After 36 Years, Man Learns He Is Eligible For Veteran Benefits

William Staples Jr. was trying to kill himself.

Not with a gun. Not by using a rope. Not by jumping in front of a vehicle. But with drugs and poor life choices.

The 54-year-old West Philadelphia resident spent more than 30 years unsuccessfully trying to kill himself, as he tells it. Mostly fueled by drugs, petty crime and despair, Staples had an idea of what would happen to him if he kept up is reckless ways.

A few trips to prison, living a clean lifestyle and meeting a woman he loves has helped change him for the better.

During a recent trip to the hospital he learned something he considers very important – he is eligible for veterans benefits that will help him reform his life.

“Oh yeah, by the way, I found out I was a veteran on Tuesday. Just this week,” he said.

Staples joined the Army at 18 and began basic training in the summer of 1979 at Fort Knox, Kentucky.

Less than a few weeks into basic training, things changed for Staples’ scout unit, where he drove an armored personnel carrier. They were put on heightened alert after high-profile Soviet Union ballet choreographer Leonid Kozlov and his ballerina wife Valentina defected to the United States during a trip to Los Angeles. According to Staples, the defectors caused the Army to activate his unit to combat mode in case of a Soviet military strikes, which never ended up happening.

However, a few weeks later, Staples received a general discharge under honorable conditions after his superiors did not think was ready for service. Staples said they made him dig a six-foot-deep hole, threw a toothpick in it and then made him bury it in the pouring rain before telling him he was being discharged.

“I missed my graduation and was the only person from my class left on base. All these huge rooms in barracks were empty,” he recalled.

Within a few years, Staples was in trouble with police and could no longer get in the military. However, he was left with one reminder: PTSD from his time in basic training.

“I really wanted to help Uncle Sam and I tried,” he said. “I listened to what they told me.”

After his discharge, he did not think he was eligible for any veteran benefits until he bumped into a military friend at the hospital on Tuesday.

“When he told me that I was really a veteran, it was like my birthday all over again,” Staples said.

He said after suffering from a string of problems following being discharged and not be able to serve for the country he loves so much, he is thrilled his country will be recognizing his service.

“Tears were coming down my cheek when the lady helped me with my paperwork,” Staples said. “I’m not just no regular guy anymore, I’m part of something bigger than me again.”

Staples, along with hundreds of other veterans going through tough times,  are camped behind the Bucks County Government Center by Five Points in Bristol Township through the weekend as part of Delaware Valley Stand Down. The event offers a variety of services, meals and camaraderie for veterans who are down on their luck.

“This is really great,” Staples said on the event. “Man, I really think this is wonderful.”