Veteran Decides To Donate A Car To Charity

I remember those days in Vietnam like they were yesterday.

The memories are still very painful and, if I could, I would block them out. But, I know those memories will remain forever etched in my brain, just like the faces of the men I fought with. Men that didn’t make it back home like I did.

Sometimes I think why me? Why did I make it back and not them? But then again, coming home wasn’t so rosy either.

I remember coming back. I was so anxious to get out of that hell hole and to return to the people I loved. I thought for sure that my comrades and I would be greeted like heroes, greeted with open arms by our fellow Americans.

But I was wrong. It was such a different time back then.

We were called baby killers. We felt despised and some people even spat on us. It just didn’t make any sense.

Thankfully, those days are long gone and my comrades and I, veterans who served in Vietnam, finally feel like we are being paid the respect we feel we deserve.

Now, I worry about the young men and women serving in Iraq who, I am sure, must be going through some of the same torment as what we went through.

I’m thankful that our country seems to have learned from its mistakes and is now supporting our valiant men and women oversees.

As I get older however, I seem to be quickly losing my physical capabilities. My mind may still be sharp, but the hard life I have led is finally catching up to me and my body simply doesn’t want to respond properly anymore.

It’s now to the point where simply driving has become rather difficult for me and my doctor has recommended that I stop driving altogether.

I dreaded it at the time but it was probably in my best interest to get rid of my car. I decided that I would have to depend upon public transportation and the kindness my family to get me around.

Thankfully, before I decided to get rid of my car, I knew about the National Veterans Services Fund. The NVSF helped me and my family over the years many times, so it only made sense for me to give something back.

I was aware that the National Veterans Services Fund received some of its funding from car donations made on behalf of charity. So when I decided to get rid of my car, making a car donation on behalf of the NVSF seemed like the most logical choice.

I really didn’t feel like going through the hassles of trying to sell my car. Perhaps I could have given my car to one of my family members but, honestly, they all have nicer cars than me anyway.

I never realized how easy it was to make a car donation to charity until I went through the process myself. The car donation processing center took car of everything. They came and picked up my car donation and they also handled all the paperwork.

I feel great that the money raised through the sale of my car donation went to support the National Veterans Services Fund.

My hopes are that my little car donation will somehow make a difference in the lives of at least one veteran and his family. Making a car donation really made me feel like I was doing my part and giving something back.

We may not have received a hero’s welcome way back then, but in my view, it is never too late to let veterans know that they always were – and always will be – heroes who served so proudly and so honorably.

Semper Fi!

John P.