Clark Buck, Mile High Chapter Mass Care Lead, recounts a moment from his South Carolina deployment, where people came together to help a forgotten hero — when it mattered the most.
North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, was one of several communities that were left in devastation by Hurricane Dorian in late August of 2019. The American Red Cross coordinated over 38,000 overnight stays for people displaced by the hurricane. Out of the 2,800 disaster response volunteers, more than 45 of them deployed from Colorado and Wyoming.
By the first Friday in September, the storm had passed and the Myrtle Beach community was ready to go home and recover. However, not everyone had a home to go back to. A Red Cross volunteer noticed there was an elderly man who sat alone in the back corner of a shelter. He had no personnel belongings with him and did not have a place to go once the shelter closed. Buck spoke with the man and discovered that he was a veteran.
Buck connected the older man with a representative from the local Veterans Assistance program.
The man’s record was located, but the VA was unable to assist him without proper identification, which he did not have. An officer from the Sheriff’s office became involved and suggested that the department’s records be checked for possible identification. The suggestion worked and the man’s identity was confirmed. An ID was issued to him and he was able to receive VA services to get him back on his feet.
“I can’t think of a better example of Red Cross volunteers getting to help — with kindness. They went over and above to help one of our forgotten heroes,” Buck remembers. The Red Cross’s commitment to Veterans never waivers, even in the wake of a hurricane.