David Keyser from the Frankford neighborhood is one of the many veterans who returned to our City of Brotherly Love to live out the "American Dream."

During his service in Vietnam he volunteered to serve as a "tunnel rat," which was classified as "exceptionally hazardous" and was most often a single-person assignment.

The extensive network of underground tunnels he navigated was booby-trapped and well defended, resulting in frequent encounters with the enemy. Although he earned many medals, including the Purple Heart, two Bronze Stars with Valor Device, and the Army Commendation Medal with Valor Device, his experience as a "tunnel rat" left a devastating effect as he was exposed to Agent Orange, a powerful herbicide and defoliant, on a daily basis.

As a result, Keyser developed severe medical conditions that caused him excruciating pain and eventually led to a drug dependency one year after returning home.

When he returned home in February 1969, no one cared. Keyser had numerous medical problems as a result of his service to his country. He could not hold a job, and he eventually lost his family.

Living with the untreated mental and physical pain, he turned to illegal drugs for self-medication and soon found himself in jail with a five-year sentence that turned into twenty five years, as no one spoke up for him.

In 2007, David decided to seek help from the Philadelphia Veterans Multi-Service & Education Center. At that time David was still in a prison pre-release program and was only receiving $108 a month from the Veterans Administration. To make matters worse, he had no family to live with and was trying unsuccessfully to maneuver in a world that had changed greatly since February 1969.

After spending eight months at the Center, life is looking brighter for our forgotten hero. Keyser is now being treated by the VA Medical Team for his post traumatic stress disorder and other medical conditions as a result of the Center's partnership with the Veterans Administration. The Center provided him with transportation to and from the VA so he can get to his appointments. His disability checks have increased as a result of working with the Center's Veterans benefits counselor. Additionally, the Center was able to find him an apartment and provide his security deposit and first months rent.

The Center is happy to report, David Keyser is now living on his own.