NEW YORK, March 25, 2007
More Veterans Calling The Streets Home
An Estimated 200,000 U.S. War Veterans Are Homless
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(CBS)
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Interactive Iraq: 4 Years Later The conflict wears on as the nation struggles to rebuild.
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Interactive American Heroes Profiles of U.S. soldiers who've died in Iraq, a look at the war's toll and pictures of mourning.
He fought in Afghanistan and then in Iraq, where a sniper's bullet took his best friend.
"His head got blown off — I get nightmares about that," said Elgoarany.
The Muslim-American sailor drowned that pain in alcohol, reports CBS News correspondent Michelle Miller, but drinking only led to an early discharge.
Back at home, he couldn't find work. His wife took their baby boy and left. Robbery led to prison.
When he got out, Hassam became one of many homeless veterans.
"We have no inkling of the full scope of the problem," said Roy Kearse, vice president of Samaritan Village, a state-funded homeless shelter for veterans with addictions.
At Samaritan Village, Hassam found men who understood his downward spiral.
"They're returning home, they're running into obstacles and problems and all of the mechanisms aren't in place to get to them," said Kearse.
One in three homeless Americans is a veteran.
On any given night in this country, an estimated 200,000 are living on the streets.
Many served in Vietnam, but experts expect the number of Iraq veterans to swell in coming years.
The Veterans Administration can provide beds to only 14,000 veterans, though it told CBS News its shelters aren't filled to capacity and that it offers what it called "very good" services to homeless veterans.
As President Bush orders more troops to Iraq, the Senate Committee on Veteran's Affairs wants more focus on those coming home.
"The president did not mention the word 'veteran' in his State of the Union address," said Senator Daniel Akaka, D-AK, chairman of the Committee on Veterans Affairs.
Akaka has asked Congress to more than double the president's request for funding next year — 4.8 billion dollars more to help not just the physically wounded but the emotionally scarred.
"They train you to transfer from a civilian to a killing machine," said Elgoarany. "When you get out they should have trained me to go back into being a civilian."
The Army says one in three Iraq veterans will return home with mental health issues. Sooner or later, caring for them will become another cost of war.
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See all 87 CommentsMy husband spent two tours in Vietnam as a helicopter pilot. I know about what I speak.
Posted by Barbaraf4 at 08:43 AM : Mar 26, 2007
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The ignorance of Barbaraf4 is beyond comprehension. If her husband served 2 tours in Vietnam as a helicopter pilot and they have no problems, someone isn't telling the truth.
Getting over seeing your buddy die in combat is about a simple as getting over seeing your child die in a car accident.
I'm sure Barbaraf4's family would help her "get over it."
Ignorance is bliss when you don't even have a clue.
According to your post, I can *** about the war. I said we shouldn't invade Iraq because Saddam tried to have Duh-baya's daddy killed. There was no need for the rush, the inspectors could have been allowed to finish their work. I've been against the war since it was a sadistic gleam in the moron's eyes, but I've always supported our troops.
As an analogy, consider: McDonald-Douglas built the DC-10 to compete with Boeing's 747. The airlines that bought the aircraft were very happy with the obvious quality of the workmanship it assembly showed. McDonald-Douglas used their best assembly teams to build them, so assembly errors were almost never found after they were delivered. One day the port engine fell off a DC-10 on takeoff from Chicago. The specifications for the bolts that attached the engine to the wing's part of the airframe had been miscalculated. That design flaw was fatal for all aboard the aircraft. The assemblers had built the plane exactly to the specifications they were given. They deserve praise for their quality work, but the highest quality in their performance couldn't prevent the screwed up design from bringing the aircraft down. The military's situation is similar. They have performed impeccably, but their quality efforts can't compensate for the flawed plans they carry out. From the time some neo-con political hacks overruled the military's best planners and sent in too few troops, the war was FUBAR and didn't improve.
Trying to make ends meet with $900 a month from the VA & it's not working home wise! I get care from the VA but long delays to being put off!
Trying to make ends meet today is not easy and YOU ask get a job true and if I do I lose the money I get from the VA and they have to go to pay for health care!
Yes I wish I could work with two byepasses and five stents - agent orange - type 2 diabites - copd........I am un able to work -
I figular by the end of 2007 I also will be homeless! my rent alone is $460 + Elec - gas for heating - food and on it goes - others said food stamps I can't get them I make to much money for food stamps & when last checked I would get $10 a month lol a joke - help for vets there is none! Do any of congress or others care NO -
so yes more of us on the streets soon from wars gone by to yes what is going on daily!
I just wish the people of the USA would stand up for us vets and give us what is due to us and give us the help a woman with kids can get off the street!
but being a man who went to war for his country i get penneys to live on and no help or a thought of what is happening to him ME today!
You do good for your country then get thrown to the streets when you get home:
I will see the rest of the vets on the streets soon
Kenkmh
For instance, a service member may terminate a lease agreement signed prior to entering active duty. Their interest rate can be capped at 6%. They can't be evicted if their rent is less than $1200 (well, that won't work anywhere in SoCal).
The SSCRA is still alive and well. However, the problem is that it requires affirmative action on the part of the military member, and most members don't know about it or don't take the necessary action to use it.
Sounds familiar. Although I was a senior electronics technician with 28 years service, the post office turned me down. That's funny (in a sick way) because my mail is constantly delivered to the wrong street.
Many of the postal employees I know can't even spell their own name...
You're off by a few zeros, skyk.
The U.S. population in 1939 was approximately 139 MILLION (six zeros).
The number who served was over 19.75 MILLION (14.2% of the population).
The number killed/missing was 462 THOUSAND (2.34% of those who served); number of wounded was almost 690 THOUSAND.
Over 130 THOUSAND U.S. military members were POWs.
Ironically, the Axis powers suffered far less deaths than the Allied powers did: 12 MILLION to 50 MILLION.
Source is the DoD as reported by Wikipedia.
Search on "World War II" and World War II casualties"
ps- even attorneys do pro-bono to help out society. since WWI the medical field and drug companies have greatly benefited from the research they have done involving our veterans. A few months ago 60 minutes did a segment entitled A Pill To Forget? It was about the old drug used for high blood pressure called Propranolol which they now believe can be used to cure PTSD because they believe this drug, if prescribed off-label can help the memory be erased. The story ended saying the military has provided funding to test this theory on veterans returning home from this war. It is time the private medical community return the favor/knowledge they have already received from our veterans. Too many veterans from past wars have already ended up as just another number in a research project.
Found out from a friend that worked there, that the position I was to occupy was given to the nephew of somebody in the personnel dept. Oh, I scored 103 out of 105 possible with my vets pref. The one who got the job, never had or has served.
You have the right to be reemployed in your civilian job if you leave that job to perform service in the uniformed service and:
1. You ensure your employer receives advance written or verbal notice of your service;
2. You have five (5) years or less of cumulative service in the uniformed services while with that partiular employer;
3.You returnto work or apply for reemployment in a timely manner after conclusion of service; and
4. You have not been seperated from the service with a disqualifying discharge or under other than honorable conditions.
IT'S THE LAW PEOPLE! Your getting your "Paleolib" panties in a wad for nothing.
The physical and psychological treatment of our veterans is a national disgrace. The kind of person who volunteers to serve his/her country is not the type person who then volunteers to exile themselves from society and live on the streets. Without a sense of purpose and duty, they wouldn't have volunteered. Something changed inside them and we owe them the help they need to get back as close to the way it was as they can.
Anybody who hasn't told their Congressperson and their Senators that they demand decent medical and psychological treatment of our vets has no right to claim to support our troops, even if they have a magnet (from China) that says they do on their car. Bush & tricky dickyII's record is even worse than previous presidencies. They don't just ignore veterans' needs they've hired private companies to profit from ignoring those needs.
Posted by gunnerv1 at 12:15 PM : Mar 26, 2007
Man you are one twisted little NAZI. ONCE those terrible old "Liberal's" had laws, real LAWS on the books that gave a Vet, especially a Disabled One, an advantage in Schooling, Jobs and Housing. We ONCE had the GI Bill which was a great thing until the Fascist came along and said it cost to much. You see they couldn't afford to give their rich pal's a Tax Cut and maintain the GI Bill so they trashed it for all intents and purpose, then NAZI's like this low life come along and defend what they have done. It's disgusting and needs to be changed.... NOW!!
Posted by gunnerv1 at 11:44 AM : Mar 26, 2007
Well one thing is CERTAIN Sparky YOU know nothing of U.S. Labor laws Especially those laws pretaining to the Guard. You state it like theres going to be a job for them when they get back and THAT is an OUTRIGHT lie. In fact around the offices of Labor Attorneys all across this nation those laws are laughed at and it's just a simple little matter to rid yourself of ANY requirement to hold any job. You see the law has been changed by the fascist and now with this nation having NO labor Unions anymore to speak of it's REAL easy for a good attorney to get around and YOU should get up to date on what you say. You look stupid! Just pull up the stats on how many Vets came back to find NO job available or were on some waiting list because they had no "simular" job available anymore. Sieg Heil
Posted by gunnerv1 at 11:44 AM : Mar 26, 2007
You just simply DO NOT care do you Sparky? LOL You haven't a clue what's going on out here and YOU simply DO NOT care. Their all lying to us and these people don't exist do they swastika breath? LOL They ARE there and there are NO JOBS for them. If you clowns want to admit it or not isn't important.
Posted by gunnerv1 at 11:39 AM : Mar 26, 2007
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Where the hell did you get that figure from. Now the population in 1945 was less than 140,000 according Government records. Would you care to tell us WHERE you got the 10 percent there Herr Gunnerv. When you take 10% of 140,000 you get 14,000. Now even a lover of the swastika has to know we had MORE than that serving in the U.S. Military. Hell there were more than that at Paris Island when my pop, one of those dirty old Liberals, was there. LOL
Posted by nikosk1 at 01:45 PM : Mar 26, 2007
As a Disabled Vet from that OTHER War I can already tell you not one. That's right America all those people who strut around with the flag, telling us how everyone should be willing to sacrifice for their country? NOT ONE of them are willing to even admit we have this problem. NOT ONE!!
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