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About Street roots. (Portland, OR) 1998-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 3, 2012)
P H O T O B V K EN H A W K IN S National program 1,000th homeless veteran BY JOANNE ZUHL S T A F F W R IT E R tevenson L. Roy was not the first, and sadly, he will not be the last. But on Jan. 25, Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Roy became a milestone. He was the l,OOOth veteran laid to rest through a national program to fund indigent or homeless soldiers burials. He died Dec. 16 in Portland and was buried with full military honors in Willamette National Cemetery. Taps was played, a 21-gun salute was delivered, and the flag was folded with precision. There are more than 1,300 homeless veterans across Oregon, a disproportionate percentage to the population as a whole. In Multnomah County, veterans comprise 12 percent of the homeless population, according to 2011 count, but only 9 percent of the general population. Roy was born Feb. 25 in Montgomery, Ala., the son of Forney and Miriam Roy. He was just a teenager when he entered the navy in San Diego, Calif., in 1969 as the conflict in Vietnam was ramping up. He served in the Vietnam Campaign during his 11 years in the navy, before being honorably discharged in 1980 with a Good Conduct Medal. Roy, who has been homeless and was living in a subsidized housing unit at the end of his life, was interred with the help of the Dignity Memorial Homeless Veterans Burial Program. The program gives military burials to homeless and indigent veterans, working with a network of member funeral homes and veterans cemeteries. The program has operated since 2000. Lincoln Memorial Funeral Home, a member of the Dignity Memorial network, conducted the services. Patriot Guard Riders, in full biker regalia, bore flags for the ceremony. The Oregon Honor S P H O T O B Y K E N H A W K IN S Top, Civil A ir Patrol member Nick Henry receives the flag from the coffin o f Stevenson L. Roy, who passed away Dec. 16 in Portland. Roy was a homeless Vietnam veteran. No family could be located, but he was buried by Dignity Memorial members in Willamette National Cemetery Jan. 25 with fu ll military homors. Above, members of the Patriot Guard Riders, with the motto, “Standing for those who stood for us.” See M E M O R IA M , page 4 Inside Families in need stretch Portland Afoot is Oregon’s safety net getting around No jobs, no relief fo r TA N F Page 3 Transportation mag gives consumers a monthly rundown of controversial and cool Page 7 Manufacturing their own community Turning mobile home park residents into owners VIDA-LEA PARK THERE ARE NO STRANGERS JUST FOLKS WE HAVENT MET Page 8
