ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – One of the hardest parts of Juan Romero’s life, happened when he was 17. He served as a Marine in Vietnam, evacuating the last of the Americans there. “Setting up the perimeters… parents and kids run up to you. ‘You’re god, you’re god’. No, I’m not god. god, I was up there, you know, we’re just here to help, you know? ‘Take my kid. take my kid.’ You know, that stuff is real. You know, it’s like it stays. It stays with you,” said Romero.
When he got back, Romero served as a marksmanship instructor at Parris Island and raised five kids as a single parent. Like many who are homeless, it wasn’t just one thing that landed Romero on the streets. It was a long list of events.
Medical problems landed him in and out of the hospital. He was making jewelry and renting an apartment when his van was stolen with all of his jewelry inside.
Romero soon found himself on the streets. Romero felt the stigma of being a Vietnam veteran and that kept him from reaching out for help. “It’s a touchy situation for me because they don’t talk about other veterans from other wars the way they do about Vietnam. There’s always another crazy Vietnam veteran. No, we’re not. We saw too much, too fast, too soon, other early age and have to live with it the rest of our life,” said Romero.