Dan, a 78-year-old army veteran who has lived in his Kittitas home for nearly 30 years, has survived the Vietnam War, personal tragedies, and even a tornado touchdown. Despite the adversity he has faced, he hasn’t lost his positive outlook on life. When his home needed repairs, the Habitat SKKC Repair Team was happy to help serve a veteran who dedicated his life in service to his country.
Dan grew up in North Carolina. When his parents divorced, he relocated to Idaho with his mother after she remarried. He grew up on a small horse ranch with his mother and stepfather until his stepfather died in a tragic accident while working on his car. After that, Dan and his mom moved to Oregon. His mother later remarried again to a truck driver connected to Ellensburg, Washington, and Dan eventually ended up moving to the area.
When he turned 18, Dan enlisted in the military on December 29, 1966. He went in under the buddy system with a childhood friend. The military buddy system pairs enlisted soldiers with a partner for support, training, and safety, and they can remain partnered throughout their service.
Dan served for two years, including during the Tet Offensive in 1968. During that time, the best friend he enrolled with was killed. Dan had to escort his body home and speak with his friend’s family, a difficult experience. He was given 90 days to return to service to keep his rank, and so he re-enlisted and went back, volunteering again for Vietnam. During his time in service, he was also stationed in Alaska and Germany and was a Sergeant E5 when he left the military.
Around 1973, while waiting for orders at Fort Knox, Kentucky with his wife and their 18-month-old son, the family was caught in a F5 tornado. The tornado destroyed houses, put them in the hospital, and severely injured his wife, who broke her femur and hip. Dan himself was injured in his eye. A captain had found his infant son, miraculously safe, in a field after the storm. When they returned later, there was nothing left of the house except the concrete steps.
After that difficult period, he and his wife divorced. He returned to Ellensburg after leaving the military for the second time. Once out of the military, Dan worked various odd jobs, including at local Twin City Foods and Anderson Hay and Grain. Eventually, at 65, he retired.
In 1998, he had a big stroke of luck when he bought a lottery ticket and won a small amount of money. On his father’s advice, he used that money to pay off his home. Paying off his home gave him stability, and he has lived there ever since.
He now has a girlfriend named Sharon, and they have been together for 14 years. They met at bingo and still play the game on date nights. He spends time with her regularly, helping her with appointments and visiting each other. “That’s the love of my life,” he said, beaming.
Sharon was the one to first tell him about Habitat SKKC’s repair program and suggested he reach out a few years back to have his home repainted. Since then, the team has continued to help him with repairs, including replacing his toilet and adding new pavers in his yard. Having the repair team help him stay safely in his home means he can focus on managing his finances carefully, spending time with Sharon, and finding ways to stay active.
Sometimes, when he tires of watching sports on television, he’ll turn on music and dance in his living room, what he referred to as “acting a fool.” His playful spirit keeps him youthful and helps him maintain his positive outlook. When the Habitat SKKC team worked on his home, he turned oldies on and invited everybody inside for lunch. “It’s a party in here,” he remarked.
Having Habitat SKKC in his life has improved things for him, and he appreciates everything the team has done for his home. He has lived in his home for over a quarter century, and it means a lot to him to have this stability after a life full of ups and downs. Dan said, “I just keep on trucking. You’re only as old as you feel.”
The project was fully funded by a generous grant from The Home Depot Foundation.
