CRESTVIEW — Sgt. Greg Gierhart served in the Army and the Air Force, retiring in 1994.
Now he’d just like a home that doesn’t leak.
His current residence is a small, 2006 former FEMA trailer, manufactured as temporary housing for hurricane survivors who lost their homes or had to live elsewhere while their homes were repaired.
Now it’s falling apart and leaks.
Friends from Crestview’s American Legion Post 75, of which Gierhart is a member, have searched the area and believe they’ve found a 30-foot camper that will suit Gierhart just fine.
If only he could afford it.
But among other challenges, Gierhart is battling bladder cancer and is unable to work, and consequently can’t afford the $5,000 cost.
“Financially the medical bills are killing me,” Gierhart said.
LEAKY TRAILER
“I saw his trailer,” his friend and fellow Legionnaire, Lydia Benoit, said. “Once I got in there and looked at it, I was like, ‘you need more than a rebuilding. It's gonna cost us more.’”
Fixing his present trailer isn’t an option, Benoit said.
“From experience, having a camper myself, I know what it costs to fix it,” she said. “I said, ‘What you need is a new one—a newer one.’”
Gierhart and his Legion friends jumped into action. He gave the post his 1999 Chevrolet Cavalier, which, Benoit said, “would make a great second car for someone needing to go to work, or a kid for his first job to have reliable transportation to get to work.”
“It’s the only thing of value that he really had,” she said. “He had this car and he said, ‘Well what can we do?’
“I looked at the car, and it's in pretty good shape, body wise, it's got good tires, the motor's good, probably needs a tune-up. I paid to have some minor work on the car.”
CAR RAFFLE
The legion is raffling the car for $20 a ticket from its James Lee post on State Road 85, where the Cavalier can be viewed.
“It’s a nice little car,” Gierhart said.
Then again, any help would be appreciated.
Benoit said Gierhart’s change of service branch and change of status from reserves to active duty complicated his situation with the Veterans Administration.
“He doesn't get any help from the VA,” she said. “He's not entitled to a pension of any source because he has split service. So he has to wait till he's like 62.
“When he went into the military he was Army. When you go in as a reserve or a guard member, as opposed to a full time active duty, there are certain things you're not entitled to until you reach a specific age.
“He separated and rejoined the military as active duty Air Force.”
Currently a certified nursing assistant periodically calls on Gierhart, who lives on Social Security benefits, which mostly cover his car insurance, food and medical expenses.
A trailer that doesn’t leak would be a dramatic change on his outlook, Benoit said.
“Trailers leak a lot if you don't maintain them,” she said. “We've maintained ours a lot and ours still leaked. It probably was not in the best of conditions when he got it.”
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WANT TO HELP?
Raffle tickets for a 1999 Chevy Cavalier to raise funds for a Crestview-area veteran’s new trailer home are available for $20 each at American Legion Post 75, 898 James Lee Blvd. E., 689-3195. The vehicle may be viewed at the post. It has a solid body, no rust, good tires, recently changed brakes and a recent oil change.
Raffle tickets for a 1999 Chevy Cavalier to raise funds for a Crestview-area veteran’s new trailer home are available for $20 each at American Legion Post 75, 898 James Lee Blvd. E., 689-3195. The vehicle may be viewed at the post. It has a solid body, no rust, good tires, recently changed brakes and a recent oil change.
WANT TO HELP?
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Funds sought for veteran's new home