What you’re looking at is video footage from inside Building 205 at the Pacific Branch Soldiers Home, better known as the West LA VA. It was recorded at 1:35 AM on July 8, 2025.
In the video, a man casually walks the hallway with what appears to be an AR-style firearm — red/orange tip visible. Some residents believed it was a BB gun. Others feared it could be a real weapon, illegally altered to appear fake. Either way, it sparked real panic.
And it should.
This isn’t just a violation of trust — it’s a federal crime.
Under 18 U.S. Code § 930, it is illegal to bring any firearm or imitation weapon into a federal facility. This land is federal. The facility is federal. Lives are at risk. We’ve been told the man was eventually arrested, but here’s the problem:
No official statement.
No safety alert.
No community response.
No change.
A Broken Promise to Our Veterans
This land was donated in 1888 to be a permanent home for disabled and homeless veterans. Not a shelter. Not a rental property. Not a “campus.”
It was a sacred deal: Your sacrifice for this country in exchange for a forever home.
And yet, in 2025, veterans are being told to either pay rent or face eviction.
Let me be clear:
Veterans in Building 205 are living with no or limited security.
Roach infestations are routine.
Work orders go ignored for months.
Social workers deflect or vanish.
All while third-party contractors liquidate Veterans benefits and charge rent — on land meant to be free.
Meet the Operators: Step Up. Jon Stewart. Same Story.
The building was once operated by Step Up. Now it’s managed by a group called “Jon Stewart” (yes, seriously), but residents tell us nothing’s changed — except the name on the letterhead. Same staff. Same broken promises.
And the veterans living there?
They’re paying more rent per unit than the principal developers pay to land-grab entire buildings. On land deed-restricted to serve only veterans.
Who’s Cashing In While Veterans Suffer?
Let’s name names:
Century Housing. Thomas Safran. U.S. VETS. UCLA. Brentwood School. UCLA. Village For Vets. Confourse Federal. The Veterans Collective…
These are not heroes. These are land developers, education institutions, and nonprofits acting like vultures — disguising theft with the word “partnership.”
The Veterans Collective? In my opinion, a phony front designed to repurpose the remaining 388 acres into just 70 — the rest sacrificed for a 550,000 sq. ft. Town Center complete with a hotel and bar.
They don’t use the word “home” anymore. They say “campus.”
Because a campus you leave.
But a home?
You protect that. You defend that.
You don’t rent it back to the very people who earned it.
Meanwhile:
The C&H Tract — federal, deed-restricted land on Veteran Ave, overlooking the national cemetery — could house over 3,000 veterans right now. No new money needed. Just follow the law.
The Truth:
This is the largest deeded land gift in U.S. history.
It was donated solely for disabled and homeless veterans to be a Home.
Federal law, a congressional mandate, and an executive order prohibit commercial or private use.
Yet illegal “Enhanced Use Leases” and shady deals dominate the property.
And Los Angeles remains the capital of veteran homelessness and suicide.
The Failure Is Intentional
The VA is failing to enforce the deed, the law, the order — and its moral obligation.
But the solution isn’t complicated.
We don’t need another grant.
We don’t need another task force.
We need to return the land to its original, legal, rightful use — as a permanent home for veterans.
This Is On Your Watch, Director Merchant.
My name is Sennett Devermont, Vice Commander of AGIF El Camino Real Forum in Whittier.
Everything I’ve stated here is what I believe to be true based on five years of research, documentation, and testimony.
And if there’s one thing Landgrab doesn’t want you to do — it’s to share this video and the history of the West LA VA, Soldiers’ Home.
So do it.
📢 Share this. Expose this. Demand answers.
Because the real threat isn’t the orange-tipped gun in the hallway — it’s the silent theft of land, rights, and dignity from the very people who were promised the opposite.
Shout out to our 346 paid subs that allow us to continue our independent and investigative journalism since 2011! We are so thankful for Marlene and Strawbebbi for being our last 2 most recent paid subs. 🧡🙏🫡
Share this post