Daniel, U.S. Army Veteran
Over the course of a few weeks in the autumn of 2009, everything in Daniel’s life fell apart at once: he lost his job, his wife filed for divorce, and for the first time in his life he faced criminal charges. Previously, he had served his country in the infantry and training as a sniper, then after his honorable discharge, moved to Torrington with his wife and two children. “We had a household income of $100,000 per year, a 5-bedroom home, plus a 2-bedroom for my mother-in-law, and 4 cars. We were living quite well.”
Yet Daniel’s failing marriage, substance abuse, and mental health problems became too much for him to handle. “I went from homeowner to homeless, almost over night,” says Daniel. When he first brought his legal issues to the Connecticut Veterans Legal Center (CVLC), he was living at the VA hospital in West Haven with nowhere else to go.
After Daniel attended intensive substance abuse treatment and stabilized his mental health issues, he was ready to start rebuilding his life. However, legal issues kept him from getting back on track. Pending criminal charges prevented him from returning to his job, and worries about his disintegrating marriage took all of his time and attention. The CVLC took on both issues to help Daniel build stability and peace of mind.
CVLC Executive Director Margaret Middleton represented Daniel and managed to get the criminal charges dismissed. “Ms. Margaret came to court with me and did what anyone else would do in a military situation; she put herself in the line of fire and tackled my problems in a pitbullish manner,” says Daniel. “I never lie to her because I would hate to be on her bad side.”
With his criminal issues resolved, the CVLC turned to getting Daniel help with his divorce. His marriage was constantly fraught with confrontation, conflict and accusations. Middleton enlisted a pro bono attorney, who helped Daniel get divorced as amicably as possible. He protected Daniel’s interests when Daniel was often too distraught to do so himself.
Now, recently divorced and free of a criminal record, Daniel is getting on with his life. He’s moved out of the hospital into supportive transitional housing for homeless veterans, and he is thinking about going back to school to become a pastor. A few months ago, a dream like that seemed out of reach, but thanks in part to the work of the CVLC, it becomes more feasible every day. “Most of us are very good at getting ourselves into trouble but not good at getting ourselves out of it, representing ourselves,” says Daniel. “That’s why we need someone like Ms. Margaret.”
Daniel is one of the many veterans that the dedicated staff and volunteers of the CT Veterans Legal Center are helping everyday.
“I went from homeowner to homeless, almost overnight.”
* This story has been used with the permission of the veteran. His name has been changed to protect his identity.