Dustin Marshall noticed he was tagged in a Facebook post Aug. 25th.
It was about a local Harrison veteran whose house was destroyed when a large tree fell on it during a storm. Since then, he’s been helping the elderly man clear the debris and find a new home.
“A fellow veteran posted online and I was tagged by my fiancé and friends,” says Marshall. “We went the following day, Aug. 26th, and removed the tree.” SLT Seasonal Service volunteered to remove the tree.
Dan Aungst, a Vietnam veteran, is a private man. He went outside the day of the storm to watch when the tree uprooted and destroyed his home.
He’s also very humble. Aungst doesn’t like going on camera, but did mention he likes to give what he has to charity.
“It’s part of my faith,” he said.
Aungst lived in his trailer home in Harrison for eight years. Only the bedroom was livable, which was where the tree fell. Before that, Aungst lived on state land for 20 years out of his car. This is where locals found him, living out of his car after the tree fell.
“Dan doesn’t ask for nothing,” says Ivor Alcorn, also a veteran, as he helps Aungst remove valuables from the wreckage. “I don’t even think he wanted us here.”
Alcorn found out about Aungst’s situation from Marshall, another local veteran.
“He posted something about Dan, sleeping in his vehicle,” said Alcorn. “He also posted a couple pictures and saying that he was wanting to look for volunteers to help clean up on a Saturday. It happened faster than Saturday.”
Since Aug. 26th, the two veterans and other members of the community have been helping Aungst find a new home. In the meantime, he is living in a camper donated by Aidan Witek.
Another veteran, Iron Mike, and Veterans4USA gathered donations for the camper. When Mike went to pay, Witek refused the money and helped to set it up for Aungst.
William Usher set up a fundraiser to help with expenses. The next step is finding the money for Aungst’s new home. Any extra donations will go towards electric and gas bills. They are also looking for money to buy him clothes and anything else he may need to start over.
Marshall says that there will be a team to help with removal of the old trailer and delivery of the new one. They are still waiting for demolition of the home and a dumpster.
“We truly love helping our community,” he said. Alcorn says this is not the first time they’ve helped a veteran in need either.
“Veterans are for veterans,” Alcorn said. “When veterans are in need, if they’re a good vet and not riff-raff, people want to help.”
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