The Soldiers’ and Airmen’s Home on Rock Creek Church Road in Washington houses veterans and even has a golf course for veterans and their guests. The land is spacious and so nice that President Lincoln located his summer cottage there when he was in the White House. It is now open for tours, with a statue of Lincoln and his horse near the front entry.
On the grounds is the Sheridan Build¬ing, with its beautiful rooms, and there is a new Scott Building that is being built. There are activities and recreation for the residents. During special occasions, they watch firework shows from a very high point. There are day trip outings, too.
There is also a church and some housing for staff on the grounds. With so many homeless vets in Washington, it is easy to wonder if some of that land could be used for some of them. Boston has a shelter for homeless veterans, and other places probably do, too.
Meanwhile, the Walter Reed campus is now closed, and there is another facility for veterans in Bethesda. Could Walter Reed or the Soldiers’ and Airmen’s Home possibly be made into a place homeless veterans could get help, counseling, temporary shelter, and maybe have some housing available that could be permanent or long-term?
Of course the current residents might want some separation in housing. There is a spirit of cooperation, I believe, and recent veterans have found work at that location, and maybe in Bethesda, too. Which location, I wonder, would be more likely, Washington or Bethesda, or could it be both?
The veterans have property in Silver Spring, Maryland that they have had for some time and that is basically undeveloped. It would be ideal for housing homeless veterans from around the country. It only needs to have housing built on the land. The difference between homeless and regular veterans is the ability to pay for housing.
