They are separated by a generation, but all are veterans and many served in the unpopular wars of their eras — Vietnam and Iraq.
And now, in another commonality, they're getting some help they can use.
Since November, about 20 homeless veterans have been participating in the new Veterans Transitional Housing Program at Washington Veterans Home at Retsil. Most of them are Vietnam-era vets in their 50s and early 60s who — for various reasons — ended up on the street with little or no money, no home, and no prospects for the future.
They're housed in a thoroughly remodeled and refurbished Building 9 — a 78-year-old building that was remodeled and renewed, getting a second chance at usefulness so it can help veterans do the same.