This bio courtesy accomplished Los Angeles area web designer,
Eric David and Sunbar Creations
Wendell Brown was born in 1945 in
Little Rock, Arkansas, to William and Lucille Vines and at the age of 14 moved with his
family to Los Angeles.
When he turned 21 he was drafted to
fight in Vietnam. While in Qui Nhon as a sergeant, he suffered from an experience that
changed his life. In a letter to (former California) Senator Alan Cranston, Brown reiterated his experience as
follows: "...the young lady I was with saved my life because she motioned to me to be
silent. I rolled over reaching for my weapon as a Vietcong soldier was prodding where I
was with a combat knife. I watched holding my breath, while my heart was about to explode
out of my chest. In horror I saw the knife plunged effortlessly into the middle of the
girl's chest. I lost all control and started firing repeatedly, killing two Vietcong
soldiers and an officer. Their deaths did not relieve my shock but added to it." This
incident has permanently affected Wendell.
While working as a bricklayer in 1983, he was standing on a ladder, when
he saw the image of the girls death. This flashback caused him to fall off the ladder and
dislocate his back. He has been afraid to work ever since that accident and has been on
the streets ever since.
He has received psychological help and 90 days of treatment, but he's
unsure if he'll ever be cured. In 1991, Wendell came to Brentwood bearing a well known
sign "WILL WORK FOR FOOD."
This sign wasn't very successful, so he started changing his signs daily,
to slogans that were entertaining. "When you give someone something, they are more
likely to help you out," said Brown. "Those signs were my way of giving to
people, and because it was successful, I had the idea to give my poetry."
The residents of Brentwood were at first reluctant to accept him into
their neighborhood, but things have sure changed. 'Brentwood is like a family to me,"
he said. "I know if I'm hungry, within 30 minutes I'll have some food, and within a
few hours I'll have some money."
"No matter what happens to me, I will keep writing the rest of my
life because I've always pictured and seen things different from other people," said
Brown. "There's a different kind of beauty in the life I see and writing helps me see
that beauty."
Wendell Brown is a unique individual who has lived a life most of us are
unfamiliar with. His poetry is designed to make us all think, and realize how fortunate we
are.
Just sitting and listening to Wendell, one is able to learn about the
trials and tribulations of a homeless Vietnam Veteran -- a man who was sent to fight for
our country, and returned a different man.
You may be able to email Wendell through the kind services of :
Eric David and Sunbar Creations