Honoring Veteran Dewayne's Last Salute

The Day I lost a Beautiful Veteran

My life will never be the same. Holding his hand knowing he was gone broke my heart in a thousand pieces.

On Friday, we lost a beloved Veteran, Dewayne Simmons (also known as Woodrow), who was found by his 10-year-old daughter slumped in his favorite chair. She came crying to me saying, "I can't wake dad up," and at that point, our world crumbled. I thought he was playing a prank, but when we threw icy cold water on his face and saw complete stillness, a horrible realization came across me that will haunt me forever to this day.

Dewayne was a respectable Desert Storm Veteran that served his country with pride, just like so many other aspects of his life. Dewayne wanted to have the best for everyone and when he saw that people needed help, he was right there. From a stranger at a bus stop to giving up his bed mattress for a sick fellow veteran, he offered food and money wherever he went. My heart flooded seeing Dewayne sleep on his bedroom floor carpet every night after that. He was a loving father who made it known to his daughter every day that she was everything to him, even when he felt like the world was on his shoulders.

I was in the hospital a year ago myself in a coma, not knowing if I was going to wake up, but Dewayne was there to help even though he too was afraid he would end up being alone and to also be financially struggling. As I have not been able to go back to work due to my injury, I am now panicking to find a way to honor Dewayne with a wonderful funeral that he deserves so much. I am asking from the bottom of my heart if anyone could give a little bit to help me pay for his funeral costs because I really don't know what I am going to do. It breaks my heart that I may not be able to give him the funeral he deserves and I hope that by some miracle, my prayers will be answered and it will happen. I am so sorry to have to ask, but I know I will be indebted to all of you forever knowing you made it possible. With the utmost gratitude, I want to say a tearful thank you to everyone in advance for sending Dewayne off with honor and respect. I can see it now that he would be so happy and it would mean so much to him that the whole of America just gave him the biggest salute ever for supporting him. THANK YOU SO MUCH.