Never Forget

2008-11-23T11:47:00.001-08:00

I stand beside the homeless veteran of Desert Storm, tears streaming down my face.

I feel his grief over the loss of his oldest son in Iraq.

I know I’m supposed to be objective. I’m a student journalist, right?

But the story of Terry Lee Davis hits way too close to home.

My father, Staff Sgt. Jose Gerardo, is on his third tour of duty in Iraq. His unit, the 2ⁿ^d Battalion of the 149^thAviation Brigade, has only been in Iraq since
August -- and the unit’s already lost seven soldiers, all in a CH-47 helicopter crash.

And I knew five of them. Five men I respected and loved.

So the story of Davis’ life—and the difficulties he faces — is far more than an exercise in journalism. It’s a story of tragedy and dealing with misfortune. It makes me see loss of a soldier in a different perspective, from a father’s point of view.

Davis, 53, comes from a strong military family. One brother served in the Air Force. Another served in the Navy. His father, a Navy Seal, died in the 9/11 attack on our country, Davis says.

Terry Lee Davis spent 20 years in the Army, serving in the special forces. “The reason I joined the military was to serve my country, like my family did,” he says.

After retirement, Davis worked as a cook, but lost his job and found himself homeless in South Carolina.

His oldest son followed him into the Army and according to Davis, was killed by a sniper in Iraq. A younger son, Josh, is also homeless in Columbia.

Davis spends his days at the public library in downtown Columbia.

And his nights in a shelter.

During the election, Davis campaigned for Barack Obama with the hope he would bring change to the country and jobs for homeless veterans.

So I stand there, meeting Terry Lee Davis, getting to know him.

And I realize that now I understand the homeless and the challenges they face more than ever.

Now I understand that homeless people are real people, with real families, real losses and real stories.

Now I understand that we stereotype the homeless because we never take the time to get to know the woman in dirty clothes digging through the trash, the old man with holes in his shoes sleeping under the bridge, the man with sad eyes holding a cardboard sign: “hungry + tired wil wurk 4 food.”

I understand Homeless For the Homeless made a difference for me.

And I hope it made a difference for Terry, too.

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A Morning I Will Never Forget