Vietnam veteran Rick Hart offers basement bunker wonderland

Basement's a refuge for vets, military
By Chris Reid


MONROE - Vietnam veteran Rick Hart lives by the mantra of never leaving a fellow soldier behind.

Hart and his wife, Linda Lue Hart, have been working out of their basement for years to help send boxes of supplies to troops overseas.

Recently, they discovered a new way to contribute.

Their basement has been transformed into a wonderland of games, jukeboxes and countless novelty items and photographs. It's a space the Harts created to invite friends and neighbors over for fundraisers and parties, or for soldiers when they're in town.

"I think that my arcade games and the bar and the ambiance of this place is what attracts people down here," said Hart, a Marine veteran. "We couldn't convert some VFW or Legion hall into something like this." Hart's mission was to create a place where people could get a good deal for their money - whatever amount that may be.

The Harts hosted their most recent fundraiser on Saturday, when they invited guests to come together for fellow veteran Frank Tate. Tate, who also served in the Marine Corps during Vietnam, developed cirrhosis of the liver, a condition some doctors believed is directly linked to Agent Orange exposure, the herbicide used in Vietnam.
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Basement a refuge for vets, military