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Deon Williams, #92 of 100 Strangers,veteran of four tours of duty in Iraq & Afghanistan,exhales a plume of smoke from a fresh cigarette.
"...growing up the way in which I grew up, and I had all these ideas and I knew what the world was about until I went to war. When I came back home I saw things totally different.To sit in your house and watch tv...that's a great feeling.But what about when you're living in a shelter and you don"t have a tv or you don"t have your own home?" Deon Williams,43,a veteran of four tours('97,'03,'05 & '07) of duty in Iraq & Afghanistan is a resilient man. "All were extensively combat missions. We were all over. Any place they needed us to go in and kick in doors that's what we did...trying to fight terrorism." His undaunted positivity in the face of adversity is the first the thing you notice when speaking to him. "I will not let my living conditions dictate how I approach the world." Deon lives in a local nyc shelter doing everything he can to get an apartment and get back on his feet. "Sometimes in this world it's not about you.There's nothing in this world you can accomplish by yourself.Everybody needs help."
Our paths merged in the area of 23St & 8Ave near the Starbuck's when I commented on his hat. It was the beginning of what became a truly humbling 45min encounter.As I was talking & photographing Deon along comes professor S. Joseph Kleinblatz,62, and his friend Adrianna Hernandez.They ask me to take their photograph one thing lead to another i introduce them to Deon and within 10mins the professor gives him the name and number of a gentleman who can help him get out of the shelter.Like I said it was a truly humbling experience to watch the 100 Strangers project be a fulcrum for good things to happen to others. I thank you & your country thanks you for your service Deon!!! if Deon looks familiar he was featured in HONY.What are the odds of meeting a 100 StrangerAND be in HONY???
Deon Williams, #92 of 100 Strangers,veteran of four tours of duty in Iraq & Afghanistan,exhales a plume of smoke from a fresh cigarette.
"...growing up the way in which I grew up, and I had all these ideas and I knew what the world was about until I went to war. When I came back home I saw things totally different.To sit in your house and watch tv...that's a great feeling.But what about when you're living in a shelter and you don"t have a tv or you don"t have your own home?" Deon Williams,43,a veteran of four tours('97,'03,'05 & '07) of duty in Iraq & Afghanistan is a resilient man. "All were extensively combat missions. We were all over. Any place they needed us to go in and kick in doors that's what we did...trying to fight terrorism." His undaunted positivity in the face of adversity is the first the thing you notice when speaking to him. "I will not let my living conditions dictate how I approach the world." Deon lives in a local nyc shelter doing everything he can to get an apartment and get back on his feet. "Sometimes in this world it's not about you.There's nothing in this world you can accomplish by yourself.Everybody needs help."
Our paths merged in the area of 23St & 8Ave near the Starbuck's when I commented on his hat. It was the beginning of what became a truly humbling 45min encounter.As I was talking & photographing Deon along comes professor S. Joseph Kleinblatz,62, and his friend Adrianna Hernandez.They ask me to take their photograph one thing lead to another i introduce them to Deon and within 10mins the professor gives him the name and number of a gentleman who can help him get out of the shelter.Like I said it was a truly humbling experience to watch the 100 Strangers project be a fulcrum for good things to happen to others. I thank you & your country thanks you for your service Deon!!! if Deon looks familiar he was featured in HONY.What are the odds of meeting a 100 StrangerAND be in HONY???