MONROE - Allen Mullins from Dalton, Ga., arrived in Monroe Wednesday dressed as Captain America and on a 10-year mission to walk across America raising awareness of homelessness among veterans.
Mullins found help for himself and his effort at Bell Signs. Owners Tammy Stephens and Mike Para made Mullins a sign he can attach to his duffle bag to promote his mission. And then, with a quick flip of his cell phone, Para contacted Don Wickstrum of Quest Industrial, who made arrangements for Captain America to spend the night at AmericInn. Such a welcome isn't always what Mullins finds on his trip across America. Mullins said he has been subjected to some of the same mistreatment that returning troops get.
Sitting in McDonald's on 8th Street, without his head covering, Mullins sports short-cropped hair and a scar on his forehead. The scar is from being hit by a beer bottle thrown from a passing vehicle.
"It teaches you patience and forgiveness," he said.
Mullins said he receives more negative reactions than positive on his trips through American cities and small towns. He has been escorted from 20 small towns and five state capitols.
Nevertheless, he travels the back roads, never the interstate, so he can meet people in the towns along the way, like Monroe.
He said he is "learning (about) people," on his journey.
Mullins asks people who want to help to donate to their local Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) organizations and to do "acts of kindness" for veterans they meet on the streets.
"Verbal support does not do (expletive); put some action behind it," he said.
Mullins never served in the military. "They wouldn't let me. I'm the last existing person of my blood line," he said.
But he is full of statistics about homeless veterans and of stories of vets he has met.
According to Mullins, 200,000 vets in the U. S. are homeless, with 5,000 to 10,000 added every year.
"There are now more homeless veterans than died in Vietnam Nam," he said.
About 43 percent of the homeless in the U. S. in 2009 were veterans, and of those, 33 percent served in the military for 10 years or longer, Mullins said. Mullins is most distressed by the veterans who are put out of their homes by family members who find they cannot live with the physical, mental and emotional problems that accompany military men and women when they return home.
"So many have died thinking the country hates them," he said. "It's more the people, and family members, than the government."
Mullins finds many organizations do not help veterans directly, but use donations for political projects.
The VFW and American Legion are just two organizations that he recommends.
"They actually get together to help returning vets who need help," he said.
Even though he has appeared on national television, about 800 local news shows and radio stations, and in over a thousand newspapers, Mullins is still fighting to make a difference for the returning troops.
"Nobody will get behind this," he said.
Mullins has put his whole livelihood as a carpenter behind his mission, first by auctioning off his house and land and donating most of the proceeds to a non-profit organization for wounded warriors.
Mullins invites people to search for his name online to learn more about him.
Donations be sent to his sponsoring VFW organization, 3800 West Oak St., Palestine, Tex. 75802.
Mullins found help for himself and his effort at Bell Signs. Owners Tammy Stephens and Mike Para made Mullins a sign he can attach to his duffle bag to promote his mission. And then, with a quick flip of his cell phone, Para contacted Don Wickstrum of Quest Industrial, who made arrangements for Captain America to spend the night at AmericInn. Such a welcome isn't always what Mullins finds on his trip across America. Mullins said he has been subjected to some of the same mistreatment that returning troops get.
Sitting in McDonald's on 8th Street, without his head covering, Mullins sports short-cropped hair and a scar on his forehead. The scar is from being hit by a beer bottle thrown from a passing vehicle.
"It teaches you patience and forgiveness," he said.
Mullins said he receives more negative reactions than positive on his trips through American cities and small towns. He has been escorted from 20 small towns and five state capitols.
Nevertheless, he travels the back roads, never the interstate, so he can meet people in the towns along the way, like Monroe.
He said he is "learning (about) people," on his journey.
Mullins asks people who want to help to donate to their local Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) organizations and to do "acts of kindness" for veterans they meet on the streets.
"Verbal support does not do (expletive); put some action behind it," he said.
Mullins never served in the military. "They wouldn't let me. I'm the last existing person of my blood line," he said.
But he is full of statistics about homeless veterans and of stories of vets he has met.
According to Mullins, 200,000 vets in the U. S. are homeless, with 5,000 to 10,000 added every year.
"There are now more homeless veterans than died in Vietnam Nam," he said.
About 43 percent of the homeless in the U. S. in 2009 were veterans, and of those, 33 percent served in the military for 10 years or longer, Mullins said. Mullins is most distressed by the veterans who are put out of their homes by family members who find they cannot live with the physical, mental and emotional problems that accompany military men and women when they return home.
"So many have died thinking the country hates them," he said. "It's more the people, and family members, than the government."
Mullins finds many organizations do not help veterans directly, but use donations for political projects.
The VFW and American Legion are just two organizations that he recommends.
"They actually get together to help returning vets who need help," he said.
Even though he has appeared on national television, about 800 local news shows and radio stations, and in over a thousand newspapers, Mullins is still fighting to make a difference for the returning troops.
"Nobody will get behind this," he said.
Mullins has put his whole livelihood as a carpenter behind his mission, first by auctioning off his house and land and donating most of the proceeds to a non-profit organization for wounded warriors.
Mullins invites people to search for his name online to learn more about him.
Donations be sent to his sponsoring VFW organization, 3800 West Oak St., Palestine, Tex. 75802.