UPDATE: Central Coast veterans benefit from assistance program

UPDATE 5/25/2015:The Veteran’s Transition Center said they’re still counting the total amount raised but so far they say the event this weekend was a success.

VTC said last year was the event’s first year and there were 32 vehicles on display, but this year there were 86.

PREVIOUS STORY: Part of Fort Ord turned into a parking lot for classic cars Saturday. The event raised money for the Veterans Transition Center of Monterey County.

From a bright-pink, 1957 Cadillac to a 1955 Ford Victoria, enthusiasts came from all over the Central Coast to show-off their automobiles.

And behind every classic car, truck, or bike, is a good story.

Veteran Joey Brazwell has a good one, saying his classic motorcycle, named “Pinkie,” and the Veterans Transition Center, saved his life.

“I was homeless, had no job, and no income. I was “tore up from the floor up.” And I heard about this place (VTC), and came in, and went through the process. I was lucky enough to get in and since then, well, I’ve got a place to live now, and I got “Pinkie” here,” Brazwell said.

He came out Saturday to give back to the place that helped him get back up.

Veterans Transition Center Executive Director Terry Bear says, “There’s about 20,000 veterans, or veterans’ families, here in Monterey County, and a few hundred of those are homeless as well.”

The VTC helps veterans get signed up for things like health benefits, and helps them address obstacles like mental health issues or drug addiction.

“I’m not ashamed to admit it, I’m a recovering drug addict,” Brazwell said.

‘Recovering,’ thanks in part to the VTC.

“We’re trying to help those veterans that served this country, sacrificed for this county, raised their hand, wrote the blank check,” Bear said.

And as we recognize Memorial Day, the classic cars are a good reminder that we must treasure the past, and the sacrifices so many made.

For more information on the VTC, click here.