How long would you be willing to let a homeless veteran stay in your home until they find permanent housing?
For retired U.S. Army Colonel Ray Watts, the answer was seven years.
Watts served in the U.S. Army for nearly 40 years. He was an airfield commander at Los Alamitos Army Airfield and later served as the State Aviation Office branch chief for California. In this role, he was deployed to Baghdad, Iraq, in 2010. After retiring from the military, he continued to serve by finding innovative ways to improve the lives of veterans, particularly during the often difficult transition from military to civilian life.
“I was one of the first to help a veteran who was sleeping in his car,” Watts said, reflecting on how he began his journey of assisting homeless veterans. “And mind you ... I had three kids, two teenage daughters, and my wife said, ‘Are you nuts? You’re gonna let a stranger live in our home?’ [I said,] ‘No, he’s a soldier ... it’s the right thing to do.’”
Watts is now the president of the Silicon Valley chapter of the Military Officers Association of America and a dedicated advocate for veterans.
“They’ve sacrificed limb and everything else and endured mental anguish, yet they’re not getting the benefits they deserve, because they haven’t been introduced to someone who can help them,” Watts said.
Today, we talk to Watts about his journey from enlisted soldier to airfield commander, as well as the initiatives he has committed to, giving a hand-up to thousands of veterans in need.
