Giving a blind veteran hope, shelter
Marine veteran John Shelton is thankful to American Legion Family members such as Benjamin Vanetten (left) who fixed his apartment roof and floors after they were severely damaged from a storm. Photo by Lucas Carter

Giving a blind veteran hope, shelter

 

During a memorable cold December in Phoenix, Marine veteran John Shelton’s condo bore the brunt of a storm. The roof and main floor of Shelton’s condo were severely damaged when rainwater poured in from his neighbors’ roofs.

Shelton, a Vietnam veteran who is legally blind, was too proud to ask for help. Instead, he hid himself under blankets as the winter air infiltrated his living room and dropped the temperature to 40 degrees. He came close to walking away from his home.

But 10 days after the storm on another rainy night, Judi Beischel arrived on his doorstep, telling Shelton, “Let’s get something going here.”

Beischel, a member of American Legion Post 58 in Fountain Hills, Ariz., heard of his plight from Eileen Higgins, a post employee who has known Shelton for 25 years.

“I was really humbled that someone I had never met had taken an interest in my situation,” Shelton recalled. “That’s what got the ball rolling on everything. She’s a lifesaver, a real lifesaver.”

Higgins says she was angry the first time she saw Shelton after the storm. “Neither the homeowners association or the insurance people would take responsibility,” she said. “John is a veteran. I worked in a veterans facility. I am going to ask to see what can be done.”

Higgins notified Beischel, who spurred Post 58, its Sons of The American Legion (SAL) squadron and Auxiliary unit all into action.

“We have a lot of good volunteers and good people,” Beischel said. “If you ask people and tell them why you need them, they will step up and do it. Ours did.”

SAL members donated their time and energy to fixing the roof and floor. The Auxiliary unit prepared hot meals and care packages for Shelton. “We just weren’t going to take no for an answer,” Beischel said. “It took about six months before the roof was finished. And another three weeks for the floor. The ladies would send soup, homemade dinner. We all just tried to help in what ways we could.”

Benjamin Vanetten, a SAL member, estimates that he spent 40 to 50 hours working at Shelton’s home. When Vanetten first saw the condo, he looked up and instead of a roof, all he saw were the ceiling joists.

“The house needed new sheetrock, insulation, paint, the whole bit,” said Vanetten, a chef by trade but a handyman on the side, who was assisted by fellow SAL members Nick Krentiras and Tom Thompson. "Judi came to the Sons and asked if we would like to help out. When we first walked in, the guy had no carpet, just a concrete floor. No insulation, no ceiling, it was totally blown out. We started with the cleanup and then the insulation. I kept going back until it was done. And he was so happy. It was definitely worth the effort.”

Like Beischel, Vanetten had not known Shelton before working on his condo. “He needed a hand. And that’s what we’re all about. That’s what this whole institution is about. That’s why we are here.”

As part of his 4x4 campaign, American Legion National Commander Mike Helm encouraged posts, units and squadrons to work together on membership, fundraising and other initiatives. “The team at Post 58 exemplifies the good that can – and does – happen when American Legion posts, Sons of The American Legion squadrons and American Legion Auxiliary units work together. Their work on behalf of John Shelton is how we take care of our veterans.”

Shelton now admits that he was in a dire situation. He had no job, lost his sight, and his home sustained severe damage. “I was pretty amazed (by all the people who helped),” he said. “I was kind of down at the time. It renewed my confidence and faith that there are a lot of good people out there. I think the bottom line of all of it is that it made me a better person. Everything has turned out just the way it was supposed to. Thanks to this post for everything it has done for me.”

With his home stabilized and his mindset secured, Shelton sought out additional help and applied for a guide dog.

Now Shelton fills his days with Yolo, his Labrador retriever. They go for long walks daily. “We don’t slow down, we just keep going,” Shelton said.

Shelton was not a member of the Legion before Post 58 helped out but he is now.

“I’m a grouchy old man,” Shelton said. “But this gave me a good feeling about these people. They did it for me, not to make themselves or their service organization look good. I really appreciate everything that everyone did for me. That comes from the heart.”