Teeth for an Old Vietnam Marine Soldier

Goal:

 USD $20,000

Raised:

 USD $600

Campaign created by Handel Fletcher

Campaign funds will be received by Handel Fletcher

Teeth for an Old Vietnam Marine Soldier

TEETH FOR AN OLD VIETNAM SOLDIER is an appeal for medical help for my brother Wilbur Fletcher.  In 1966 at the age of 17 he entered into the Marine Corp and fought and built roads in Vietnam as a heavy equipment operator.  He's 76 years old now and I am 73. Obviously he went in the service with perfect health as a young man.  He is an injured decorated Veteran because of his heroic efforts to save his squad.  We are 5 boys in our home growing up. We were brought up in a God-fearing Christian home, children of missionary parents with two brothers born in the United States, two in Mexico and Wilbur (the one I am interceding for) was born in Guatemala while our father taught the Bible and my mother and father sang beautiful duets both in English and in Spanish.

Wilbur was one who always loved helping people and literally and quite often he would give his absolute last to help someone else -- this was ingrained in us by our missionary parents.  Although he didn't know the right and wrong and the hidden agenda of the Vietnam War, he felt it his God given duty to help his country so at the tender age of 17 he joined the U.S. Marine Corp and fought and worked faithfully for 3 tours of 3 years.  He was always very proud of his Marine Corp service and his brothers in the service and always spoke very highly of them ... especially the ones who laid down their lives right next to him on the field in Vietnam.

His decorations for being injured and for saving many of his comrades he always cherished.  Just some of the stories he told me of what happened causes me to tremble and wonder if I (an army veteran) would have had the courage he had to be so Brave!  And yes he has PTSD from the agent orange spraying and psychological resulting effects it caused along with many of his comrades dying everyday all around him, has left upon him a great scar that will be there till God calls him to sleep.  Through the years, I always have monitored and helped him to manage things.  Just to share with you one experience that would make most people faint for fear.  At about 18 years old, because of his leadership skills and christian upbringing they recognized that he had something very special as a leader even though he was so young.  So they sent him out with his squad to do some investigation to see where the Vietcong  were and where they were located.  They encountered a terrible attack and were greatly outnumbered.  With extremely great difficulty they were able to escape with a few casualties.  One of those casualties was the oldest guy in the squad who they called "Pappy".  By the way Pappy was only 29 years old but compared to Will and the others who were barely "kids" of 17, 18 and 19 they nicknamed the oldest guy in the squad Pappy.  During their heroic battle to escape, Pappy took a hit.  His body was practically cut in half by machine gun fire.

My brother Will, at 18, instead of freaking out or losing his mind, went to where Pappy was lying, and Pappy, looking at him with a distant far away look said "hey Will I've been hit".  Will picked up his broken body, walked behind the lines to the doctors and paramedics and said with tears in his eyes "hey doc please put him together again!"  The paramedics looked at Will and said "hey kid" we're not GOD!  We can't do that! And so Pappy went to sleep in Will's arms ... just one of his war decorations he received.  Which brings us to why I am here pleading for any kind of help that anyone would feel it in their heart to help with.

After this event, Will, a heavy equipment operator, was building a road for the Marines to be able to bring in the big tanks and trucks.  All of a sudden his big tractor hit a mine which exploded and slammed him into the dash of the big steel tractor.  He was knocked out cold, injured his back severely and destroyed most all of his teeth.  To this day he has never been healed.  After Will got out of the service in 1969, and throughout the years, you may find this hard to believe but they refused to give him any financial help whatsoever!  Yes!  You heard me right.  He was injured, decorated but they said he didn't deserve any financial help!  Myself and others worked for 30 years just to get him some kind of help but it was to no avail.  But being a man of faith, I never gave up.  I knew in my heart that my brother was unjustly treated and I kept on trying and praying. My brother deserved 100 percent rated benefits as a result of his emotional and physical injuries he has not been able to hold down a regular job for more than 30 years. Finally, after 30 years, my brother Al and I were able to get only 10 percent help for him ... but we didn't complain because we figured 10% is better than the 0% percent he had unjustly been receiving for more than 30 years.

Because of the injuries his teeth have been gradually falling out.  And just a few weeks ago the final upper teeth he had fell out and he only has a few, maybe 6 or 7 on the bottom.  As a result He has not had any solid food to eat for about 3 weeks now at the writing of this request.  -- He has lived on only water soup because he can't chew.  He's always been slender at 6'1 and around 167 but when I took him to the VA Hospital a week ago to see if they would help him, they only weighed him but but refused to help him and they weighed him at 143.  He is very weak now because of not being able to eat any solid food. What Great Injustice!  He's literally skin and bones.  I did not tell him, but I could see that he won't be around long if he is not very soon able to eat some solid food. The doctors say that he needs upper and lower dental implants which are a bit costly!  Especially in his case because they have to do some special work due to his war injuries to his jaw.

I've been trying to get financial help by credit, but unfortunately my credit they say is a little too low.  It needs to be at least 650 and my credit is only about 580 so no one will lend me money to help my brother.  

I've kept from him the knowledge that we don't have the money yet but we're just working by faith because of his PTSD causes him to get extremely upset or worried when things don't go right. So to keep him calm I've kept from him the financial hill were facing  Yes!  This is a very sad story of both loyalty and injustice.  But I believe the Holy Word of God that the justice of God and His thoughts and ways are infinitely greater than the justice and ways of man and that God, sooner or later, will make all wrong perish and all right eternal for He says in Isaiah 55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Thank you so kindly for  taking the time to read this short history and whatever financial help you are able to give on behalf of an Old Vietnam Soldier. 

With warmest regards, may God guide, protect and bless you in a very special way and thanking you in advance for whatever you're able to do!

Yours forever in Christ!  Handel,

PS.:  My brother Will is the one on the left

PSS:  Your prayers will also be greatly appreciated.

Recent Donations
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Anonymous Giver
$ 100.00 USD
1 month ago

We love you broo. Mona SPRAGUE’s

Anonymous Giver
$ 25.00 USD
1 month ago

God bless you

Anonymous Giver
$ 100.00 USD
6 months ago

Praying God gives you those teeth! Thank you for your service.

Leilani Goudeau
$ 100.00 USD
6 months ago

God Bless

Douglas Spence
$ 100.00 USD
6 months ago

Anonymous Giver
$ 5.00 USD
6 months ago

Anonymous Giver
$ 50.00 USD
6 months ago

Anonymous Giver
$ 20.00 USD
6 months ago

So sorry we can't depend on the VA or Gov. to help in cases like this. May God bless you and Will.

Anonymous Giver
$ 100.00 USD
6 months ago

I pray for the Lord's blessings on these donations.

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