Veterans represent the backbone of this country through their military service, whether protecting our national security or our citizens. From the fight against British rule to our current involvement in the Middle East, we have relied on the military to keep our citizens and our country safe and, even after fighting in the lines of combat, this group of individuals continues to serve communities and make the world a better place domestically. The moment they put on their uniform, our lives rest in their hands. These heroes don’t need a cape on the battlefield, yet they earn our regard there and when they return home. However, statistics would prove this not to be the case when veterans make up 23% of the homeless population in the U.S., numbering between 529,000 and 840,000 every year. While some heroes here at home either return to public life or are left on the streets, what would our country look like without them? Would we have the opportunity to elect the first African-American president, embrace the fulfillment of Democracy or live in a society that …show more content…
Those heroes with the oldest capes fought in the Revolutionary War, earning our generation the right to live our lives on our terms. If we weren’t blessed with the veterans from 1776, we wouldn’t have the right to vote for our representatives to serve us. Indeed, one of these first veterans, President George Washington, did his share of fighting on the front lines against the British. These heroes’ capes have not been tattered despite these rigors. More recent veterans of the Gulf War, Vietnam and Korea served their commanders honorably, often against popular opinion at home and abroad, thus proving their loyalty to their commander in chief. And after 9/11, these brave men and women were called upon to defend our country when terrorism threatened our security at
Our nation past was, well, not always perfect. Without some of our veterans, our country wouldn’t be as free as it is. Veterans continue to make our country a free country, which also makes it a better place to live in. Veterans stood up for our country; whether the ones forced to go during the draft, or the ones who voluntarily go. Whether the cause, they were always ready to go and fight for the people’s freedom. We really do see how great these people are, I mean, they risked their life for ours to be
Throughout history, many veterans suffer after fighting in wars, and millions of veterans have been killed or injured. Veterans do not necessarily get the treatments they deserve without paying a price. Taking care of veterans costs a lot and health care is needed for them. They need health care after serving, in order to treat their problems and injuries. Jobs are also important to veterans because they are jobless after fighting in wars, which leads them to be homeless. It is important for people who need help to get help. As of right now, the government has attempted to help veterans, but it may not be enough.
It is important to remember how much of daily life is affected by the work of veterans. Walking on streets, going to school, eating at restaurants, and hanging out with friends all depend on the service of veterans. They may not receive the proper amount of recognition from the younger generations, but their work is appreciated. In actuality, they gained vital information that can be shared with the future generations. They have gained respect and honor for their duty for our
All of us make sacrifices, but consider the sacrifices made by veterans. How many soldiers willingly leave their worried families behind? Missing life’s experiences such as the birth of a baby or celebrating a favorite holiday impacts a veteran’s life in a way that we can hardly comprehend. Many years are spent without the comforts of their home and yet they still go out on the battlefield knowing their lives are at stake fighting to grant us our freedoms.
In today's society where opinion matters, people have been extremely vocal about the lack of support the government has provided to our veterans. Many feel as if the government should do more, while others feel as if they are doing enough. Everyone will have a difference of opinion no matter if they have severed in the military or not. No matter how one may feel, is extremely important to take care of our veterans. As they have sacrificed their lives, time, and family to protect our country. Contrary to one's belief, the government provides a substantial amount of programs, which support the veterans. Honestly more could be done. On any given day you could see women and men standing on the corner holding signs implying they are homeless veterans and will work for food. A few programs the government offers our veterans are funding for mental health services, The Wounded Warrior Project and Vocational Rehabilitation and Education, which will be discussed throughout this essay. When you research the programs, they make it sound as if all proceeds are going towards the best treatment and care money could buy.
According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, in January of 2014 there were 49,933 homeless veterans across the United States. In 2013 the United States Department of Veterans Affairs released a study saying that 22 veterans die of suicide every day, or one veteran kills himself every 65 minutes due to either post traumatic stress disorder, or just because of guilt. Both of these statistics say that the way we treat veterans is clearly not good enough. Veterans do not receive the praise and the respect that they deserve because there are too many homeless veterans, veterans are killing themselves at a rate that is too rapid, and people just assume that because of their previous uniform they have killed and slaughtered babies, which
“It’s like the path of least resistance... After a while, your self esteem gets really low and you don’t feel competitive any longer… Like you are already defeated.” (Applewhite ¶ 17). A quote from a homeless veteran shows how even though he has tried to relieve himself of the homelessness, it does not always end with the outcome that he wants, which leaves him feeling defeated, as well as thousands of others. About ⅓ of the homeless population are veterans, and they are usually the ones that need the most help (VA Expands Partnerships ¶5). The struggle that homeless veterans face everyday in the United States is a growing problem that needs to be fixed because it will continue to get worse. The healthy and productive success of
Imagine one making a huge decision to leave family, friends, and a familiar lifestyle to go serve and protect their country for months or years at a time. Imagine one risking their life and putting forth their time just to come back to no home, money, or health care while have developed a mental illness. The government promises all of these benefits one may never see and they end up on the streets without a home finding ways to cope which may lead to addiction. A study shows that “There are estimated to be about 50,000 homeless veterans on any given night with about 1.4 million others at risk of becoming homeless, the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans said, citing government statistics” (Shaw). Many of America’s homeless veterans have served in World War II, the Korean War, Cold War, Vietnam War, and many other wars. Nearly half of homeless veterans served during the Vietnam era. Two-thirds served their country for at least three years, and one-third were stationed in a war zone. Homeless veterans all across America come from different backgrounds and homelessness does not discriminate against gender. These veterans, including males and females, suffer from homelessness due to: being unemployable; suffering economic hardships; battling substance abuse, and lacking proper legal aid. Yes, there are plenty of resources out there to assist the homeless veterans that may help some but there are still too many veterans living on the streets.
In spite of having many advantages, veterans over-represent in the homeless population. The question “Why?” begs an answer. Forty years have passed since the Vietnam Conflict ended and homeless veterans became a representative image in American society. Surprisingly, it appears there are no studies on the factors contributing
On the 11th of November, the U.S. observes Veterans Day. On this day, we are meant to honor the men and women who have sacrificed so much of their own lives to serve this country. Whether one may favor the Army, Marines, Coast Guard, Navy, Air Force, or the National Guard, we should all pay our respects to all those who served both current, former, and deceased. But what is the purpose of Veterans Day? And why is it so important to observe this particular holiday?
The U.S Department Veteran’s Affairs (VA) provides a wide range of benefits for our service members, veterans and their families. Some of these benefits include but are not limited to include compensation, disability, education, and home loans. Throughout this paper I will discuss these benefits and the eligibility required to receive them. Eligibility for most VA benefits is based on type of discharge received through the military which is normally all discharges under other than dishonorable conditions.
Contrary to the perception that our nation’s veterans are well supported in fact many go without the services they require of which they are
Veteran men and women of all ages have fought for our freedom, and gave us a place we can call home yet each night majority of them do not have a place to go or to call a home. “While 8% of Americans can claim veteran status, 17% of our homeless population is made up of veterans” (Veteran Homelessness). Each night they must worry about where they are going to sleep, what they are going to eat, and if they have the proper clothing for any weather that could come there way. These people chose to fight for us, and in return we are giving them nothing. A vast majority of these veterans also have the daily
Thousands of men and women throughout the United States give up the security and safety of their home to defend the freedoms that Americans, just like myself, get to enjoy every day. These men and women endure hardships and tragedies that most of us could not imagine dealing with, and they do it selflessly. When they finally get to return home to the country that they fought so selflessly to protect, they are forgotten. Veterans all across America receive inadequate health care, are left to suffer from mental illness and end up homeless, and the government is not doing near enough to help them.There are countless flaws in the way that our veterans are taken care of when they return home, and
In the United States, soldiers are currently returning home from war broken and scarred. While some physical wounds are clearly visible others are often hidden/invisible to the naked eye, but men and women proudly wear these wounds as a badge of courage and honor for protecting our nation. These men and women come home rightfully expecting help, assistance and care and get hit with the reality of poor care from the Veteran Health Administration and Department of Defense.