Purple Heart Vet Wounded in Iraq Roadside IED Gets Grant from ARMing Heroes

Sergeant Daniel Smith served in Iraq as a combat engineer in 2005-2006, where he received not only commendations related to his service, but also a purple heart as a result of being wounded in the line of duty.  Like so many other servicemen and women from the current era, Sgt. Smith was wounded as a result of a roadside bomb, in May of 2006, in which he sustained a traumatic brain injury.  After discharge, Dan was ultimately rated by the military as 90% disabled due to injuries sustained in combat, which also included post-traumatic stress disorder and other related issues.

Because of how long it took for his benefits to kick in, Dan went months without any income at one point. He ultimately filed for bankruptcy. Even after his disability pay started, by the fall of 2012, Sgt. Smith was still having trouble meeting his financial obligations. Bills were piling up. He heard about ARMing Heroes through postings made by the organization in various LinkedIn groups focused on veterans’ issues, and decided to apply for a grant.

He got one. In December of 2012, ARMing Heroes delivered the good news to Sgt. Smith that he had received a grant to help him through a difficult financial period in his life. The grant was applied to a number of outstanding bills that were adding a great degree of stress to Dan’s life.

After the grant funds were paid out to creditors, Sgt. Smith took the time to write us back, saying:

“Thank You, Arming Heroes, For What You Did For Me And My Family !! Especially When Y’all Did It. It Was A Very Rough December For Me … I Know That I Will One Day Be In A Better Position Financially ! But Y’all Were There For Me In My Time Of Need And I Will Always Be Thankful Of That!! If I Can Ever Do Anything For Y’all Please Just Let Me Know ! God Bless … Sgt. Daniel Smith (Ret.).”

ARMing Heroes was founded and began operating in March, 2009.  The organization’s mission is to serve the needs of U.S. military veterans, including their spouse and children. ARMing Heroes fills a charitable niche by linking people identified with employment, credit, and financial counseling needs with the accounts receivable management industry, an industry uniquely poised to help in these areas.  Persons interested in volunteering their time and others interested in applying for benefits or pledging other forms of support are encouraged to contact the organization at www.armingheroes.org.

What Can I Do Right Now to Help?

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