Veterans' Day

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RSteve

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I've been very fortunate in my life. It pains me beyond description, when I see the TV ad that states that 40 thousand military veterans are homeless. When I built my house in 1983, mortgage rates were nearly 15%. I asked why V.A. rates were no less than conventional and FHA. I got shrugged shoulders from the V.A. and banks. When I had my first series of surgeries to remove cysts and tumors from my scalp and shoulders that were clearly a product of Agent Orange, V.A. Health treated me like I was cheating their system. The U.S. does not do enough for its military veterans. Veterans' Day...big f***ing deal when thousand of veterans are living in shelters or on the streets.
 
Yes Steve, that is very sad. However, Veterans Day isn't about the VA, it's about remembering the sacrifices that were made by veterans in all wars who put their loves on the line for their country. We should honor all veterans and definitly do more to help those in need. I was at an event yesterday where one of the vets attending was a 100 year old survivor of DDay. So, IMHO, it is a big f***ing deal.
 
I could not care any less about events and parades. After spending 20+ years as a volunteer on the Minnesota Agent Orange Task Force, I know that the 40,000 number that's used in the ads is a fraction of reality. There are innumerable vets who need help and it's not being done. For many years I manned a table at an annual weekend event on the grounds of the MN State Capitol Building, Stand Down for MN Veterans. We'd see guys who'd had no contact with anyone explaining services available and they'd been honorably discharged decades earlier. They fulfilled their service time and were cut loose.
I'm fairly well educated, was modestly successful, and live comfortably. I don't need or want anyone thanking me for my service. What I want is for the guy/gal who didn't recover from his/her physical and/or mental injuries to get the help they deserve, without having to beg for it or be treated with disrespect in the process.
 
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