Davie, Fla. – Broward Sherriff deputies helped out a 79-year-old Vietnam veteran on Wednesday afternoon after learning the man was homeless.
Love, a Vietnam veteran, spent 4 months living out of a van in a Davie parking lot and was left homeless by his deceased wife.
“My wife sold my car, my house and took off,” said Love.
Sergeant Michael Weiner who was off duty at the time noticed that Love was in the front passenger seat of his car in a Davie parking lot when he approached him.
“Something just drew some attention to me, it looked odd, out of place,” said Weiner. “I noticed that he was sitting in the front passenger seat by himself.”
After asking who he was and who was driving the car, Love told Sgt. Weiner, “Nobody--I’m driving the car.”
After their interaction, Weiner passed down Love’s information, and organizations Mission United and Legacy Closet stepped in providing food, clothes and a hotel room for the veteran.
Deputy Michael Francis of BSO’s homeless outreach unit also stepped in.
“If Sgt. Weiner had not intervened --and i know it gets emotional for you, I believe that we would have lost a veteran out there on the streets due to circumstance and homelessness,” said Francis.
According to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, 37,252 Vietnam veterans have experienced homelessness since January 2011.
This weekend, Sgt. Weiner will accompany Hayward on an honor flight for a day trip to Washington, D.C to visit war memorials.
The Legacy Closet is hoping to help Love find long-term housing so he can leave the Extended Stay hotel and into something more permanent.