When you make the decision to put your life on the line for your country and protect it from people who want to harm your countrymen, we consider you to be brave and selfless. Could you imagine being a chef going to work every day knowing you may never see your family or friends again? This is why we honor our brave soliders because we know that many of us are not willing to put our lives on the line for people we don’t know.

So imagine packing your things and preparing to leave Fort Hood to visit your family for Christmas and walking outside to see the words “Die Nigger” spray painted on your car. Not only do you have a racial slur spray painted on your car but all four of your tires are slashed, a window a is smashed, and gasoline is poured on the inside of your car.

Just imagine.

Well this was reality for Staff Sergeant Johnathan Charlot.

A lot of people like to pretend as though racism doesn’t exist but racism never left. It is a disease passed from generation to generation.  “It makes me feel disgruntled, unwanted — that the America I love isn’t the same anymore,” Staff Sergeant Charlot said.

His friend John Martinez started a page to help Staff Sergeant Charlot purchase a new vehicle because his insurance will not cover the damages.