STRIP STRI PES
Brevard Veterans News
Hundreds of volunteers show support for homeless veterans
Many organizations and businesses providing any kind of service to the public these days struggle to find enough employees to help customers. While employers have a hard time finding employees, finding volunteers to help veterans is totally the opposite. And in one case, far too many for the number of people that required the help being offered. More than 200 volunteers were present to help veterans in need, not knowing that only 60 would show up. Stand Down to Stand Up, an event Jan. 21 at the Florida National Guard Armory in Cocoa, provided homeless and needy veterans with a variety of services — medical, eyeglasses, chiropractic, VA benefit assistance,
clothing and supplies. Again, as I have said many times, Brevard County residents are always ready to help and support veterans. And these volunteers were not just veteran organizations and veterans, but also included many who have not served in the Armed Forces, but who support veterans. Many more veterans were expected to take advantage of the event, but
only about 60 showed up. While volunteers were ready and eager to help, most were pleased that fewer than planned veterans attended. That’s because it appears that efforts by National Veterans Homeless Support and other organizations through the past few years, have drastically reduced the number of homeless veterans in Brevard County. Many have been placed either in transitional or permanent homes with the help of organizations in Brevard County. The Stand Down was modeled after the stand down concept in Vietnam. During the war, troops were given short periods from combat operations to a relatively safe camp where they would get medical checks, new uniforms and
other supplies. The Stand Down to Stand Up has been held many times on the Space Coast and has drawn more than 100 homeless and in-need veterans. The event was not held during the COVID pandemic. This time, though vehicles were sent out to pick up veterans from known wooded camps, some of the vans returned with very few veterans. Those that showed up were given a lot of attention. All those who wanted, left with large backpacks with the supplies they were given. It is so pleasing to me to see how the community comes together to do their part to help others, especially veterans. SL
Center’s work is a passion of long-serving veteran Lou Rossi BY MARIA SONNENBERG At the Brevard Veterans Memorial Center and Museum, Lou Rossi is somewhat of a longevity legend. “Lou Rossi became involved with the Veterans Memorial Center from its inception on Merritt Island in 1989,” said Donn Weaver, the vice president of the Veterans Memorial Center and chairman of the Brevard Veterans Council. Through three decades of volunteering, Rossi has been involved in everything from the center’s initial construction to service in various leadership positions. His passion for the Center is such that he always has the ears of the crowd. “His ideas for new projects are imaginative and sometimes controversial but always listened to since Lou Rossi is truly the longest serving elder statesman now at the VMC,” Weaver said. Years ago, Rossi even rented an airplane to survey the Merritt Island facility for all things veteran to photograph its progress. The Merritt Island resident’s association with the Center continues even though he has clocked 90 birthdays. “I’m there almost every day,” he said. Rossi remains grateful to military service, which provided him with sanctuary from an abusive family situation. “My father was a strict disciplinarian and beat the hell out of me and I couldn’t take it anymore,” Rossi said. In 1948, at age 17, the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania native joined the Navy, primarily because his older brother was
Lou Rossi had a long military career before becoming very involved in veterans advocacy. already there. The Navy channeled the teenager to submarines, where he found a calling that would serve him well for decades. After four years working as a diesel engineman in submarines plying the waters around England, Rossi left the bottom of the ocean and took to the skies by enlisting in the Air Force. “I wanted something different, I wanted to fly,” he said. Craving yet more experiences, Rossi left the Air Force after three years and
10 SENIOR LIFE • MARCH 2023
went into civilian work, but the air conditioner engineer was still never too far from the submarines, including Nautilus, the world’s first operational nuclear powered sub. He worked on the legendary sub before it made history as the first sub to make a submerged transit of the North Pole in 1958. After the civilian stint, Rossi joined the Merchant Marines, where he served for 31 years. In fact, he considers himself a Merchant Marine now and for the future.
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SENIOR LIFE Jill Blue
“I’m still a licensed reservist,” he said. By the 1970s, Rossi was in Brevard, employed by Brevard County. Rossi cannot imagine not being a part of the Brevard Veterans Memorial Center. “I spend a lot of time at the Vet Center,” he said. He has little use for hierarchy and politics; he just wants to help veterans. “I always say we don’t have officers here, we have vets,” he said. SL
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