WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Army Spc. Bruno Ezenwankor, a Florida National Guardsman, assigned to Joint Task Force - District of Columbia, in support of the DC Safe and Beautiful facilitated a connection that reunited a homeless man with his family in Washington, May 9, 2026.
On April 13, 2026, Ezenwankor was conducting routine patrols in Lafayette Square where tourists, protesters, and politician traffic is heavy and most encounters are short.
“That afternoon, a homeless man walked past me slowly and stared at my name tag. My last name wasn’t even fully visible, but he softly pronounced the first part of it,” Ezenwankor explained.
Recognizing familiarity in the man’s voice and accent, Ezenwankor suspected that he was from Nigeria like he was.
Ezenwankor asked, “Nna, ị bụ onye Igbo? (Brother, are you Igbo?)” “The look on his face changed immediately,” Ezenwankor said. “For the first time since approaching me, he relaxed.”
“Yes,” the man replied.
As the conversation continued, Ezenwankor was getting to know Chunkwunanjo and about his circumstances that led him to the streets before their interaction ended. However, Ezenwankor was unsettled knowing that someone from his homeland, an Igbo elder, moved to the United States and became unhoused in the nation’s capital.
Ezenwankor learned that Chunkwunanjo did not have a phone and had been moving between different states. He later became completely disconnected from his family over the years.
The following day, on April 14, Ezenwankor shared the encounter in a post on X that circulated Nigerian social media. Two days later, he received a direct message from Chunkwunanjo’s niece, who said the family had been trying to contact him since 2019.
On April 22nd, he saw Chunkwunanjo again in Lafayette Square.
“Years of pain, isolation, depression, disappointment, and shame had built walls around him so high that even love felt threatening,” Ewenwankor said. “When I explained that I had found his family, he became furious immediately”.
However, Ezenwankor continued to encourage him and spoke with him about reconnecting with the family who had been searching for him for years. Chunkwunanjo eventually agreed to speak with them.
“At the moment, something happened that I don’t think I will ever forget for the rest of my life,” Ewenwankor said. “As soon as he heard their voices, this man broke down crying.”
Since then, Ezenwankor looked out for him while on patrol and interacted consistently. The most recent interaction occurred on May 9 when Chunkwunanjo was able to speak not only with his niece, but with several family members during an emotional phone call.
“I try to help spread kindness wherever I find myself,” Ezenwankor said. “I try to be kind to people, that is my default. I didn’t know it was going to go this way. I didn’t know the post was going to blow up. I was just being human.”
He added that his decision to wear the uniform was rooted in a desire to positively impact others while continuing to pursue his own educational and personal goals.
Ezenwankor described that supporting the DC Safe and Beautiful mission has been an eye-opening experience, and many residents and visitors express gratitude for their presence in the city.
In the same way Ezenwankor spreads kindness, he encourages others to do the same, by showing empathy and emotional intelligence.
“Always listen to people. Listen to people’s stories,” Ezenwankor said. “I know it’s easy to make judgments from afar. If I had not given [Chunkwunanjo] an audience, I’m not sure we’d be here.”
| Date Taken: | 05.13.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 05.13.2026 12:43 |
| Story ID: | 565123 |
| Location: | WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, US |
| Web Views: | 33 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, National Guard Soldier Helps Reunite Homeless Man With Family, by SGT Sherald McAulay, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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