Army Veteran finds hearts of gold with Dublin VA team

In 1972, Neil Young released the song, “Heart of Gold.” Frank Dawson was 17 and in search of meaningful ways “to give back.” When he joined the Army that year, he found a way to do so. But he never expected that, 50 years later, he would find “hearts of gold” among the team at Dublin VA.

Army motor transport operator

From his family members in the military, Dawson saw firsthand how enlisting could provide him with a meaningful opportunity to serve his country.

His decision to join the Army stemmed from his older brother, a Marine Corps recruit. Dawson recalls reading letters from his brother, detailing his experience as a recruit.

Soon after he graduated high school, Dawson reported to his first assignment in Honolulu where he spent three years as a motor transport operator. Later, he was stationed in Newport News, Virginia, as part of the Army Transportation Corps, a combat support branch of the Army with the motto, “Nothing happens until something moves.”

Knew brother would have a plan

After separating from the Army in 1975, Dawson kept moving. For nearly 40 years, he was a seasonal farm worker, traveling between Florida and New York to pick potatoes and oranges. It was not until 2012 that he made a detour to Georgia where his older brother was living.

He was struggling with alcohol use and knew his brother could help him come up with a plan.

He was right. The elder Dawson is not only a caring brother but an informed Marine Veteran who had heard positive things about VA’s substance use treatment for Veterans.

Dawson agreed to receive care at VA. Although his brother offered an abundance of generosity, he lacked an extra bedroom. Dawson was undeterred. He would sleep in his brother’s backyard toolshed if that meant getting the help he needed.

Finding the tools to succeed from those with hearts of gold

He soon learned the best tools available to him were offered through a range of VA programs. When Harold Albritton, vocational rehabilitation specialist at Carl Vinson VA, was giving Dawson a ride home from an appointment one day, he noticed he was not going into a home at all.

Albritton helped Dawson enroll in HUD-VASH, a collaborative program that pairs HUD’s Housing Choice Voucher rental assistance with VA case management and supportive services for homeless Veterans.

With the help of HUD-VASH, Dawson found his own apartment which he still calls home today.

Wanted a job

Dawson was on his way. He was in recovery, safely housed, and surrounded by a community that cared about him. But the Veteran wanted one more thing: a job.

Karen Jackson, supervisor for Vocational Rehabilitation Service at Carl Vinson VA, helped Dawson enroll in VA’s Veterans School at Work program. It combines education with career planning to prepare Veterans for successful employment or higher education.

For 13 weeks, Veteran participants receive instruction in topics such as communication in the workplace and life management skills, and refreshers in grammar, reading, writing and math.

Participated in Compensated Work Therapy – Transitional Work program

With the one-on-one support of the committed vocational team instructors Harold Albritton and Community Employment Specialist, Gloria Bush-Smith, Dawson successfully completed the program.

Dawson also participated in VA’s Compensated Work Therapy -Transitional Work program, which helps Veterans with barriers to employment take the next steps toward a career they love.

When he asked about job openings at the Dublin VA, he was informed that he was a great candidate. He just needed a resume.

Today, Dawson is a custodial worker and member of the Carl Vinson VA team. “I love the job and I love the people I work with,” he shared.

“Without VA team, I don’t know what I would have done.”

Along with his job and apartment, Dawson is proud of the financial management skills he has developed and of his close relationship with his grandchildren, who range from 2 to 13 years old.

When he isn’t working, he can be found using his new birthday gift—a metal detector—to search for gold. But he says he already has found the most valuable thing in life—his VA team.

“I was feeling sorry for myself, blaming everyone but myself but after I met these people, I don’t feel that way anymore. I have a purpose to live. Without them, I don’t know what I would have done.”