Financial Samurai

I am with you on this all the way. The bailouts are ridiculous. Those who served deserve access to resources especially job location/ training. I work in an elementary school and am leading an event today to honor local veterans..the children will sing to tham and dress in red, white and blue. We are also serving them breakfast. Hail to our veterans!

If you have the money to help your relative, I suggest hiring a lawyer, preferably a lawyer from the D.C. area that specializes in veteran denials. My dad was denied VA benefits even though he was disabled and suffering PTSD (from Vietnam). He struggled for nearly 30 years. He jumped from job to job, suffered terrible nightmares and emotional problems. Finally, at 60, he snapped. My mom had to force him to go after the VA. They hired a lawyer, and after a relatively short fight and much documentation, he was approved. He’s still on temporary status, but he has 100% disability and will never have to worry about money or healthcare again.

I totally agree with Patrick’s observation that veterans who served less than 20 years have the most difficult time. My father served 16 years. I am disgusted with way the VA has treated our vets. It varies from location to location. Tuscaloosa, AL has a wonderful VA, but many (not all) of the other VAs in MS, AL, TN, and TX are terrible.

Thanks for bringing attention to this nationwide problem. I tend to think we need less of “the government’s help”, but these men and women worked for the government. They went to war when the government sent them, whether you agree with the cause or not. The least the government can do is help them when they return to civilian life. Nightmares, anxiety, and physical injuries don’t go away just because these soldiers have come home.

FS, sorry to hear about your relative who is experiencing problems. He may actually be eligible for some veterans benefits depending on which state he lives in, whether his injuries are service related (and documented), if he was in any named conflicts or wars, or other situations. The VA is a great resource, but there are also many state programs available. Try researching anyone who does veterans benefits assistance – you may be able to find someone who can help him navigate the maze of benefits and potentially find something he is eligible for. The VA has some workers who can do this free of charge, and there may be independent persons who offer this service. I wish you family member and all other vets the best of luck.

Hmm, I had no idea there were that many homeless veterans. Doesn’t make sense. I read somewhere once that some city (Cleveland perhaps?) had a statistic showing that 70% of the homeless population were Veterans! Unacceptable.

The Genius

There should be no homeless anyone. Verterans don’t deserve a warm place to sleep any less or any more than any other person.

But admitting that we’re all worthy would probably cost more taxes. Hmmm.

@Geek
Don’t think that’s a fair statement. Nobody chooses to be homeless, but some have consistently made poor choices that may have lead to their homelessness. Enlisting in the military to serve our country is not a poor choice. It is an honorable and great choice where AT THE VERY LEAST, our veterans should never be homeless.

The Genius

It would be nice if everyone could be taken care of. I t would also be nice if we lived forever.

So, given that we have to place priorities, the Vets deserve first class treatment and they get first place in line.

Well done FS

I do hope you will become your relative’s advocate. There are good people who work at the VA, but the bureaucracy is ridiculous, at best. Please don’t give up. If you can make contact with someone in the VA (i.e. doctor, social worker, etc), you might have better luck. Best of luck to you as you fight for him. I wish all our vets had families that could help and support them. It’s disgraceful that these men and women risk their lives overseas and then have to fight the government when they come home.

the government/presidents make so many promises they never keep which gets me so angry. I get emotional every time I hear stories about the men and women who serve our country and the government really needs to take better care of them, especially when they are done serving as that is so lacking. I hope there are some good VA programs and hospitals out there because I’ve heard so many ridiculous stories of red tape and bad service. Slightly different topic, but I heard this story in the news last month about a father who enlisted after losing his job and benefits in order to get healthcare for his wife fighting cancer and got all choked up, http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/64677772.html. I hope he makes it home safe and that his wife goes into remission soon!

Thanks for writing about this important issue. My hometown, San Diego, has a large number of homeless due to so many military bases being here AND the great weather.

One of the problems is that so many of the jobs don’t translate very well to the civilian job market. My son served 5 years as a gunner’s mate in the Navy. They don’t have a job like that and he’s worked low-wage jobs ever since he was discharged 2 1/2 years ago.

I also find it troublesome that so many veterans fall through the cracks, but I think this is an old American “tradition”. I learned a while ago during a visit to a national park that US soldiers in the 1800s also faced a similar fate. The government did not look after them once their active duty was complete.

BTW FS, like Bucksome Boomer, I want to commend you for bringing up this issue of homelessness for US Vets.

I scan a lot of sites, and pretty much all of them say the same thing, “thank you veterans” which is fine. However, just saying “thank you” doesn’t make the reader think very much beyond the gratitude.

You, on the otherhand, continue to make me think, and challenge assumptions. You don’t say the same old thing. That’s powerful, so thank you again!

The Genius

And they do have job skills too! It’s a horrible thing.

John DeFlumeri Jr.

Here are some links for understanding why – the banking system is a total rip-off and unconstitutional:

7 Page article in The Times on Goldman Sachs
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article6907681.ece?token=null&offset=0&page=1

Article in Rolling Stone on Goldman Sachs
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/29127316/the_great_american_bubble_machine

The great American bank robbery:
http://vodpod.com/watch/2040248-how-to-rob-a-bank

How banks gained control of America:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-515319560256183936#

How to fix bad commercial banks that take in money from depositors. Simple. People power. The Dutch brought an arrogant bank to its knees in twelve days:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8323991.stm

Samurai-san – You raise excellent points. It is a shame that these men and women were willing to put their lives on the line of us and we have left them behind.

You may have seen some twitter comments flying recenltly, “one day of interest on the national debt could put 123,000 kids through college.” Seems to me would could provide some great care to our forgotten servicemen with the same money.

It’s a shame!

I remember President Obama talked about some sad situations many of our veterans were in this summer. I don’t remember when the President gave the speech, I only remember I was deeply saddened by the situations. Yes, our country needs to take care of our veterans!! I wonder if contacting through http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/ will help.

@The Genius

“Nobody chooses to be homeless, but some have consistently made poor choices that may have lead to their homelessness.”

And what about the veterans who consistently made bade choices after they were done their tour?

“Enlisting in the military to serve our country is not a poor choice. It is an honorable and great choice…”

Oh, I see. What about a former school teacher who is now homeless. They started off with a noble career, yes?

“where AT THE VERY LEAST, our veterans should never be homeless.”

If you want to volunteer to be the judge of who has made “noble” choices and who hasn’t (before they made bad choices), be my guest. But then again, a lot of people wind up on the streets for other reasons — like mental illness. Easier to chalk it up to bad life decisions, though.

Thought provoking post, thanks FS.

I’m a veteran, and I’ve worked in a VA medical center (I did a co-op when I went back to college after transferring from active duty to the Air National Guard). The VA’s budget has always been a low priority, when I was there the Clinton administration slashed funding and since then Homeland Defense is top priority. As a veteran I would only go to the VA out of desperation and sheer necessity. If you want to improve the situation contact your congress person and senators about increasing funding for the VA.

As for the veterans, some of them I’ve spoken to are scam artists. They’ve run up to me when I was in uniform and are quick to ask for a hand out, but when I offer to buy them food or pay for a motel room they’ve got a hundred excuses why it has to be just cash. And when you question them about what they did in the military a lot of them were stateside for less than four years and had problems with their commanding officers.

Just a bad situation all around with no simple fix. Not enough money for legitimate needy veterans and too many bad apples giving the rest a bad name.

One of the charities I donate to is http://www.neshv.org (New England Center for Homeless Vets) I also include it as a link on my blog under “charities to consider.”
The men who have served are at the top of my list for support and attention. We can’t just abandon them.

I wrote a post after a trip earlier this year to LA. On the boardwalk, a Vet came by asking for money, and was wearing what looked to be legit ID. I pulled out a few dollars and said “thank you for serving.” He smiled and said I just gave him enough for lunch, but then said “you’re the first person to thank me….”

I do understand that there are scam artists. I am sensitive to that, completely. I take the biggest issue with our foreign war vets being denied coverage. When my grandfather (WWII), uncle (Korea and Vietnam) and father (Vietnam) signed up, they made a “pact” if you will, with the government. It was understood that if they served their country, their country would take care of them (i.e. the VA). When the time came for the government to do that, they denied responsibility and coverage until we hired lawyers. That’s not right. My father is a combat veteran. He did not choose create the war, but he served his country willingly and bravely.

I took my dad to the VA for dental work once, and while we were there, a young, female Iraqi war vet began talking about her experience overseas and her experience once she came home. It was so sad. She’s lost her family (divorce), her job and nearly her mind. PTSD consumed her. A WWII was sitting in there listening just nodding his head. My dad said later that he too knew what she was experiencing.

I feel very strongly about our combat veterans. They deserve the best doctors, the best medicine. They risked their lives and sometimes lose everything that matters to them just to serve their country. I believe we owe them more than third rate treatment when they come home.

Hunh, I can’t believe I didn’t comment on this already. It is a shame that veterans in particular seem to suffer from physical and psychological problems that can result in homelessness, especially after all they have done for our country. It’s a travesty.
Roger´s last blog ..Net Worth Update: Christmas Shopping is On