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Why does Johnny come Marching Homeless »

Posted by: not2needy 1 year, 11 months ago

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LEEDS, Mass. - Peter Mohan traces the path from the Iraqi battlefield to this lifeless conference room, where he sits in a kilt and a Camp Kill Yourself T-shirt and calmly describes how he became a sad cliche: a homeless veteran.

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not2needy

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I am a Christian, Wife, Mother of one son, Liberal, and retired social worker. I enjoy my computer, gardening, reading, cooking and ...

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not2needy
Jan. 19, 2008, 3:31 p.m.

He would pull out his gun, a .45-caliber, semiautomatic pistol. He would lovingly clean it, or just look at it and put it away. Sometimes place it in his mouth.
This is beyond sad, but doesn't seem to be that uncommon.
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greenmac
Jan. 19, 2008, 3:55 p.m.
Thanks N2N .... A good story but sad. The attention span by the public is short. We view the problem for a while then move on to another subject .... this is not what these people need.
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Ciera-Marie
Jan. 19, 2008, 4:33 p.m.
Everyone who has commented so far has made valid points.
While I have not supported the war in Iraq, I have always supported the troops. To me supporting the troops means, they get everything they need (and not out of pocket) before they go, the medical are they need while in, safety (w/o fear of rape by fellow soldiers or superiors), the r & r between deployments, the pay, the housing, so many other things I don't know about that they need while in (including their families.). I also support their getting the care they need when they get out.
Sending the wounded back is not supporting the troops.
Expecting them to work seven days a week, 18 hours, for 16 months, or longer is not supporting the troops. That is not care of the troops.
Vets becoming homeless is not supporting them.
The VA's that specifically deal with and treat PTSD's have a long waiting list.
Cont'd
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not2needy
Jan. 19, 2008, 4:51 p.m.
So well put CM!
You are right, just saying we support the troops doesn't mean supporting the war. It means providing our military personell with religious, mental, physical as well as monetary assistance, before during and after the war. I didn't witness any of this before during or after Vietnam, and apparently it's not being provided now.
This in and of itself puts a bad taste in my mouth. It's easy to sit back and rant about supporting the troops as long as it doesn't really touch anyone you love, but all of us should love our country enough to want our people to be healthy, especially our military.
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flyonthewallzz
Jan. 19, 2008, 5:35 p.m.
This may be a silly thought.
I am a total Moonbat.
Yet I hunger for an opportunity to show my respect to those that offered their lives to protect us.
A simple gesture like giving my place in line, or picking up the cost of a cup of coffee and a breakfast sandwich would give me great joy.
I think times are different, I do not think pacifists have forgiven themselves yet for the disrespect shown to the Veterans of Vietnam.
Our veterans should be able to walk the streets tall and proud and we should have their back.
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ameliog
Jan. 19, 2008, 5:56 p.m.
good article. too bad there's no magnetic support ribbon that brags about this type of troop support.
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NelsonR
Jan. 19, 2008, 7:24 p.m.
Deplorable that any American can support this war and the treatment of these vets is standard treatment for many returning vets. Send all our representatives children and unnecessary wars like Iraq will never occur again.
Bush daughters should have enlisted and just maybe many Americans could have understood his aggressive war decision.
Neo cons are famous for sending other parents children to wars that are wrong.
Again, the surge is not ever going to succeed with the various sects stockpiling weapons this very day for the inevitable civil war. No more Americans should be subject to an unjust war and then coming home dead, wounded or broken, for what?????
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IcCaRus
Jan. 19, 2008, 8:46 p.m.
ya know, i dont see ANY of the "we support the troops by sending them into bogus wars" conservative crowd here. they dont dare show their faces on a thread that exposes the shameful way the Bush admin treats the very people they make such a SHOW of supporting.
disgraceful!
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Aotearoa
Jan. 19, 2008, 9:10 p.m.
A very sad but common situation where heaps of Vets. are being left out in the cold. It seems the government is only interested in you when they want foot soldiers to do their dirty work . These people ( Vets.) laid their lives on the line for the country for crying out loud and what do they get in return? excuses of not being able to take care of them. Sweet as post N2N
Leve leva e malanga kae tau
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Eagle_Eye
Jan. 19, 2008, 10:23 p.m.
Good story n2n!! Congrats on your first submission!
I always hated what they did to the vietnam vets, that never was the case before vietnam, the WWI and WW2 with the Korean war vets all were embraced when they came back.
Media was to blame for turning public against the Veit vets and that was so wrong!! But so was business, welfare and disability.
It is sad to know they are still screwing with your hubby, and knowing they are going to do it with the Gulf war and Iraq war vets is sickening.
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texangelwings
Jan. 19, 2008, 10:48 p.m.
Excellent story not2needy and all so sad! My tears and my prayers are for our soldiers and their families. Our soldiers should never be without every necessity of life!
Thanks for the great comments, previously posted.
Thanks not2needy.
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Pupi
Jan. 19, 2008, 11:21 p.m.
Thank you so much for this story, N2N! It's an issue that needs to stay out in the open. A great choice for your first submission! Congrats!!!
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ETproductions
Jan. 20, 2008, 1:51 a.m.
Alexander the Great. What was so great about him? He got millions of people killed with his many wars. He died when he was only 33. Nothing remains of his "Great" accomplishments but the history. History concentrates on his military genius, but ignores its disastrous consequences.
Caesar Augustus, Charlemagne, King Ferdinand, King George, Hitler and Hirohito... History is littered with the dead bodies of empire builders. What have they accomplished in the long term? They all failed and they all bankrupted their countries in the process.
Sadly, Americans seem immune to the lessons of history. Since WWII we have been quietly engaged in empire building. The obvious examples are Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq with Iran soon to follow. But our covert operations have backed ruthless dictators and overthrown legitimate governments all over the world. The result is a national debt approaching 10 trillion dollars and 200,000 homeless vets broken by the senseless carnage.
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macemare
Jan. 20, 2008, 5:32 a.m.
Lets see now--" All soldiers are killers, all soldiers are dunb, Of course thier was " Ike"..he wasn't a killer, or dumb...
This kind of talk is just "DUMB"...Any soldier who reTurns alive, is a " HERO"...
WORTHY OF OIUR CARE, AND CONSIDERATION..
It seems to me that the Bush haters are going too far...and-- no one hates Bush more than me...
Just remember this...Bush has not been impeached, but then, O J Simpson is still loose also...
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Amazing1
Jan. 20, 2008, 7:59 a.m.
Thank you, n2n. This is a story that needs to be heard again and again.
Friend of mine has a son who came back from Iraq with something definitely wrong. Not the same boy at all. Gambling addicted, unable to keep a job, a lot of drinking. They took him to the VA. Some kind of brain damage from being too close to an IED. While waiting for disability determination he got redeployed. What is with that? He is not fit for duty.
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pismo
Jan. 20, 2008, 8:32 a.m.
I would just like to add here that this problem will not go away easily. I have spoken with a marine used to work with. He said the biggest challenge (at least for him) is assimilating back into society. He said for example: "You live and train with a group of individuals that although may have never knew each other before they became a unit, they end up respecting each other as brothers, a form of extend family, that is really only trumped by their own individual families". For some of the men, they are the only family they have. When he returned, he suffered from a mild form of depression due to the loss of his extended family so to speak, but he was able to get over it with the help of his friends here at home. Some vets I think aren't this fortunate.
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PCRUSR
Jan. 20, 2008, 10:17 a.m.
WHY ARE WE ALL POINTING THE FINGER AT EVERYONE ELSE ? THIS IS OUR PROBLEM--IT BELONGS TO EACH AND EVERY AMERICAN BUT YET WE CHOSE TO DO VERY LITTLE--JUST PUTTING A BAND-AID ON IT SO IT WILL GO AWAY OR WON'T BE SO OFFENSIVE I WILL TAKE ALOT OF CRAP FOR THESE STATEMENTS BUT YOU CAN RIDE AROUND IN ANYWHERE, USA AND SEE THE UNTOLD MILLIONS WE SPEND TO IMPRESS OTHER BUT YOU WOULD NOT HAVE IT IF NOT FOR THE SACRIFICES THE AMERICAN SOLDIER GAVE FOR ALL OF US. AS A RETURNING VIET NAM VET I HAVE STRUGGLED CLOSE TO THE EDGE OF HOMELESSNESS--I KNOW SOME OF THE STRUGGLES, YET I FEEL BLESSED TO STILL BE ON THIS SIDE OF THE STRUGGLE. AS I APPROACH 32 YEARS FROM VIET NAM IT IS STILL THERE FOR ME. PLEASE, PLEASE STOP BLAMING WHOM YOU THINK IS RESPONSIBLE AND PUT YOUR EFFORTS INTO HELPING THOSE WHO NEED IT THE MOST.IT WILL BE AMAZING HOW GOOD IT WILL MAKE YOU FEEL,HOW MUCH IT WILL MEAN TO THE ONES WHO NEED THE HELP, AND YOU WILL SEE A SNOWBALL EFFECT-MORE WILL WANT TO HELP, AND THEN MORE,--PLEASE!!!
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Tango57
Jan. 20, 2008, 10:39 a.m.
Our country has become so corrupt it truly is dis-heartening. When ever anyone stands up to do the right thing they are pushed aside. The bottom line is cost, not to do the right thing. One of the reasons the miliary is reluctant to diagnose a soldier with PTDD is the cost of treatment. Just like the menatlly ill who are out on the streets, they are not able to make healthy decisions for themselves or others. Alot of people do take it upon them selves to help out, but medical treatment is truly the only remedy. If they received proper medical treatment, they could have a purposeful life with meaning with a future with family, friends and most important, hope.