Homeless Veterans

[03Fox2/1]

From Washington Post today:

"Disturbing Numbers of Homeless Veterans Found"


Washington -- As many as 195,000 military veterans were homeless on any given night last year, and there are "troubling indications that many service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan could eventually face the same fate, according to a study released Thursday. The report, from the National Alliance to End Homelessness, found that veterans make up a quarter of the United States' homeless population. Although veterans make up about 11 percent of the civilian population, they represent 26 percent of homeless people, a figure the report calls "shockingly disproportionate."

* Today, there are over 23 million U.S. military veterans - 9.2 million are older than 65 years and 1.9 million are younger than 35 years old.

[Drone_pilot]

Pinched this from NIVETs site.

ITS CHRISTMAS DAY ALL IS SECURE

TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS
HE LIVED ALL ALONE
IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE MADE OF PLASTER AND STONE
I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE
AND TO SEE JUST WHO IN THIS HOME DID LIVE

I LOOKED ALL ABOUT A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE
NO TINSEL NO PRESENTS NOT EVEN A TREE
NO STOCKING BY THE MANTLE JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND
ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES OF FAR DISTANT LANDS
WITH MEDALS AND BADGES AWARDS OF ALL KINDS
A SOBER THOUGHT CAME THROUGH MY MIND

FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT IT WAS DARK AND DREARY
I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY
THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING SILENT ALONE
CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME

THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE THE ROOM IN SUCH DISORDER
NOT HOW I PICTURED A LONE BRITISH SOLDIER
WAS THIS THE HERO OF WHOM I'D JUST READ
CURLED UP ON A PONCHO THE FLOOR FOR A BED

I REALISED THE FAMILIES THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT
OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT
SOON ROUND THE WORLD THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY
AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY

THEY ALL ENJOY FREEDOM EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR
BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE
I COULDN'T HELP WONDER HOW MANY ALONE
ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME

THE VERY THOUGH BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE
I DROPPED TO MY KNEES AND STARTED TO CRY
THE SOLDIER AWAKENED AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE
'SANTA DON'T CRY THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE
I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM I DON'T ASK FOR MORE
MY LIFE IS MY GOD, MY COUNTRY. MY CORPS'

THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP
I COULDN'T CONTROL IT I CONTINUED TO WEEP

I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS SO SILENT AND STILL
AND WE BOTH SAT AND SHIVERED FROM THE COLD NIGHTS CHILL
I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE ON THAT COLD DARK NIGHT
THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOUR SO WILLING TO FIGHT

THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE
WHISPERED 'CARRY ON SANTA ITS CHRISTMAS DAY ALL IS SECURE'
ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT
'MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT'



THIS POEM WAS WRITTEN BY A PEACE KEEPING SOLDIER STATIONED OVERSEAS THE FOLLOWING IS HIS REQUEST I THINK IT IS REASONABLE.

PLEASE WOULD YOU DO ME THE KIND FAVOUR OF SENDING THIS TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS YOU CAN

CHRISTMAS WILL BE COMING SOON AND SOME CREDIT IS DUE TO OUR SERVICE MEN AND WOMEN FOR OUR BEING ABLE TO CELEBRATE THESE FESTIVITIES.
LETS TRY IN THIS SMALL WAY TO PAY A TINY BIT BACK OF WHAT WE OWE!

[Advisor]

I think I would be very careful about believing the numbers put out by the Alliance. First, we have no idea of the methodology used..big question, is did they verify through Freedom of Information that every homeless person who said they were a veteran really was a veteran? There are an awful lot of phonies around. Have to remember that the 'Alliance' has an agenda..mo money, mo money and, ooooo, what the nasty service does to people.box;

[03Fox2/1]

You are correct in your analysis and I am always a doubter when it comes to statistics. I learned long ago that you can make statistics support almost any position that you want. Sort of like criminal trial lawyers getting "professional witnesses" to testify on behalf of their client. It seems that everyone has both a public and a hidden agenda and yes, there are many homeless or street people that claim a veteran status that is far from the truth. My main concern with this article isn't so much about the percentage, rather high or not, of military veterans who are homeless. My real concern is that there are far too many Americans that are homeless and of these people, there are far too many that are military veterans. Something that I attribute more to an insensitive government and an indifferent public then to deadbeat veterans.
Semper Fi

[Advisor]

Yes, I agree that the real issue is homelessness in general. But how do you define homelessness? Why are people homeless? Are people homeless by choice or circumstance?
What really bothers me is the way these outfits use the "veteran" issue to further their agenda. I would say that most of them don't give a rat's arse about veterans, just like most of the country & government. As a veteran, I don't like being used by anyone for any agenda..I am an individual, not a faceless veteran.

[03Fox2/1]

I know there is a great difference between those who find themselves living on the street due to circumstances beyond their control and those who chose this lifestyle because they have no desire to contribute to society or to be accountable for their own choices in life. I can only say that I refer to the large number of homeless people without distinction between those deserving and those less deserving of compassion and assistance. I do however, make a distinction when it is one on one. If and when I run across some street person or beggar that asks me for money and if this person presents themselves to me as a veteran, I always ask questions to satisfy myself about their credibility. I may not always be right, but if I suspect they are not who they say, I give them no money, but I do give them a free lecture about honesty and what honorable service to one's country means to me. I too have never considered myself a faceless veteran and perhaps that is another reason that I fight so much to maintain the identity and definition and honor of what many choose to ignore or forget about the VietNam War. All of those names on the Wall are not faceless casualties. Each one represents the hopes and aspirations and the fears and disappointments of all of us that fought there and each name on the Wall could be me and I know, there was a time in my life that I could very easily have become one of those "faceless street people."
Semper Fi