Homeless Vietnam veteran Linwood Earl Parker's body found in Hawaii

Homeless war veteran found dead on Nimitz Highway
Submitted by HawaiiNewsNow Web Staff
Tuesday, September 4th, 2012

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - The Honolulu Police Department is investigating the death of a homeless Vietnam veteran who was discovered on Nimitz Highway early Tuesday morning.

Karen Decker says 65-year-old Linwood Earl Parker was like a father to her. She said she last saw Parker alive last Friday, Aug. 31.

"He'd come over and watch movies and we'd cook every day," said Decker.

Decker, 42, said she found Parker around 2 a.m. where he sleeps under the Nimitz Highway. Honolulu Police got the call around 6 a.m. Decker said her friend has been living in a crawlspace under Nimitz Highway for at least a decade, and on the streets for twice as long after the Vietnam War.

"I've tried for the last eight years to figure out how I can take him out," said Decker who's originally from Oregon. She told him, "You know there's more people worse in the world than you, that have suffered more than you and stuff, you got to let it go, you know, but that's hard."

Police don't suspect foul play. Decker believes he died in his sleep. She said Parker suffered from alcoholism and anemia and was hospitalized a few days ago for pneumonia at Tripler Army Medical Center. Moreover, she said he still suffered from the wounds of war.

"He was still in war," said Decker. "He'd have bad nightmares. He was there and it was still going on."
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