VPU didn't start as a program. It started as a handful of homeless veterans who refused to wait for one more failed system to save them.
Veterans & Patriots United is a group of homeless veterans who came together in July 2021 after experiencing failed programs and abusive non-profits while trying to recover from PTSD. They pooled their VA disability benefits to secure a communal sober living property where they imposed upon themselves sobriety and service to the community for healing — drawing inspiration from a principle of imposing duties on oneself rather than arguing about one's rights.
As they attracted more veterans and family members suffering from PTSD, the group invited trusted organizations and community members to offer help. Volunteers from the community responded immediately with jobs, counseling, service projects, and other forms of assistance. The organization's name reflects the patriotic nature of its union of civic-minded veterans and patriots who share a love of God and country.
Every Friday morning, VPU members converge at the H.E.A.R.T.S. Veterans Museum to read aloud a Medal of Honor citation, honoring the valor and sacrifice of a fallen warrior. They pray for the honoree's family, then dedicate themselves to cleaning the Vietnam Wall display, panel by panel — keeping the memory of 58,320 fallen heroes alive.
VPU maintains a dedicated block where the flags of every military branch and the POW/MIA flag fly in honor of our nation's heroes, alongside the U.S. and Texas flags flown across Huntsville and Sam Houston State University.
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