Homeless, disabled veteran becomes poet

HOMELESS DISABLED VETERAN AND POET - TRAPPED IN AUBURN
By RLitchfield1
CORNELIUS COLLIER - WARRIOR, POET, DISABLED, HOMELESS, PAROLEE

This is the fifteenth article in a series of articles written to promote the Saturday, April 14th, 2012, charity showing of local film maker and Placer High School Graduate Ryan Frew’s documentary film about the homeless in Auburn, called, “Life is Mandatory.” The film will be shown at the State Theater in Auburn. The funds raised will be used to assist Auburn Area Homeless People. Written by local attorney, author, and Instructor at Sierra College, Bob Litchfield.

Cornelius Collier is a gentle, highly intelligent, African American Veteran of the United States Army. He is also a poet. His poetry is really good.

Cornelius is disabled, homeless, and on parole.

"In 2007, he had triple by-pass heart surgery at a hospital in Portland, Oregon.

Since he had little money, the hospital in Portland claimed that they had no room for him after his surgery, and he was transferred to the VA Hospital in Reno, Nevada where they thought that he would be admitted for his recuperation.

The VA Hospital in Reno told him to go to Auburn, California, and from there, he would be admitted to the VA Hospital in Yountsville, California for his recuperation.

But when he got to Auburn, he was refused admittance to the VA Hospital in Yountsville. He ended up penniless, homeless, and recovering from heart surgery in Auburn while sleeping in a tent."

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