Physical injuries,
unemployment and homelessness are all problems veterans can face when they come
home from war.  That's why the employees
and volunteers at Operation Stand Down Nashville work tireless hours to make
sure veterans get the help they need.

JC Smith has spent most
of his life serving.  In 1973 he joined
the army and shipped off to Vietnam when he was only 17 years old.

"Now that I look back on
it, it was the best thing that I d ever done in my life," Smith said.

But things didn't
always seem so bright.  He says after two
years on the battlefield he had a hard time returning to life as a civilian. 

"I didn't deal with it
as well as a lot [of people] do," Smith said.  "I got
into a lot of trouble and it took me a few years to get my life on track."

But with some hard work
and a good support system he did.  Now,
he spends his days helping other veterans at as the outreach coordinator for
non-profit Operation Stand Down Nashville.

"I found in Operation
Stand Down a way for my life to have purpose and meaning and giving back what
was given to me," Smith said.

Operation Stand Down Nashville
is a non-profit where veterans can get help managing the problems many former
soldiers face.

"They deal with not
having a job, not having employment, financial challenges as well as some
medical and mental issues," said Renee Bobb, assistant veterans center
coordinator.  "Some of them are even
homeless."

The organization
started in 1993 as a place where homeless veterans could get a meal and a roof
over their head for a few days.   Today,
it's grown to a center that serves some 1,400 veterans every year.

 "If they're  homeless, we have transitional houses," Bobb
said.  "We actually have seven of
those.  We provide food, clothing and
shelter as well as employment services to help empower the veteran."

 Smith says while a
parade once a year is an honor…for a troubled veteran, a good support system
can be life changing.

You can learn more
about Operation Stand Down Nashville by visiting the Fox Links section of this
website.