Homeless Veteran Sleeps Under DD-214 Blanket
CHARLESTON, W.V. — Less than a year after separating from the Army as a first lieutenant, Daniel Cummings has found himself sleeping on the streets of West Virginia under a blanket that's printed in the design of a DD-214 active duty release form to keep him warm at night.
Cummings was a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army until September 2019, when he decided to apply for a release from active duty.
"I was fed up with everyone and everything that the Army had to offer and made the rash decision to just get out," said Cummings. "When I went to college and started ROTC, I was sure the Army was going to be my life, but within a year I hated everyone."
"Then I became sure life on the outside would be better," Cummings said.
Homelessness for veterans has skyrocketed since the beginning of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan with soldiers who were either involuntarily forced out, or decided to leave the military without planning for the future.
"It breaks my heart when I go home to West Virginia…
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