Veteran Spotlight
Victor S. Martin
Grit is something one hears about in movies, often punctuated by expensive pyrotechnics and smart one-liners. This Hollywood version of grit is very different from the grit of one determined veteran trying to keep his family together amid the pressures of homelessness and unemployment. Victor Martin has it. When Victor starts describing the circumstances he and his finance have faced for the past year it is hard not to want to ask him to stop. It’s hard to feel good about sleeping in a warm bed at night when you hear where he’s been sleeping. He recounts his story in an upbeat, matter of fact tone that makes you realize you are talking to a person with true grit and determination who will not give up until he finds a way to better his situation.
“Sharma (his fiance) and I were staying at the salvation army. There were rats and roaches everywhere, but the worst part was someone stole her foodstamp card, so we couldn’t get milk for my son. They stole my wallet with all my ID’s too, so now I’m trying to get a new social security card and driver’s license-that’s been holding me back on getting a job, but I’m looking every day and trying to get all my documentation together.”
After Victor and Sharma left the salvation army (there are only a certain amount of days allowed each person) they slept in an abandoned van in a car lot for two weeks. His 10 month old son was taken away by CPS because they have nowhere to live, and his most important goal right now is getting a job so he can put his family back together. Victor takes the bus to the workforce center to apply for jobs, but a cell phone, or regular access to his e-mail it is difficult to get back to employers as quickly as he needs to.
“Giving up is not an option. I have to get my child back. I was in the Navy for 5 years, deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. I’m used to 10 and 12 hour days, that’s not big deal. I’ve been calling every number and chasing down every lead I can get to on public transportation.”
Talking to Victor, you realize the stigma of homelessness is often undeserved, and especially among homeless veterans. People tend to think a homeless veteran must have done something wrong, or must be too lazy to get a job, but that isn’t the truth of the matter. Victor is a smart, presentable, good natured person with a wealth of experience. He worked on the electrical systems for DART, and was laid off with a mass of other people. This layoff was the bad break that spiraled him into homelessness.
In the Navy, he was responsible for electrical repairs and preventative maintenance for Aircraft Launch & Recovery Systems. He was the lead supervisor for over 20 electrical technicians onboard nuclear powered carrier. This is not a person who should be living on the streets. This is probably one of the brightest guys you’ll meet in a while:
*Efficiently supervised over 2,700 Aircraft Launch & recovery flight operations without any casualties to personnel and or flight equipment.
*Successfully planned and installed the Navy's Long Range Lineup system within specified time limits.
*Led in the troubleshooting and repair of the HUD hydraulic solenoid and restored the system with minimal time.
Right now, Victor and Sharma have no income, and no way to buy food. This twice deployed veteran is literally going hungry on the streets of Dallas, in the country he fought for. Victor’s resume is on monster.com, and the Service to Civilian Foundation is trying to find him a job he can access using Dallas public transportation. After 3 hours of working with Victor and Sharma, and listening to all they have been through. They thank me for all my time, and say “god bless you for what you are doing to help us”.
It is a blessing I don’t deserve until Victor Martin and Sharma also have a warm bed to sleep in and can be reunited with their 10 month old son. The best response I can come up with is to thank Victor for his service, and ask him to keep up hope for a few more weeks while I work on his case.
“Hope and Pray, that’s all we’ve got right now” Sharma says with a smile.
Victor's Resume:VICTOR S. MARTIN
2827 Kilburn Avenue
Dallas, TX 75216
Home: (214)861-5343 Cell: (214)375-8384 Alternative number (214) 600-9494
E-mail: vsmartin_76@yahoo.com
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
• Engineering
• Electronic Systems
• Electromechanical Devices
• Brush Adjustments on motors & Generators
• Operate test equipment (megger & fluke met
• 3-M Maintenance & Management
• Supervisory work
• Ten-key by touch
• Rotor & Stator
• Pneumatics
• Oscilloscope
• Microsoft Excel
• Digital Multi-Meter
• Power distribution
• Electronics technology AC&DC circuits
• Troubleshooting blueprint & schematics reading
• Logic circuits
• Digital principles
• Industrial safety
• All Microsoft office suite
• Hydraulic power package
Motivated self-starter with 8 years experience in electronics technician work, 7 years experience as a maintenance technician, 2 years experience in semi-conductor industry, and 5 years experience in the quality control. US Navy veteran with 2 combat deployments including Iraq and Afghanistan.
Experience:
L.K. Comstock-Dallas, TX
Electrical Apprentice-Performed all electrical cable work for DART Green Line Expansion in Dallas, TX from 2009 until 2010. Assisted journeymen electrician with all cable pulling, internet fiber optic cable installation, as well as power cable feeds along the entire track. Assisted with all construction work also associated with completing the DART Green Line Expansion along the dart rail line.
Raytheon-Dallas,TX-Solder Technician-2008
Experience with assembly of microelectronics including operation of automated, high speed pick and place, machines, dispensers, cure ovens, cleaners and material handling systems. Experienced with use of microscope, with high eye to hand coordination. Knowledge of SPC, Military, J-DEC standards pertaining to hybrid electronic assembly. Experience with both manual and automated soldering technology.
Micron Semiconductor-Manassas,VA
Equipment maintenance technician/SEM technician-2006-2007. Performed scheduled equipment preventative maintenance, support down equipment to keep production running, and work on special projects requested by the Fab. Other responsibilities include providing excellent customer service for all areas while performing preventive maintenance on equipment and sustaining production areas, working with engineers on solutions and ongoing problems, participated in quality improvement activities, evaluating and improving equipment, chemicals and other processes.
*Accomplished the efficient fabrication of 16,500 wafers without losses.
Lead Interior Communications Electrician(Work Center Supervisor) United States Navy-Norfolk, VA-USS Theodore Roosevelt-2001-2006
Responsible for electrical repairs and preventative maintenance for Aircraft Launch & Recovery Systems. Lead supervisor for over 20 electrical technicians onboard nuclear powered carrier. Daily maintenance and soldering experience with sound powered phone and electromechanical systems onboard.
*Efficiently supervised over 2,700 Aircraft Launch & recovery flight operations without any casualties to personnel and or flight equipment.
*Successfully planned and installed the Navy's Long Range Lineup system within specified time limits.
*Led in the troubleshooting and repair of the HUD hydraulic solenoid and restored the system with minimal time.
Transit clerk-Dallas,TX-1999-2000-Wells Fargo Inc
Daily routines entail timely and accurate delivery of bank customer credits & debits to banks of origin. Time critical deadlines must be met in order to ensure accurate delivery.
Data Entry-1999-Frito Lay(Staffing services)-Dallas, TX
Temporary staffing services involved contract data entry personnel to various businesses. Worked in accounts payable as a temporary employee for Frito Lay. Using ten-key skills to process customers accounts.
Operations specialists/data entry-Chase Bank of TX-1998-1999
Each bank credit or debit is analytically investigated and corrected in order to provide customers accounts with daily transaction information. High ten-key usage daily in order to process medical businesses and private corporations daily transactions. Performed a variety of tasks in Lockbox department. Lockboxes allow organization to streamline receipts. When customers and business partners write a check, one needs to get those payments into the bank so that you can use the money. Lockbox services make that process more efficient than almost any business can hope for on its own.
Sorter Operator-Wells Fargo Bank-Dallas, TX-1996-1998
Responsible for operating and maintaining IBM 3890 XP Sorter machine. All bank proof of deposits are sorted according to bank transit and routing numbers in order to update daily customer financial transactions. The credits/debits are then sent back to the bank of origin after all credits and debits balance out.
Proof Operator-Comerica Bank-Dallas, TX-1994-1996
Responsible for encoding Magnetic Ink Code Recognition (MICR) on all bank credits, debits and proof of deposits. Duties entail high use of ten-key and meeting critical deadlines in order to ensure time deposits of customer accounts.
Community involvement
1994-2001
Volunteer work, Family of Faith
Responsible for daily cleaning and upkeep of church grounds and sanctuary. Assisted with organizing specific church events and weekly activities
QUALIFICATIONS
Strong teamwork skills and leadership experience during service in armed forces. In the lower baccalaureate/associate degree category, 2 semester hours in technical mathematics, 2 in DC circuits, 2 in AC circuits, 3 in electronics technology and 3 in electromechanical technology. Also AC/DC circuits, in electrical/electronics troubleshooting and repair, 3 in digital principles, and 2 in maintenance management.
EDUCATION
1990-1994 MacArthur High School—obtained diploma, graduated in honors program
1994-1996 Cedar Valley College—Dallas TX
1996-1998 University of TX @ Arlington—Arlington TX, Management Information Systems—continuing education
OCT2001 Interior Communications A School Pipeline—Naval Training Center, Great Lakes, IL
AUG2002 Shipboard Aircraft Fire Fighting—Fleet Training Center, Norfolk, VA
APR2004 Aeronautical Technical Publications Management—Fleet Training Center, Norfolk, VA
JUN2004 Principles of Accounting II—Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA
MAY2005 Aircraft Launch & Recovery Equipment Quality Assurance, Norfolk, VA
AUG2009 North Texas Joint Electrical Apprenticeship program—Electrical Technical college
Service to Civilian Foundation is in no way affiliated with 660 KSKY. If you can help this man, hire at your own risk.
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