GoFundMe raises more than $40K for 70-year-old Milwaukee veteran after viral TikTok
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- After years of military service, and long shifts to make ends meet, a Milwaukee veteran is now receiving support from people across the country.
For 12 years, Ronald Edmonds' life was spent in the Navy.
“I was an E6 back in that day,” said Edmonds. “In Nam, we’d sit about 50 miles off the shore and ships that were damaged would come off and we’d weld them up, repair them, do whatever we had to do to get them fixed.”
Decades later, Edmonds did what millions of veterans do after serving their country -- he went back to work.
Last month, while working at a Walmart in Greenfield, a customer asked Edmonds for help. The interaction was captured in a now viral TikTok.
“And he says, 'What’s the price of this tie?' So I gave him the price of the tie. I didn’t know anything else was going on,” said Edmonds.
In the video, Edmonds tells the customer, “I need the money. Social Security don’t pay very much. I still got a house payment. All kinds of payments.”
It’s called the “For Your Service” project, started by social media creator Sam Weidenhofer.
Ronald Edmonds
The project honors 50 veterans in all 50 states by starting a GoFundMe to help them with any bills.
“Well, I didn’t really believe it all at first, that people would actually try to help others,” said Edmonds.
The GoFundMe for Edmonds has raised more than $40,000 to help him with his medical bills and home costs.
“It’s overwhelming. It’s just happening all at once. Like, wow,” said Edmonds.
For a man who spent years repairing ships and serving the nation, strangers are now repaying that service.
“Hard to believe but thank you all. Truly, from my heart, thank you,” said Edmonds.