Homeless Vets... A Black Eye for America?

After watching "60 Minutes" last evening, I wanted to address the topic of homeless veterans in America. "60 Minutes" did a story last night on a program designed to give hope to veterans that have been on the streets. The program is called "Stand Down," and it was created by Jon Nachison, a former Vietnam veteran. "Stand Down" is part job fair, medical clinic, and sobriety check. The three day program is designed to give homeless veterans the means of getting back on their feet during troubled times. It is important to note that "Stand Down" is not just available during poor economic times. Mr Nachison has been running the program for the last thirty years. He is aware that most, if not all veterans will not overcome their troubles in a matter of days, but does believe the program can assist in helping veterans adjust back to civilian life. Many veterans will say that they wind up homeless upon returning from military service because they don't have the same structure in their lives that they had while serving. The VA has reported that there are already approximately 9,000 homeless veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Nachison has pointed out the fact that Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are becoming homeless at a much quicker rate than their predecessors, Vietnam veterans. For many Vietnam veterans, it took nine to ten years before some of them would become homeless. Today's veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars usually wind up homeless within a year upon returning to the United States. In my view, this is a huge black eye for America. If there is anyone who deserves the best possible care and treatment in this country, it is those who have served this country. In these difficult economic times, with so much spending being cut from the budget, it appears as though returning veterans, along with those who are homeless, will not receive the financial support they need to begin their lives again. What responsibility does the United States government have in assisting homeless veterans? If our government doesn't take care of these individuals, who will? I wish I had the answers to these questions. My heart goes out to those veterans who call the street their home. With a list of worries a mile long, shouldn't we make every effort as a nation to ensure that homelessness for returning veterans doesn't wind up on that list too?