PTSD Vietnam vet living in shed waiting for VA Claim

Army veteran, living in a shed, waits for help from the VA
Waco Tribune Herald - Waco,TX,USA

By Regina Dennis Tribune-Herald staff writer

Monday, June 08, 2009

Jerry Pole would like to take a warm bath, lay in a comfortable bed and eat a hot meal cooked on a stove.

His current living quarters do not allow for such conveniences. The 57-year-old Army veteran has been living for the past two years in a rented storage shed on an acre of land his girlfriend owns on the outskirts of Bellmead.

Pole is unable to work and takes 13 medications to treat post-traumatic stress disorder and a nervous condition he said was caused by his Army service, which includes a year in Vietnam.

There’s no room for a kitchen or bathroom in the shed, or even space for a refrigerator. A used love seat serves as his bed and takes most of the space.

Pole bathes in a tub behind the shed, using cold water from a hose hooked up to a utility line on the property. The same hose is used to rinse dishes in a makeshift sink in the front yard. Near the “sink,” Pole dug a pit in the front yard and placed a wire grate over the opening, creating a grill to cook food.

“It’s not the best condition to be in, but I’m still thankful for what I do have,” Pole said. “I know it could be a lot worse. I could be living under a bridge with no shelter at all.”

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