Plight of area’s homeless vets set for CNN piece

CNN story on Homeless vets

SHERRY LONG slong@timesleader.com




WILKES-BARRE – The plight of Luzerne County’s homeless veterans is going national.

CNN staff members conducted interviews in Wilkes-Barre Thursday with Bob Zarnoch, of Kingston, and Michael Keslosky, of Old Forge, about the men’s experiences. The two said they were homeless after completing their active duty assignments with the U.S. military.

The news network will air a two-minute video segment Saturday night highlighting the homeless veterans issue as part of a larger piece being hosted by CNN chief national correspondent John King. The issue is part of the station’s coverage of the Pennsylvania primary election on April 22, according to CNN senior producer Francesca Fifis.

Keslosky, who is now an advocate for homeless veterans, said is glad the issue is receiving attention.

“This is a godsend. It was not a coincidence. This was God’s hands at work in the lives of the men, pointing out the homeless and homeless veterans in our community,” he said.

Zarnoch, an Army veteran of the Iraq War, said he lived under the Market Street Bridge after returning from a nearly one-year deployment in Baghdad where he went on a 1,000 combat missions. He led the film crew under the bridge and pointed out where he used to sleep and where some homeless veterans still seek refuge.

Keslosky, a former Pennsylvania National Guardsman, was interviewed at the St. Vincent de Paul Kitchen.

Keslosky works closely with Gary Clark, director and founder of the Northeast Pennsylvania Alliance Against Homelessness.

Pushing to bring this issue to the attention of nationally elected officials, Keslosky has contacted U.S. Rep. Paul Kanjorski, D-Nanticoke, and U.S. Sens. Arlen Specter, R-Philadelphia, and Robert Casey, D-Scranton.

Keslosky has also tried to gain the attention of presidential candidates.

One in three homeless men in Wilkes-Barre is a military veteran, Clark said. He considers this a disgrace.

“I can’t understand a country that can spend billions of dollars in wars and can’t take care and shelter its veterans,” Clark said.

ON TV
The CNN program looking at issues affecting this year’s Pennsylvania primary election will air at 10 p.m. today.

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