This is the story of a Veteran who got a second chance.
Handcuffed both physically and mentally, Army Veteran Darrell Guilford felt like he never left the warzone behind him when he departed from military service.
Once surrounded by a unit of soldiers that shared not just bunk beds but also battlefield experiences, Guilford found himself surrounded by the isolation of civilian life, facing invisible wounds alone. Those wounds were too tough to mend when the place he called home didn’t believe in internal warzones.
“In the beginning, I didn’t believe in mental health. People in my community didn’t get mental help, they didn’t believe in that type of thing. I was just thrown back into the civilian life without that brotherhood and nobody to understand me. So, I ended up being incarcerated,” Guilford said.
Behind confined to a cell was when he knew it was time to make a change.
The discipline engraved into him from his military service was a constant reminder to not give up. “I was a strong soldier. I served my country. I knew because of this I was going to make it.
“At first, I was very skeptical. I did not believe anybody would be there to help me or anybody would be willing to. But, step by step, the Health Care for Re-entry Veterans program proved me wrong.”
“VA was a life raft thrown to me.”
Medical appointments after appointments, Guilford was able to make sense of his invisible scars without judgment. “I was drowning. VA was a life raft thrown to me. I did not want to get back into the same cycle I was in before.”
VA kept him afloat with the support of a physiatrist, a roof over his head and a personalized health plan, he landed a career opportunity right after his journey.
Unrecognizable from his days behind bars to now a GEO Group post release case manager, he continues his service by helping those wearing invisible shackles like those that once weighed him down.
Guilford is now on the other side of the jail cell, supporting the second chance at life to other incarcerated Veterans. From helping with the essentials, like clothing, to employment, he understands the transition back into the community from military service and incarceration.
“VA did not give up on me.”
Guilford urges Veterans to take the chance as he once did. “We served this country, so we should allow VA to serve us. VA did not give up on me. They were there for me when I needed it the most. They listened to me.”
Learn more about the Health Care for Re-entry Veterans program.
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Please be aware that this 3412 number, all it does is auto pass you over to the 2311 line which is best known as “The Whitehouse VA Hotline” that itself is very misleading as to what it’s job is. Don’t expect any real honest results by calling either number as in most cases it’s just to employ more people with the VA. All they do is pass the buck to someone else, this number is nothing more than a clearing house. Most likely the monitor will kick this comment as they don’t like negative things being said about the VA!! After dealing with the VA for 45 years, with my last claim issues being tied up at the BVA since 2010, and 4 BVA hearing and 4 BVA remand later, still no final decision. Shameful how many of us are treated by the VA with service connected issues!!
However true this story is, it’s not very accurate. At this same facility, years ago, they threatened to lock me up rather than treat my service connected issue. The VA itself has become selective in who and where they care for us service connected Veterans. Like here, if a mentor don’t like what you write here, it won’t get posted. VA had a habit of not telling the full truth, an this is one of those stories. I know the bad experiences I have been through with the VA over the last 45 years an the fight I have had with them, including trying to wipeout all details of my major accident back in 1975. My latest appeal alone has been tied up at the BVA since 2010, where I have now been through 4 BVA hearings with 4 BVA remands and still no final decision. Use card when reading a story like this as however true it my really be, it’s not at all true for all Veter seeking the help at or with the VA.
This is a story, however true it’s not so very true about all VA facilities, even the one there in St. Pete, Fla, that at one time threatened to lock me up rather than acknowledge my serviced connected granted issues. Stories like these are very misleading to Veterans who have been waiting, in some cases years for claim decisions. VA itself, in most cases. Their employees themselves don’t understand many of the mental health issues us Veterans have and therefor become triggers themselves and the VA could care less about that. However turd this story is it is equally misleading!!
Don’t have any confidence in he the VA, got two blood Vietnam brothers that died because of the racist attitude of the VA. All three of us served proudly and defiantly. One died of a drug problem in prison, the other died of Palsy, litterly starved to death because he could not feed himself! I called the VA Center in Austin, spoke to a woman named Betty a local VA supervisor and explained the problem. Obviously she took the “Deny til they die” response which they successfully accomplished.. Both of my brothers gave all for this ungrateful nation unless you are other than …….::.? Because of my exposure to agent orange I contracted cancer of the glottis! Thanks to non VA doctors, BAMC doctors removed a part of my cancerous glottis. I am ieft with a horrible unintelligible voice and viciously hideous radiation burn marks on my next that have me a total hermit at a 10 acre hobby ranch. Two brother died a very horrible and painfully death, now I yearn to be with them and leave this racist world!!!
Fernando B. Martinez
MSGT, USAF, Retired
This story resonates with me. I only served for two years before a hardship discharge. Then I succumbed to the insanity of crime seeking big money. I ended serving 41 years before being parole on 11/2/2023. I am struggling to get my life back together. I am reaching out to VA but so close to the holidays I am having some lag time. But I am hopeful that the good people I have already met at DC VA will eventually bring me in close. I am going to contact Health Care for Re-entry Veterans and hope they can assist me as they did for Mr. Guilford. My goal is to be trained and hopefully employed as a social science suicide crisis responder. I am 71 and have a 70 percent military related disability, so that places me in a better category than most applicants. I just need some help in discovering where to go to find the training. Great piece.