Meet Army Veteran Rick Fox

Meet Army Veteran Rick Fox. From 1979 to late 1981 Rick was stationed at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas. In Rick’s telling of the story, he’d have you believe he wasn’t a great soldier. 

“But I served every day with honor and to this day I'm proud of being a Veteran”, he’d tell you.  Like many Veterans in and out of active service, he struggled many years in active and destructive behaviors that caused his health to diminish and he’s now having to spend the rest of his life in a very large wheelchair. Yet he rarely complains. His biggest accomplishments in life are what he will always hold close to him; his time as a Veteran and his family. Watching many of his family following the same path he did, he decided to take his family and uproot them to a new beginning in Oregon, and when the opportunity came for him to relocate to Portland, he took it.  

With the help of V.A. Rick, along with his sister, Nephew and his partner and their 2-year-old son, and then his 15-year-old Great Nephew, they all decided to take the leap and move from Idaho to Portland. Being a part of the “Surge” we were able to put the family in two motel rooms, with the idea of prioritizing their housing. Only, immediately, Rick was hospitalized in OHSU right after getting to Portland and never got to see the inside of the motel for over 2 weeks. That’s where I first met Rick; at OHSU. I met him and his sister there when I went to do the intake. He was in a LOT of pain, and yet only showed gratitude. Things moved quickly from there. There was already a plan in place and due to the quick thinking of our Housing Navigator Joni, we were able to house the family rather quickly.  

With each step of the way, we ran into issue after issue, but Rick stayed grateful. We got him into the house we planned for but quickly realized that he couldn’t get his chair into the house. He was constantly grateful and always said “I’m not complaining. You’re giving me everything I wished for; my family and a home”.  On Christmas eve a small miracle occurred when two gentlemen from Home Depot decided to go to the house and put up some thick plywood and carried all of his belongings from the garage into the house. 

Still Rick showed gratitude. The day this photo was taken I asked Rick why he always insists he’s grateful even after all the knock downs, and health issues. 

“He told me “Come here Kiddo, (always calls me kiddo) I made my choices, and it made my life what it was, but you’ve aways been good to me, and I got nothing but love for you. I have my family that love me and are around me. Not many Veterans can say that. So, I’m grateful, that I got out of all that and can enjoy what I have now.” Then as always, he said “now take the picture”. As I left, he said “ok Kiddo, take care of yourself, and I love ya forever your Rick”. Said with nothing but brotherly love."

Sincerely,

Robert Zadak