This was a reply to the bill-o / homeless veteran story

[unhappycamper]

on a board I frequent:


I generally don't dignify Bill with a reply but it points out that we
have work to do to educate our communities about the realities of
returning vets. We need to do the impossible - call attention to the
nightmares many vets are trapped in without further undermining their dignity
and while not painting a picture that makes it possible for vets to be
healthy. Some folks manage to emerge in ok shape and we don't want to
make things worse for them.

The ripples of vets needs in our communities are huge. I had a
homeless vet in my shelter in NH last winter. He had had nightmares and
moodiness upon return, and his wife couldn't deal with it. He also was
afraid of hurting his child. So he left and lived in his truck until it
got cold. When he came to us his truck wasn't working and he therefore
had also lost his job. He didn't drink or use drugs and was a hard
worker. He also clearly was struggling with PTSD that he was afraid to get
help for. After weeks job hunting he was considering re-enlisting so
he could support his child and he wouldn't risk the military using that
against him.

I tell his story because it is so typical. And it also shows the
ripples. In coming years we need to not only advocate for the obvious vet
services but also all the ancillary services that come into play - job
training, domestic violence services, child abuse services, and more.
And those things often are not thought about (nor do they get additional
funding) when Congress or service providers consider funding needs for
vets.

Yesterday at our vigil outside of Senator Reed's office I had a long
conversation with a young man (late 20s) who had grown up in poverty, had
finished school and who is determined to do "better". He has stayed
out of trouble, had had a job and tried to go to the community college
but his job schedule made classes difficult. He has his own apartment
because he has had trouble finding solid roommates and he struggles to
make the rent. The company he worked for just closed its doors and he
is considering enlisting. What holds him back is fear of being cannon
fodder or worse, coming home a mess. A friend of his came home and
killed himself. He feels completely trapped. I hope I gave him some
useful suggestions. He asked me to tell his story as well if it would help
in any way. So I pass it on, reminding myself that assistance for
young people who don't want to enlist but who see no other options needs
to be part of our work as well. And an painful awareness that one of
the costs of war is the lack of funds for affordable housing, job
training and college scholarships for our young.