Magician Rips Up a Homeless Veteran’s Sign, Saying He Won’t Need it Anymore

When soldiers come home from serving, they often find themselves without a place to call home. Transitioning from military to civilian life is no easy task. The things they’ve seen and experienced in combat can make it hard for them to adjust. Many struggle with finding steady work and housing because of this.

On top of that, they don’t always have access to the support and resources they need for their mental well-being. Money troubles only add to their difficulties, leaving them vulnerable to homelessness. We need to come together as a society and government to provide comprehensive support and solutions for these veterans.

A study conducted in 2014 revealed that veterans have a slightly higher likelihood of experiencing homelessness compared to non-veterans. While veterans make up 9.7% of the general population, they constitute 12.3% of the homeless population.

These findings, derived using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA), mark the first systematic review to consolidate research on risk factors contributing to homelessness among US veterans. Analyzing 31 studies spanning from 1987 to 2014, researchers identified prevalent risk factors including substance abuse disorders, mental health challenges, low income, familial and social support deficiencies, and related income issues.

As we’ve already mentioned, the issue of homelessness among veterans returning from the front is a serious one. The issue has persevered since the Vietnam War and has become endemic throughout American society.

Many of these veterans return home with little for their sacrifice, which is ultimately the greatest, and often wind up living in terrible conditions or have long-lasting psychological traumas. Rob Anderson, a Las Vegas magician, decided that he had to do something about this…

While you may have caught glimpses of his enchanting romantic magic proposals on YouTube, Rob’s magical journey began in Las Vegas back in 2013, where he mesmerized audiences with stage and close-up magic.

From 2013 to 2016, Rob crafted some of YouTube’s earliest viral magic content — featured on major networks like ABC News, CNN, and Fox News, as well as Comedy Central. His MTV International series, born from his YouTube success, aired 22 episodes in 2016. Since then, Rob has expanded his repertoire, enthralling audiences at corporate events and sharing insights through keynote speaking engagements.

When Rob Anderson heard about a homeless U.S. Army veteran in Las Vegas who aimed to spread joy without expecting anything in return, he decided to check out the situation for himself. However, his first encounter with the vet didn’t go as planned at all.

Anderson took the guy’s sign, which stated “Smile,” and began to make some changes. Though the vet was a little taken aback by Anderson’s actions, he had no idea what was coming…

The homeless man in question was Alan McCracken. After returning from the Gulf War during the ’90s, he went through considerable difficulties. At first, he developed a bad drinking habit, which would eventually bring his life to a complete standstill.

While this may sound like a tragic story, the truth is that far too many vets have a similar experience after their service. McCracken was only one of many who had experienced a similar fate after making such an immense sacrifice. Something had to be done…

McCracken had served in Iraq during the Gulf War. This was considered one of the bloodiest wars in recent history and cost both America and Iraq a great deal. While serving abroad, McCracken did his utmost to be a model soldier.

He was stationed overseas for a total of six years — a long time for anyone. When he did eventually leave the army, he was honorably discharged and left knowing that he had done his part. Unfortunately, though, life did not work out as planned thereafter…

For Alan, like so many other veterans, trying to adapt to normal society after the experience of war is very difficult. The transition is often too much for them to handle, and if they suffer from psychological trauma, they’re often only treated symptomatically — therefore worsening their overall state of mind.

Alan found himself dealing with substance abuse and failed to make ends meet. Eventually, he wound up on the street without much to his name…

On this day, in particular, Alan was standing in his usual spot on a busy street corner in downtown Las Vegas. It’s important to note that Alan was an incredibly upbeat person.

Despite being in such dire straits all the time, he always managed to smile and aimed only to cheer others up. “I’m not out here to fill my pockets… I’m out here to fill my soul. The Lord will provide what I need.” He had no idea what was about to happen…

As Alan went about his day, he made a point of smiling widely and made an effort to show how grateful he was for every dollar he earned from passers-by. For Alan, this was just another day in his life, and he didn’t expect much out of the ordinary.

Watching how happy Alan made the people walking past was an inspiring sight, considering how unfortunate his situation was. There was something truly extraordinary about his positivity…

While Alan was standing there, a man in a pink shirt approached. The man was none other than Rob Anderson himself, who decided that it was time for a little magic. He started talking to Alan, who responded to him cheerfully and asked him whether he wanted to see a magic trick.

For Alan, this was totally out of the ordinary, and in his usual cheerful spirit, he agreed. He had no idea just how magical this day would wind up becoming…

As Rob started talking to Alan, he asked him whether he could hold his sign. He then proceeded to take out a black marker and scribble a few dollar signs on the cardboard sign. He then proceeded to fold the sign up as Alan stared on blankly.

Rob then did something completely unexpected – he tore the sign up right there. Alan was a little shocked. Little did he know, but Rob was busy setting him up for one of his next viral videos…

Alan couldn’t believe what was happening to him! Never in the course of his life had someone been so rude to him before. Despite being a cheerful person, Alan was incredibly hurt by this and did not know how to respond.

As he continued to stare at Rob, he noticed that the magician was not finished yet. Rob proceeded to unfold a new sign from the torn up pieces, revealing a number of dollar bills as he unfolded it. Alan was in awe, but the trick wasn’t over yet…

It was clearly an emotional moment for Alan, who started tearing up. Despite seeming like one of the worst people ever at first, Rob soon became a savior for him.

Most days, Alan would consider himself lucky if he made enough money to buy some food and make it through the night. All of a sudden, this complete stranger had gone beyond merely dropping a quarter in his hat but had taken the time out to bring him some joy as well as some cash.

Alan was laughing and tearily thanking Rob for his generosity. There was no need for Rob to have been so kind to Alan, but he had taken it upon himself to help him and Alan did not know what to make of it.

But that wasn’t the end of Rob’s help. As the two picked up the notes, Alan kept thanking Rob. Touched by Alan’s gratitude, Rob decided that he had to do more to help the homeless vet…

Life for Alan was an everyday struggle. The homeless vet explained how he had managed to overcome substance abuse, but that it had cost him everything he had. He couldn’t find a job because he had no home.

This meant that it was impossible for him to get clean or healthy, and he wound up living from day to day, scraping together what he could to survive. Even though his life was so difficult, he did his utmost to remain positive and happy every day — which was really touching.

Rob decided that his magic trick alone would not be enough to really help this homeless hero and figured he would have to do more. In order to make his point, he decided to start a crowdfunding campaign to help Alan get off the streets once and for all.

In order to achieve this, Rob would need the support of the internet — which is where his viral video would come in handy. Rob put Alan up in a motel room in the meantime to get him off the streets.

Rob had made a conscious decision to help Alan, and he planned to see it through. After helping Alan out on that day with a few extra dollars and a place to stay, the magician took it upon himself to do more.

He released the video of him performing the trick. Pretty soon, it went viral and helped to garner the attention that Rob would need in order to get more attention for the crowdfunding campaign he aimed to start…

After launching the campaign, Rob was amazed by the response he received. In a matter of days, the campaign reached its $30,000 goal with the help of 1,600 individual donations. One person even went as far as donating a whopping $1,000 to help the cause!

A few days later, the campaign had reached an impressive $40,000 – going far beyond what Rob had originally hoped to achieve. He couldn’t have been happier with the response and knew that Alan’s life would never be the same because of it. So what did they do with the money?

Rob had set out to help a homeless man and had wound up doing something truly amazing. After raising all the cash from the crowdfunding campaign, Rob went back to Alan to give him the cash. Alan was shocked when he realized what Rob had done for him.

When Rob offered him the money though, Alan decided that he would give a portion of his cash away to help other people in need. Even though he wasn’t well-off himself, he still put others first.

Alan couldn’t be more grateful for the help that Rob had given him. Alan had never asked for much in life and never seemed to be phased by his circumstances.

Literally overnight, a complete stranger changed his entire life for the better, and Alan had a new lease on life as a result. Alan could only feel grateful for his new chance at life and would have the chance to go back to living a normal life. But that’s not the end of his story.

After handing Alan his check for a whopping $40,000, Rob was touched by the fact that he wanted to share the money with other people in need. Pretty soon, though, the internet had taken to Alan’s story and in a matter of days, he had gone viral.

Everyone was talking about how amazing Rob had been and was moved by Alan’s desire to keep helping others despite his own unfortunate circumstances. Alan’s story had become an internet sensation, and his life would be forever altered.

While Alan’s story was indeed a touching one, the truth of the matter is that homelessness among veterans in the US is a huge problem.

Alan was lucky to have been found by someone who was eager to help him out, but for many veterans who find themselves in a similar situation, the help that they deserve often never arrives. Alan’s case was ultimately a small part of a much bigger problem. There is still a lot to be done today…

Every day, little acts of kindness like Rob’s help to change peoples entire lives for the better. While trying to digest the scale and the scope of such a large issue can be really daunting, it’s important to remember that even the smallest act of kindness or charity can go a long way in helping those who need it most.

Hopefully, people like Rob can prove that even on an individual level, a little bit of help can go a long way!

The issue of homeless vets is one that affects every American today. In many cases, these are the people who make the ultimate sacrifice for the country and more often than not, wind up in far worse circumstances than they deserve.

The inability to lay a foundation for a society that not only welcomes these troops home but can actually provide for them leaves something to be desired. With more people like Rob out there, it may well become a reality sooner rather than later.

Rob was a stage magician and entertainer at heart. However, on the day that he decided to help Alan, the cheerful homeless veteran, he realized that he would be doing something far more magical than any stage trick or sleight of hand illusion by taking the time out to do his part in helping to get homeless veterans off the streets again.

Ultimately though, we hope that more and more people will be inspired by Rob’s actions and do their part for the cause.

So, what are Rob and Alan up to nowadays? Well, an entrepreneur in his own right, Rob established a company called This Magic Moment in 2014. It stemmed from a request for a romantic magic performance for a YouTube viewer’s marriage proposal. As the video of this enchanting proposal gained viral traction and was spotlighted on ABC News, the demand for magical marriage proposals surged.

The company has evolved into a comprehensive marriage proposal and celebration planning agency, providing an array of experiences for proposals, anniversaries, birthdays, and other cherished occasions.

After becoming an internet sensation and receiving tons of attention — and donations — Alan has since returned to living a quiet life. According to Rob, the veteran moved to California to look for work.

Alan’s siblings, along with other donors, requested that the remainder of the money be used to help other veterans, including a man named Johnny Hicks. Hicks lives in Las Vegas with his wife and kids.

According to Rob, “Johnny’s family was forced to move to a less expensive home after losing his job. The family lost clothes and furniture to mold at their previous house, including the beds for his two youngest children.”

After watching the video, there’s no denying that Rob helped this family more than they could have ever imagined. “You deserve it,” said Rob. “For your service to the country, for allowing me to live the life I want to live. For me being able to do this, what I wanna do, you know? You provided that for me and a lot of other people.”

Rob stepped up for Johnny and his family, footing the bill to replace their moldy clothes, fix up their home, and keep them fed for half a year. The money he gave them also covered their rent for a whole year and replaced some of the things they lost before.

When Johnny’s wife saw all this kindness, she couldn’t hold back her tears, saying, “And we were wondering how we were going to eat tonight.” These feel-good moments, thanks to Rob Anderson, really does restore our faith in humanity.