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Patriot story: Vernon and Romeo

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Story Details

Background:

Vernon is retired Air Force. In November 2011 he adopted then eight year-old Romeo, a deaf Yorkshire Terrier mix who is going blind in one eye, through our partnership with Virginia Beach SPCA.

  • Assignment goal is to synthesize the information provided by the member patriot into a compelling story
  • It is not necessary to tell the veteran's story in the order that s/he provided the information unless that is the best way to tell the story
  • It is not necessary to use all the quotes provided
  • You may make minor adjustments to the quotes only to correct for grammer, punctuation, spelling, etc.
  • Punctuation always resides inside the quote marks, e.g., "like this," and not "like this",
  • Close the story with a compelling call to action or question based upon the story's narrative and place in italics at the end, e.g., What are you more willing and able to do now that you have a pet in your life?

Quotes:

Pet's Name
 Romeo
A little about me
 My name is Vernon and I recently retired from the United States Air Force and relocated with my daughters to the Virginia Beach area. I currently work for the U.S. Navy (don't tell my AF family-lol) at Norfolk and we have really taken to the "VA Beach" lifestyle. We have vacationed at Virginia Beach for years so the move just made sense.
My military experiences
 I retired 1 Sep 2014 after 22yrs with the Air Force, I have had the privilege of serving both CONUS and OCONUS. I have served at USSTRATCOM, USPACOM, MARFORPAC, Defense Threat Agency, and at National Geospatial Intelligence Agency and I have only great things to say about my Army, Navy and Marine Corp brothers and sisters. I enjoy being retired, I miss putting on the uniform, sometimes; I am now learning that I can still make a difference as a retired member. I learned from my Mentor CMSgt Juan Lewis that we never stop guiding and teaching--retirement is only the beginning.
My most memorable experience from my time in service
 Choosing the most memorable experience is no easy task, all of us that have served have meet people that have made impacts in our lives or we have had assignment that was so amazing that we still talk about that "one time in Osan". So my best memory has to be my time with USPACOM in Hawaii, first its HAWAII and second I was selected to work as an Air Force Enlisted Aide. Being selected for Enlisted Aide duty was truly a blessing, being a Enlisted Aide and being around other Enlisted Aide shaped me into the Senior NCO I became.
Why I chose to adopt a pet
 I didn't think I was going to adopt a pet, we just went to Petsmart to get some mulch for our turtles and that's when I saw that scruffy skinny little dog named Romeo being led into the store for Adoption Day. To say he stole my heart is an understatement, I sat down on the floor and that little man came over and sat on my lap and started giving me love. He was old and deaf and he was missing almost all his teeth, but there was something about him. I bought my mulch and left and the next two weeks I kept looking at his page on the VASPCA website. My daughter begged me to take her to look at cats at the VASPCA, so we went and I really didn't think he was going to be there. My daughter was busy looking at cats and I made my way to the dog kennels and there he was, pacing back and forth; I asked if I could hold him and that was it. I filled out the required paperwork and brought home Romeo on Veterans Day. Romeo is my buddy, he is the sweetest dog. He loves everyone and he especially loves going for rides in my truck to the beach.
Why I chose to adopt through Pets for Patriots
 I chose Pets for Patriots mainly because of the success stories. I am not a wounded Vet and reading about how this Agency has helped our injured brothers and sisters by helping them get a pet is enough for me to be involved. My father (SFC, Ret) used to say that there was only two absolute loves in the world
1. The love a parent has for their children
2. The unconditional love a dog has for its owner
Now that I have Romeo, I have both loves in my life and he was right. Thank you and rest in peace dad.
How my honorably adopted pet has changed my life
 I smile a lot more, everyday I get to witness this little dog transform from a scared frail dog into a strong confident dog. He knows he is loved and I swear I can see it in eyes that he needed me as much as I needed him.
What I love most about my new pet friend
 Romeo has learned how to be the center of any event that takes place in my house. My daughter celebrated her 15th birthday recently, but really it was "hold Romeo day". I had some friends over to watch UFC, but really it was "feed Romeo snacks day", this little man delights everyone that comes in contact with him; he truly loves being loved.
What I would tell other veterans or service members who might be thinking about adopting through Pets for Patriots
 Words can't say enough, my experience has been amazing. I received emails asking how things are going. Pets for Patriots isn't a adopt and forget organization, this is a organization that truly cares not only about the pets but equally about the service member who does the adopting. Pets for Patriots is a First Class Organization.