TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Hollywood Barber College put out a notice to any veteran who needs a fresh cut, so they could sit down and relax with their fellow vets and get a haircut on the house.
The shop was filled with the sounds of clippers, scissors, and chatter, as veterans like William Menzer shared stories of their days in the military.
"Guarantee you walk through the store, you don’t know who’s a vet and who’s not," Menzer said. "You may not look at that man there or that man over there and say they’re a vet. We don’t just wear it on our sleeve."
Menzer says life as a veteran can be difficult, especially when readjusting to civilian life.
"We're alive, we're strong, but we're struggling," Menzer said. "We still have a lot of homeless. We still have a lot of starving vets out on the street, whether it be through drug addiction or what. A lot of vets don’t even want to talk about it because it’s very hard."
That’s why community support is something veterans count on.
"That’s why I send all my guys here, and I give them my business when I can," Menzer said.
That support means a lot to the barber students... some being veterans themselves
Helping them out, talking to them, learning from their experience and talking about mine, it's amazing honestly," Military Veteran and Barber Student T Hilliard said.
"It's interesting... hearing some of their stories and how maybe their time in service differed in the time periods that they were in, and some of the things they went through," Student and Army Veteran Aaron Roetheler stated.
A legacy of veteran support, HBC owner Richard Campas says, was carried by his father.
“My father was a veteran, so it’s just something that we’re proud to do.”
The Hollywood Barber College now accepts Veterans Affairs benefits for any veteran looking to become a barber.
You can find more information on HBC's website.
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