LAKE CHARLES, Louisiana (KPLC) – A Lake Area Vietnam veteran trying to return to his home devastated by Hurricane Laura is facing one hurdle after another, but persistence and patience saved the day.
You may have seen Reggie Fontenot on KPLC-TV news over the past few years. The disabled Vietnam veteran endured a long and frustrating journey to return home.
About two years ago, he flipped through photos of his destroyed home on Ling Road and complained that he couldn’t get enough money to repair it. He said at the time that FEMA inspectors weren’t on site in person because of the pandemic.
“You say it’s not a big loss. I don’t have a roof, so what do you call a big loss?” he said a few years ago.
And so it continued. He moved in with his 85-year-old mother.
“It’s too much of a burden for my mother,” he said.
It’s been four years since Hurricane Laura hit in late August, but he finally has a new mobile home through the Restore Louisiana program. He says his new home is better in some ways.
“This trailer is a couple of feet wider and a couple of feet longer. I mean, it has two bathrooms. Mine only had one. So I have twice as much as I had before, which is not bad,” Fontenot said.
However, he admits that he found the requirement to build his mobile home 4.90 metres above sea level and the additional costs involved ridiculous.
His advice to others waiting is to be patient. Fontenot says he thinks he had seven case workers he tried to contact often.
“So what’s the problem? She says, ‘What, what do you need?’ I said, ‘I need my check.’ She said, ‘Check for what?’ I said, ‘My trailer! To pay for my RV. I can’t get in, I don’t have the keys.’ She said, ‘Oh, are you ready?’ I said, ‘We’ve been ready for two months.’ That’s how it works with Restore, I mean, they’re slow, so just hang in there if you’re using Restore because they’ll get it done,'” Fontenot said.
And although there are still obstacles to overcome, such as whether the stored items are still usable, he is happy to finally see the light at the end of the world.
Fontenot is disabled and says it will take him several weeks to move into his new home. He is on a fixed income and hopes to one day have a storage shed.
Anyone who would like to help him is welcome to contact Fontenot at 337-302-7202.
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