For veterans, a place where peace can take root

National For veterans, a place where peace can take root June 2, 20265:00 AM ET Quil Lawrence John Follmer prunes back plants at the Japanese garden on the West LA Veterans Affairs campus in April. Stella Kalinina for NPR hide caption toggle caption Stella Kalinina for NPR John Follmer is an Iraq war vet and an adviser to Los Angeles County on military and veterans affairs, who works with homeless vets on the tough streets of Los Angeles. But on Thursdays, he's a gardener. "We are here in the center of the largest city in the United States, and aside from an occasional helicopter, it's hard to imagine you're only a quarter mile away from the 405 freeway," Follmer says, standing in the dappled sunlight under the trees. Sponsor Message National Trump pledged to house 6,000 homeless vets. His budget funds zero This garden, built in 1968 on the West LA Veterans Affairs Campus, had fallen into wild disrepair when Follmer found it six years ago and started to clean it up. "It's just such a peaceful place, and I think that this place truly is a deserving place for the veterans," he says. There's a chain of koi ponds with giant goldfish and some newly planted Japanese maple trees, and Follmer is hoping for active beehives soon. A koi pond reflects the foliage of mature trees at the Japanese garden on the West LA VA campus. Stella Kalinina for NPR hide caption toggle caption Stella Kalinina for NPR A mature tree; signage from September 1958 crediting the groups that created the garden. Stella Kalinina for NPR hide caption toggle caption Stella Kalinina for NPR Veterans volunteer at the garden every Thursday. One Air Force veteran comes and spends the whole day breaking sticks into mulch, a kind of meditation. Some just come to soak in the serenity. "We always tell the vets, like, 'You don't have to come here and work. The simple art of stepping into the garden justifies its purpose,' " says Follmer. The garden fills a grotto on the north side of the gigantic 387-acre West LA...