How can we let this happen?

Question

Seriously, I knew it was common for Vietnam Vets, but for these guys already end up this way and for what? What did they fight for? For homelessness?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/04/AR2007030401526.html?referrer=email

And, let's leave the name calling out of it, if you don't mind.

Answer 1

Does it really surprise you that our returning vets have not had it as good as the common civilians? Well, I blame that, in part, in the division of care between the regular grunts and the officers that get the better treatment; why should the grunts get inferior care to the officers, why not the same? That reeks of elitism, doesn't it?

I heard that Bush had made a few visits to Walter Reed... and HE didn't see the filth and dilapidated conditions... or was this like the case with the aftermath of Katrina where he said he didn't know what was going on, as if he nor his Security Personnel had no telephones, radios or TVs? This problem has been going on for many decades, and it just NOW surfaced?

I've been complaining about this since the early 80s when I volunteered (Adoptive Swimming Instructor) at a Vet Hospital. No one listened then and no one listened for many years... and it's only the tip of the proverbial iceberg.

Homelessness? WHERE can our vets complain to or go for help? NO ONE LISTENS TO THEM! NO ONE CARES! Proof: the number of homeless vets from Viet Nam and those that will become homeless soon unless some drastic changes are done. NO ONE CHOOSES homelessness; it is a situation that is trust upon the person. They served our nation and our nation turned its back on them!

Yeah, some lackey is likely to say that this is not a military-related problem... like he/she is some "authority" on the problem simply by virtue of wearing a uniform and listening to some officers play down the problem... but NO reliable studies have been performed by impartial personnel! It is the role of some in uniform to play down the real situation and to prevent exposing the problems like at Walter Reed and the many other Vet hospital across the Nation!

I blame the separation of care that goes on just as the separation of meals... grunts get the "regular" meals and the officers get the gourmet meals... and the same goes with the quality of care. The grunts face the bullets and do the hard work while the officers sit around in the shade drinking lemonade... go figure!

I also blame the damned wastefulness of our government officials, the spendthrifts, who squander and mismanage taxpayer monies and must then sacrifice funding from the most defenseless in our society, the elderly, the disabled, our wounded vets, the retired, the poor!

EDITED: Hawaiisweetie, first of all, most of those supposed programs don't exist, and getting to them is next to impossible for those that are on the verge of losing their apartments or homes. My late brother, a Korean vet, was one prime example... the benefits disappeared thanks to our good ol' Dwight Eisenhower! There's no one cure-all solution to those that are shell-shocked or have traumatic stress syndrome or any number of psychological causes that are complicated by the convoluted hordes of unnecessary red-tape and mountains of paperwork faced by our vets (paperwork employs people, unfortunately those are the same civilians that make life for our vets impossible).

Answer 2

It is not the government that is causing the homelessness, it is families that don't understand their soldiers and instead of trying to they divorce them, leave them at the shelter which might have the best thing for this guy.

The military has counseling for soldiers returning to families, but for single soldiers it is much harder, and to be counseled for mental issues can affect your military career.

I don't think that it will be has bad as with Vietnam because there isn't that mass amount of people that were drafted and after the war told they weren't needed anymore.

I think that it is a sad thing and people need to be more considerate of what these people are going though, to lose best friends over there is hard, but to come back and lose your family is even harder.

Answer 3

It is a shame that this is a reality, however the door does swing both ways. The veteran has to seek out the help he or she needs and sometimes that is the hardest thing for a vet to do. Being a veteran of Desert Storm I can relate to what many of these people are going through. The Government needs to make sure there is programs available for the vet but it is the vet who is has to choose to use these programs.

Answer 4

That's one reason why war should never be the first answer.

Our boys and girls go over there and end up shells of their former selves.

It's not just the deaths. Some soldiers are ruined for the rest of their lives.

And for what? What exactly is going to come of this war?

If we only learned from Vietnam.

Answer 5

we volunteered for service, and its just a job, people who work at mcdonalds can go crazy just as easy as we do. and for the record , most " mental problems " in the military , if you do the research , are from non combat soldiers....makes you wonder..

just an observation: i went to walter reed 3 times, and i thought it was nice and my friend who was recieving care ( yes someone who was actually treated there ) had zero complaints and glowing accounts of his treatment........oh yhea, its election time soon....my badd