HOUSTON -- Everyone likes barbecue on Memorial Day. But at a barbecue near downtown Houston on Monday, all those eating the holiday meal are veterans and all are fighting homelessness.

Paul Gray served two years as a staff sergeant in Iraq. But when he came home, he found himself sleeping in the wooded areas of his home state of Mississippi.

Gray struggled for more than a year on his own.

“Being a soldier all you have to do is follow orders,” he said. “But out here, you have to think for yourself.”

He is far from alone.

About 250 homeless veterans live the transitional housing center off Highway 59 and Main Street.  

“We're trying to reach them wherever they are,” said shelter operator Tom Mitchell.

Vets at the center learn badly needed job skills and get other assistance.

Still, it's an-ongoing challenge.

“Twenty five to 35 percent of the homeless population is veterans,” said Mitchell.

Nationwide, officials estimate 200,000 veterans are homeless. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimates there are 16,000 homeless veterans in Texas.

Thanks to the shelter's help, Gray now works a full-time job in security and life is getting better. 

“Once you make it up in your mind, it can be done,” he said. “You just have to follow through.”