During the heat of election night Tuesday, a group of men and women gathered inside one of St. Vincent de Paul office. They varied greatly in age and appearance and hosted a range of demeanors. Some were open and friendly, offering food, telling stories and cracking jokes. Others said nothing at all— quiet, never moving, never flinching and not saying a word. These men and women are, or were at one point, homeless American military veterans. They are members of programs called Grant and Per Diem, and Vet LIFT, organized by St. Vincent de Paul.
The GPD program at St. Vincent de Paul helps veterans who may be unaware of their benefit options find the resources they need to tap into Veterans Affairs assistance. In addition to housing, the program also assists veterans with pursuing educations with GI Bill benefits. They provide rent-subsidized housing, but with rules banning alcohol use and illicit substances.
Its Eugene programs are housed in a series of apartment complexes and offices near Eugene’s Whitaker neighborhood.
As a portion of its 2009 “Five Year Plan to End Homelessness among Veterans,” the VA identified 22 percent of the homeless population as military veterans, but some non-government agencies have cited the number as high as 30 percent.
According to data collected by the Department of Veteran’s Affairs, on any given night in the United States there are approximately 131,000 homeless veterans, and the mission shows each one has a different story.
“Five years ago, I was a homeless veteran,” Vet LIFT and GPD case manager Dave Martina said. “I was married twice, I had two kids, but due to my mental stability I was having problems.”
Sitting back in an office chair, flanked on the left by a portrait of John Wayne and on the right by an American flag, 64-year-old Martina left the Vietnam War and returned home to a some family members holding anti-war sentiments. Facing a new life alone, he worked in the trucking industry before falling into hard times.
“Everyone is aware of Vietnam; everyone is aware of the homecoming we got,” he said.
Martina said that he always felt a bit like a recluse before becoming involved with the St. Vincent de Paul programs and that he now has a sense of community.
“This program is designed to bring people in off the streets and it’s been very successful,” he said.
The image of the down-and-out on his luck veteran asking for change on the street corner became an often stereotyped image following the end of the Vietnam War.
Excessive use of hard drugs and alcohol, often combined with symptoms of then unrecognized Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, created the largest veteran homeless population the country had ever seen. According to the statistics collected by the NGO National Coalition for Homeless Veterans and sponsored in part by the VA, nearly half of all homeless veterans served during the Vietnam War.
Younger than Martina at age 49, but bearing a similar story, Navy veteran Jay Jones is more than just a large man, he’s absolutely massive.  Huge biceps and a thick handlebar mustache give Jones the appearance of an 1980s a cross between Jesse Ventura and Hulk Hogan.
After leaving the Navy in the 1980’s, Jones, like Martina, entered the trucking industry. In this profession, he became heavily involved with methamphetamine in order to stay alert on long hauls, and as a result spent a majority of the last 20 years in and out of the Oregon State Prison System.
Jones finished his last prison stay over a year ago and is now looking to move on with his life. He said that he was married at one point and now has an adult son that he hasn’t seen in 20 years. He currently shares a subsidized apartment in the compound with a roommate and a 3-month-old Labrador-mix puppy named Buddy, which a psychologist suggested would be good for his health.
Jones hopes to soon move out of the St. Vincent de Paul program and purchase a house.
St. Vincent de Paul assists veterans not only with housing, but education as well.
A skinny man who wears a lot of  rings and a silver earring, 53-year-old Melvin Gardner, attended classes at Lane Community College in the 1980s after leaving the Navy. He became a welder, but had to confront economic hardship and couldn’t find work after the manufacturing sector in Lane County dried up. As a result, he became a casualty of economic collapse and ended up homeless.
Gardner has now returned to LCC with assistance from St. Vincent de Paul with the hopes of one day entering the medical field.
After leaving the Army he served time in prison for methamphetamine use.  While behind bars he rediscovered the Christianity of his childhood, and many icons and the many religious paintings on the walls of his apartment reflect his newfound faith.
He wants to become involved with case managing for the VA or maybe another veterans program.
“I know a lot about getting into trouble — I’m really good at it,” he said. “Now I know to stay out of it too and I think I can help people.”
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