An Afghanistan combat veteran who “never gave up” in his effort to overcome homelessness and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) inspired a Louisville car dealership to give him a truck.
U.S. Army veteran Theron Bell, who enlisted at the age of 17, returned from the war and fell upon hard times and a life on the streets.
But the vet found support within the veteran community and a nonprofit called Kentucky Wounded Heroes, got off the streets, and now is pursuing a college degree, Louisville network affiliates reported.
Theron is a full-time student at Eastern Kentucky University and had previously been pedaling his bike to get to class and help care for his mother with epilepsy, station WDRB reported.
The Wyler Family Foundation, associated with Jeff Wyler Honda Auto Mall, presented him with the truck during a ceremony attended by fellow veterans and elected officials.
The presentation was carried by station WDRB.
“It’s like The Price is Right,” Bell said with a laugh as he got into the truck for the first time. The combat veteran had some pointers for others traumatized by war.
“Don’t be afraid to ask for help and never give up,” he said. “Because I’ve seen a lot of veterans where they get in a slump because they gave up. And reach out to your fellow veterans.”
Charles Hansen, Director of Operations at Jeff Wyler Honda Auto Mall, said Bell’s resilience is what inspired him to give back.
“We absolutely had to meet this young man,” he told reporters. “The adversity he went through, that he triumphed over and was able to come to the other side of this, I think there is a reward there for him.”
Contributor Lowell Cauffiel is the best-selling author of Below the Line and nine other crime novels and nonfiction titles. See lowellcauffiel.com for more.