+pcpilot 181 Posted August 1, 2014 A very touching website. I remember reading an article in the San Diego tribune years ago about the thousands of homeless vets in San Diego county, many of them living alone or in small groups out in the brush. Later on, my brother and I were out shooting near the desert. At one point I turned around and there about 50 yards away standing up in the manzanita and mesquite was a black man wearing a maroon beret and old army field jacket watching us. I turned to mention him to my brother and when we looked back, he had disappeared. Made me think a lot about these guys. Sure, some of them have made the choice to be there. But a LOT of them struggled with acceptance or PTSD or whatever. Most people want to help but it isnt always easy for one reason or another. Websites like this might offer a suggestion as to what we can do to help out. http://www.theymayhavebeenheroes.com/ Here's an interesting article on the website about the risk of homelessness for returning vets... http://www.theymayhavebeenheroes.com/2014/01/its-not-just-us-old-guys/ It’s not just us old guys A recent USA Today article reveals what we have been saying all along. The following excerpts indicate just how much we need to carry on. Up to 48,000 Afghan, Iraq vets at risk for homelessness Gregg Zoroya, USA TODAY 12:55 p.m. EST January 17, 2014 As more young veterans of recent wars leave the military, the number of them falling on hard times and homelessness continues to rise sharply. Nearly 50,000 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans were either homeless or in a federal program aimed at keeping them off the streets during 2013, almost triple the number in 2011, according to numbers released Thursday by the Department of Veterans Affairs. The number among this generation falling on hard times is rising sharply even as homelessness among veterans of all ages and conflicts has been on the decline, according to the VA. Advocates for the homeless say many of the estimated 2.5 million Americans who served in the two wars went into combat zones on multiple deployments, something many veterans of previous conflicts never had to endure. “They’re coming home to a bad economy. The country is different. Their families are different. They are different. Plus they are dealing with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) and other issues around mental health,” says Gregory Scott, president of New Directions For Veterans, a non-profit assistance group in Los Angeles. “We don’t know what the long-term impacts will be on the Iraq and Afghanistan veterans,” says John Driscoll, president and chief executive officer of the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans. VA spokeswoman Victoria Dillon said the number of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans struggling with homeless issues has grown because the department has expanded efforts to identify and assist them. The department has programs throughout all 50 states, working with community groups to target homeless veterans, and as a consequence, a more accurate picture of the number of these veterans is emerging. …A lack of affordable housing has contributed to veteran homelessness, the VA says. VA Secretary Eric Shinseki said …”Those who have served our nation should never find themselves on the streets, living without hope,” . As we work with agencies around the country and especially the U S VETS organization here in Saint Louis, we have seen this coming for some time. The VA is peddling as fast as they can but public sector support is so badly needed to fix this. Excellent interview with Jerry Tovo here. This will really explain what he is doing. https://fstoppers.com/editorial/ex-drill-sergeant-travels-country-finding-and-photographing-homeless-veterans-8211 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+Dave 2,318 Posted August 1, 2014 No one should be homeless. Even Veterans. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nesher 629 Posted August 1, 2014 especially veterans! it's sad to hear about that.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
