(gentle music)
- Hi, have you decided what you want yet?
- Not yet.
I'm having trouble getting situated.
I have a traumatic brain injury from my time from overseas.
- Are you sure you're not just drunk?
- I'm not drunk.
I'm a veteran.
- [John] In the last 20 years,
more than 400,000 veterans
have suffered traumatic brain injuries.
Survivors say their invisible symptoms include memory loss,
sensitivity to light and sound,
physical instability, anxiety and depression,
and by others, they're often misunderstood.
- Can you hurry it up?
- If you witnessed a waitress berating
and insulting a veteran,
even after he explains his condition, what would you do?
- Wait, didn't I already order?
(scoffs)
- I don't need to deal with this.
(gentle guitar music)
- [John] We're setting up at the historic Steer-In
in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Our actor Noel, who suffered a traumatic brain injury
in a car accident, will be playing a veteran.
- What's up?
- Hey, how are you doing?
- Good.
- [John] And will be getting some guidance
from Adam Greathouse, who's with Disabled American Veterans.
- My name's Adam, and I'm a disabled veteran with a TBI.
- [John] Adam himself was injured while he was deployed
with the U.S. Army in Kosovo in 2001.
- With the brain injury, it's hard to concentrate.
- I know that.
- [John] They share symptoms.
- Being in places that's overstimulating.
- Stimulating, yeah.
- [Adam] Yeah, overstimulating.
- Lights.
- Yeah, lights, noise, all the stuff.
- Yeah, same here.
- [John] And stories of mistreatment.
- Two different accidents but
- All right. - we get each other.
- It's the same river, different boat.
- [John] Adam will be with us behind-the-scenes
as we watch our scenario play out.
- [Courtney] Hi, do you know what you want?
- I'm having trouble.
- [Courtney] What's wrong with you?
- I suffered a traumatic brain injury
in the war. - A what?
- I'm an Army veteran.
- Okay, well do you know what you want?
- [John] As our waitress continues
to be impatient and inappropriate...
- You've been wasting my time.
- You need to walk away.
- He's an Army vet.
- [John] That's when they address her directly.
- You need to walk away, and let your manager handle it.
- Wow, this is great, this is amazing.
- We both have parents that are army vets
that are no longer with us.
- Why are you butting in?
- You need to walk away. - Because you're rude.
- When our waitress just won't leave...
Do you know this guy?
- Do you know this man? - 'Cause you are,
it doesn't matter.
- No, it doesn't matter. - You are absolutely
unprofessional right now.
You need to walk away.
- [John] They take it a step further.
- If I get up I'm telling you
it's going to be an issue. - This is such a waste.
- Walk away.
(dramatic music)
(Courtney speaks indistinctly)
- And how about you keep walking before you cause an issue?
That was rude.
- [John] Well, what do you think?
Break it?
- Thank you, guys, thank you.
- You're welcome. - I apologize.
- [John] Hello, how are you guys?
I'm John Quinones.
- [Andrene] Hello.
- [John] With the TV show "What Would You Do."
- Oh, Lord.
(both laugh)
- What's your message to people watching this?
- He served for us, if he explained that, respect him.
- My father was a Vietnam vet and I lost him in 2015,
and I will stand up for any veteran that was mistreated.
- [John] We're back at it.
- It's taking me a while to understand
what the words are to on the menu.
- [Courtney] Are you drunk?
- No, I do not drink, ma'am, because of my brain injury.
- Do I look like your babysitter?
- [John] And it doesn't take long for this customer
to call the manager over.
- The guy sitting here behind me
says he has a brain injury from Iraq.
If he is a war veteran,
she don't need to be talking to him like that.
- [John] But that doesn't stop our waitress.
- Today's not Veterans Day.
- On Veterans Day, we gave out free coffee,
and now you're acting like it's still Veterans Day.
- [Noel] Well.
- We've caught the attention of this customer too.
He can't contain himself, this guy.
- Why don't you get somebody else to help him?
- Here. - I'll help him.
- [John] And now both men come to Noel's defense.
- He's a veteran.
- [Courtney] Do you know this guy?
- No. - No, but we ain't gonna
stand for this.
- [John] And now we have the waitress say something
our expert says he himself has heard.
- He's just a crazy veteran.
- [Man] Can you believe that?
- Are you serious?
- You can't say stuff like that.
- Like that, no.
- [John] And with that,
he sits down with Noel and helps him read the menu.
- What sounds good, buddy?
- This is sweet.
- [Noel] What do you recommend?
- I've only been here a couple of times.
I'm gonna get the meatball sandwich.
- [John] How are you doing, sir?
- Hello, pretty good.
- I'm John Quinones.
This is the TV show, "What Would You Do?"
- Wow, okay, I feel better knowing that.
- It was really eating at you, wasn't it?
- Yeah, it was killing me.
- [Man] Honestly.
- We gotta treat people right, and it wasn't happening.
- Especially with veterans.
- Especially.
- He said he was a veteran.
I couldn't take that no more.
(gentle music)
- [John] Throughout the day,
there's no shortage of customers who step in
to protect and serve our veteran.
- Hurry up, I've got a million other customers
to take care of.
- Do you want breakfast?
- Here she comes.
- I don't, I don't really know.
- Do you want breakfast or lunch?
- Alright, bring her back.
- Why are you bothering people?
- I wanted to help him.
- You're not the waitress, I am.
- Right, but I'm gonna help him.
Your attitude is wrong.
- [Courtney] What's so hard about opening a menu?
- [John] Right away, this woman overhears.
- I have a traumatic brain injury.
- Do you want me to help you?
What would you like to eat?
- [Courtney] Why are you helping him?
- Why would I not help him?
- I'm not a babysitter. - Where is the manager at?
Hey, can I get a manager?
- Yes, ma'am? - This man right here
is an Army vet,
and she's sitting here treating him like (bleep)
because he has an injury and he couldn't read the menu.
- I'm just doing my job.
- [Courtney] I'm just trying
to do my job. - This one?
- That's not your job to treat a customer like (bleep).
- [John] Now she reveals something personal.
- I have a daughter who's got a brain injury.
My daughter's in a wheelchair,
- Okay. - And that just really
pissed me off.
- Hi, how are you?
I'm John Quinones.
He's an actor.
- No, for real?
- When you heard that, what did you think?
- I have a daughter who's got a brain injury.
So I take that to heart.
(gentle music)
- [John] We're rolling one last time.
- I can't think of the word but I can't,
I can't figure out what.
- [Courtney] You can't read the menu?
- [John] This customer makes sure Noel knows he's here
if he needs him.
- I'll take that.
How you doing, buddy?
- Hey.
- Good, tell me how I can help.
- Do you know him?
- No, you know, we fought, so we're good.
Just be nice.
- [Courtney] Did you say we fought?
- Yeah, we both served.
- He's a veteran himself.
- So you know him?
- I don't know him.
- Where did you serve?
- Marine Corps.
- I'm Army.
- Hoo-rah.
- [John] When our waitress just won't take his advice
to be nice...
- [Crew Member] Hey, use the Sergeant Slow thing.
- Okay, Sergeant Slow, come on.
Do you know what you want?
- [Noel] Ah.
- [John] He can't take it any longer.
- I'm having a problem with the way
that she's treating that customer.
We don't treat vets like that, that's disrespectful.
- Thanks for your help.
- No problem, buddy.
No problem.
Anything I can do.
- Yeah.
- I just don't like you being mistreated in any way.
- Let's go over there and join them.
You were in the military?
- Yes, sir, Marine Corps.
- When you serve your country,
you at least expect a little something of respect.
(gentle music)
We didn't have to go.
We didn't have to go, so...
We have to be patient.
I mean, yeah.
We have to take care of them.
There's a saying, Mr. Quinones,
for those who have fought for it,
freedom has a taste the protected will never know.
And for those who have lost it, freedom has a taste
that the protected will never appreciate.
- That's beautiful.
Appreciation, respect, it's really not much to ask for
when you consider the high price
these wounded veterans have paid.
What do you hope our audience learns
from this scenario today?
- Hopefully they can take away
that not all wounds are visible.
I have a TBI, it's okay, I'm blessed to be alive,
I'm still here, and I'm living life to the fullest.
(uplifting music)