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