From Soldier to Inmate to Redemption: How One Veteran Turned His Life Around

Life can be unpredictable, yet new beginnings bring about redemption and hope. Today, CSM Angels Refuge shares an uplifting story of an ex-serviceman who found redemption at the end of an unexpected journey. He survived a challenging period in prison and has now emerged with a renewed sense of purpose for his life.

Reginald Peterson admits that life can take unexpected twists and turns. For him, these detours led to redemption and renewed hope. In today’s article, we share the inspiring story of a former serviceman who found himself on a downward path after an opportunity for a new beginning. Peterson did not just endure a rough chapter in prison; he emerged with renewed purpose and perspective.

Keep reading to learn more about one of metro Atlanta’s homeless veterans, and how his granddaughter inspired him to turn his life around.

A Second Chance To Do the Right Thing

Most children in the United States are bursting with hopes and dreams for who they will one day become. Far too often, those dreams fade as streetlife becomes more appealing. Peterson is one of too many young Black teens whose destiny takes a detour due to school truancy and disruptive behavior.

Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, Peterson, at seventeen, was given the option to join the military. “I had gotten in trouble in school, and I was given the option of jail or the military.” He chose the Army.

Leaving Atlanta For a New Beginning

Most people who join the military do so out of pride and a strong commitment to serve their country. They also have a sense of pride and belonging to a cause greater than themselves.

Peterson shares that he was excited about the opportunity to change his environment and to try something different. He was stationed in Oklahoma and admits that the state differed from what he was used to. “Oh, I was excited. My basic training and schooling were together, so it lasted 13 weeks.”

The opportunity to finish school is a plus for some young men and women in his position. He goes on to share that “…as someone coming from the city and the streets, and it being my first time, in a controlled environment, it was quite an experience. After a few days, I wanted to start packing up and going home.” He laughs but admits going home wasn’t the best alternative to his current situation.

Remember, his options were the military or prison. “I would have to go to prison,” he says, had he tried to leave. Adding, “We were trying to make a lifestyle change. You know, that’s a part of the military that we don’t hear much about.”

The Boot Camp Experience

When asked to describe his boot camp experience, Peterson says he remembers it being a very diverse group. “I was in what you call a cohort unit. The people who signed up on March 13, 1989, stayed together through basic training through their school and the duty station.

“A lot of them came from pretty much the same type of situation and background I came from. They were from broken homes and the hood. Wherever they were from, many of them came from poor neighborhoods.

“It’s one guy from the Kentucky mountains who would try to pick up snakes. We just looked at it like he was crazy.” He chuckles. “I guess it’s just being around different people. It was my first time being in such a diverse situation. A lot of things were funny, and a lot of the people were funny.”

Although he enjoyed meeting new people and exploring their differences, Peterson admits he never answered the challenge of picking up a snake.

Entering Active Duty As the Country Headed to War

The boot camp experience allowed Peterson to meet new people outside his Atlanta neighborhood. Heading to boot camp, he never imagined the country would soon engage in active combat.

Shortly after finishing boot camp, trouble was brewing in the Persian Gulf.

“I was enlisted during operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. However, we were just getting prepared to deploy when the U.S. went to the Middle East for Desert Storm.” Desert Storm was brief. It lasted a little over six weeks. The war ended on February 28, 1991, after a ceasefire declaration.

Returning Home Two Years Later

The harsh realities of conflict during active duty come with a huge wake-up call. Peterson joined the service to address his behavior. He learned that the military was far more than disciplining out-of-control youth. After two years in the Army, he returned home.

After leaving the military or prison, people struggle to readjust to civilian life. Had he remained in the United States Army, his life may have turned out differently. Peterson will never know and states, “I can’t say that I regret it because, at the age I am now, I see that God’s hand has been on me and guided me in a specific direction. I just look at it all as a learning experience. So, I don’t regret it.”

When asked if it is common for people who choose the military over prison to leave the military after a short stint, he says it depends on the individual and their circumstances.

Despite his short time in the Army, Peterson did make lifelong connections.

“My closest friends in the military, I had four. Even though I was in a sixty-man unit, the guys I went in with weren’t my closest friends. We were cool like we’d go out together.

“However, my closest friends were three other guys, and I still keep in contact with two of them. One of them made a career. He stayed in for right at thirty years. One was in for twelve years. The third guy was the oldest of all of us. We don’t know what happened to him. Nobody has heard from him since he got out.”

One of his cherished keepsakes from his time in the U.S. Army is a grainy group photo. Someone took the picture as his platoon was leaving Hawaii.

Same Environment, Same Problems

Home is a great place to return to, but if the environment hasn’t changed, neither have the people. Peterson learned this the hard way. As soon as he returned to Atlanta, his past life resumed.

“I got out and came right back to the streets. I started hustling. I was in and out of prison for eighteen years. I did eighteen years total.”

His time in prison isn’t something he’s proud of. He shared that he was employable and that companies would give him a chance.” What he wasn’t aware of was the variety of resources available to him at the time. He went on to share a story about a brief stint at a Kinko’s printing outlet, now Kinko’s FedEx.

“So, I came home, and I searched for a job. I was hired by Kinko’s. I worked for a few months and got fired. I was hanging out with the same old friends I was with before joining the military. I was working the third shift, and we had been drinking all during the day. I was still lit and ready to fall asleep while at work. I ended up passing out in the middle of the floor.

“I had locked the doors. It was the midnight shift, so I was hoping nobody would come in to do any printing. There was an Art Institute right around the corner. Some of their students or faculty started banging on the door, trying to get inside. They said they could only see my legs and thought I had passed out, or worse, was in there dead. They even called the police.

“So, needless to say, I lost that job. That’s when I reverted to selling drugs and stuff like that.”

Peterson adds that everything was happening fast, and he had to stop the downward spiral he was in. “It was like spinning a revolving door. I was in and out of prison and back on the streets. I was doing stuff up and down the East Coast.”

Despite his troubles, Peterson had some bright spots. He was married twice (although both marriages ended in divorce), fathered two children, and has three grandchildren he adores. He states sadly, “I still hadn’t completely learned obedience, but everything turned out well.”

He goes on to say, “But now, in my later life, as I am getting older (he’s fifty-three), I realize that it (the Army) was the best thing for me. The benefits and resources available to me now are helpful even though I didn’t get a complete honorable discharge. I did get a general discharge under honorable conditions. So it was for now, in my later life, it was the best thing for me.”

Defining What it Means to Be a Homeless Veteran

Despite their beginnings, no one expects to grow up and become homeless. For someone who served in the military, it’s a humbling experience. When asked to define what is a homeless veteran, he provides the following:

I see a homeless veteran as someone who has nowhere to go. He’s probably living in abandoned cars, buildings, or just on the street. He doesn’t have any friends or family members to stay with. He’s a homeless veteran if he completely has nowhere to call home or nowhere to lay his head and know that it’s stable.

Peterson shares that he reached that point in his life recently. Homelessness, in his case, was short-lived, lasting about two months. His motivation to seek help came from an unexpected source.

“It was my granddaughter. On the Fourth of July last year, she cried as if she would never see me again. I was out in the streets, and the fifth of July, well, the Fourth of July, she was just crying. I had never seen a cry like that from my oldest granddaughter. So it just stuck with me all night.

“When the fifth came, I had some business to take care of. During the situation, I kept having flashbacks of my granddaughter crying. The way she was crying it just kind of woke me up.

“I was like, you know what? I’m just done and stopped doing everything. I went cold turkey right then and there. I went and checked myself into a shelter.

“This is the first time I can say that I made up my mind that I’m going on the straight and narrow and staying there.”

Peterson’s eldest granddaughter, who lit a spark in his decision to seek help, was six years old. He also has two other granddaughters, ages five and four. Today, he recognizes that he has to be a positive example in their lives. His impact can ultimately impact the men they choose as partners.

Finding CSM Angels Refuge, Inc.

CSM Angels Refuge, Inc. has been a shining light in the lives of many homeless veterans. Peterson is in a compensated work therapy program at the local Veterans Affairs office, where he learned about their outreach services.

“One of my co-workers, Ron Wilbur, told me about Mr. Jenkins, who runs the nonprofit. Once I got my HUD rental assistance voucher for my apartment, he told me he knew somebody who could help with the furniture. They just gave me his contact information, and I called him.”

Peterson states he was overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from the CSM Angels Refuge.

“I know some organizations donate great stuff, and some are not so great. You know, people are grateful to have it, no matter what. Still, there are different levels as far as the condition and stuff. Like, for example, the furniture. It’s a great starting point because I love everything they gave me. I came in with nothing. So, it was a great starting point for me.”

Having stable housing is crucial for Peterson and other veterans like him. He shared that he is now writing a book about his life. We hope for his success and look forward to reading more about his journey.

Being a Homeless Veteran Doesn’t Have to Be Permanent

The U.S. Military never wants to see its veterans homeless. However, it is a growing problem in the United States. The VA relies on organizations like CSM Angels Refuge, Inc., to complete the mission of getting veterans off the streets and into safe housing.

We are a nonprofit committed to partnering with the Department of Veteran Affairs to assist veterans as they transition into what we hope will be permanent housing. Our organization relies on donations, both monetary and used furniture.

If you want to assist us in our journey to help homeless veterans, please consider donating today.

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