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2004-12-09 Home Front: WoT

Homeless Iraq vets showing up at shelters

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Posted by Steve White 2004-12-09 2:04:27 AM|| || Front Page|| [10 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Saw this on Drudge yesterday. I'm hoping that it isn't true. (Think of "Falling Down" where Michael Douglas's D-FENS character runs into a homeless man who claims to have been in Viet Nam. He asks him: "What were you? A drummer boy?" To which the man shakes it off and says "I meant the Gulf War, man...")

Still, it isn't out of the realm of possibility. Sad to say.

Posted by eLarson 2004-12-09 2:17:54 AM|| [http://larsonian.blogspot.com] 2004-12-09 2:17:54 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 I worked at homeless shelters for years as a volunteer and I can tell you without any fear of contradiction that the main reason why anyone winds up in a homeless shelter is (In order of likelyhood) :

1) Drug/alchohol Abuse.
2) Mental illeness.

The homeless vet bullsh*t is just what it is: bullsh*t. The only reason why someone winds up in the street is fully by choice in 99 percent of the instances.

Sniff at this 'news', yawn and move along. Nothing to see here.

Posted by badanov 2004-12-09 7:32:11 AM|| [http://www.rkka.org/title-boris.gif] 2004-12-09 7:32:11 AM|| Front Page Top

#3 badanov: My wife's an RN and worked in homeless outreach for three years. What you said.

Posted by Mike 2004-12-09 9:35:03 AM|| 2004-12-09 9:35:03 AM|| Front Page Top

#4 It appears our wonderful VA is still non-proactive. [BTW - if you want Hillarycare, just look what a good job our VA does cause that is what you're going to get at best. Note well how much real concern expressed in funding dollars the Dems, champions of government healthcare, have had for the VA. Guess there are not enough votes there.] Unfortunately, the VA is not part of DoD and, once the individual passes from uniform authority, its a matter of two non-coordinating bureaucracies shuffling paper. Maybe this will light a fire under someone's ass to 'make it work'.

Posted by Don 2004-12-09 9:41:55 AM|| 2004-12-09 9:41:55 AM|| Front Page Top

#5 Read Stolen Valor.

Posted by Dragon Fly 2004-12-09 9:46:22 AM|| 2004-12-09 9:46:22 AM|| Front Page Top

#6 Steve White: Homeless Iraq vets showing up at shelters

There are a lot of homeless people claiming to be vets of one kind or another. A tiny minority are actual vets with substance abuse problems - the majority are frauds with substance abuse problems.

Posted by Zhang Fei 2004-12-09 9:53:17 AM|| [http://timurileng.blogspot.com] 2004-12-09 9:53:17 AM|| Front Page Top

#7 What ZF and bad said. Homelessness is a symptom. The problem is one of substance abuse and emotional disturbances.

Posted by lex 2004-12-09 10:19:07 AM|| 2004-12-09 10:19:07 AM|| Front Page Top

#8 Emerging MSM Meme: Iraq War's Domestic Fallout Reprises Vietnam War Domestic Fallout.

Cue auto article-generator:
- psychotic vets freaking out upon return home
- divided families
- Kerryite "dissident" soldiers testifying to "war crimes" etc

Posted by lex 2004-12-09 10:22:56 AM|| 2004-12-09 10:22:56 AM|| Front Page Top

#9 typical MSM crap.

A gunner's mate for 16 years, Arellano said he adjusted after serving in the first Gulf War. But after returning from Iraq, depression drove him to leave his job at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. He got divorced.

um...hello? Why not blame the EEOC???

Posted by 2b 2004-12-09 10:27:08 AM|| 2004-12-09 10:27:08 AM|| Front Page Top

#10 Arellano said he adjusted after serving in the first Gulf War.
MSM sub-text: No problem with this war: Multilateralism, good.

But after returning from Iraq, depression drove him to leave his job
MSM sub-text: Uh-oh: Unilateralism, bad. And no doubt he was deranged by the insufficiency of armor for Humvees.

Posted by lex 2004-12-09 10:31:11 AM|| 2004-12-09 10:31:11 AM|| Front Page Top

#11 Maybe this fellow's depression came from listening to the press lie about what he'd accomplished?

(But, generally, it's safest to bet bums are lying about being vets.)

Posted by Robert Crawford 2004-12-09 10:50:10 AM|| [http://www.kloognome.com/] 2004-12-09 10:50:10 AM|| Front Page Top

#12 Is mental illness a "choice"?

Is it possible these vets got hooked on drugs after onset of post-traumatic stress disorder from combat?

I knew a man who was a medic in Vietnam. To most in the community, he was a well-respected carpenter/architect. A "lucky" few of us saw the inner demon still haunting him-a violent, angry former soldier whose disorder was never healed.

Just asking.

Posted by Jules 187 2004-12-09 10:57:09 AM|| 2004-12-09 10:57:09 AM|| Front Page Top

#13 But after returning from Iraq, depression drove him to leave his job at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

This guy voluntarily left a cushy job with the government, where competence is not a job requirement???

Yeah, there had to be something wrong with this guy.

Posted by Bomb-a-rama 2004-12-09 12:27:53 PM|| 2004-12-09 12:27:53 PM|| Front Page Top

#14 Is mental illness a "choice"?

IMO Trauma tends to screw with peopleâs ability to regulate and process emotion, and can set up dysfunctional motivational and information processing loops that negatively impact a personâs ability to cope with the demands of life. That said, the choice to not seek help for the problem is what most likely leads to failures to thrive in society. Mental illness, which correlates highly with failures to thrive in society, is simply a constellation of symptoms resulting from dysfunctional ways of dealing with life.

Why people donât seek help (from psych professionals, priests, pastors, family, friends, etc.) most likely has to do with habits regarding social support. Those habits relate most strongly to upbringing (i.e., whether you grew up in a loving, open family).

I would guess war is traumatic. Traumatic events are stress producing events that carry a high risk of personal harm and/or result in actual personal harm.

The risk of war leading to mental illness is probably the highest for soldiers who come from an unsupportive upbringing, and donât have a good head on their shoulders before going to war, and then donât have a good support system after returning from war. The risk of mental illness following war is probably not higher than the same type of person undergoing any similar traumatic event (i.e., rape, incarceration, poverty and violence, police work, fire fighter work, etc.).

Posted by cingold 2004-12-09 2:45:01 PM|| 2004-12-09 2:45:01 PM|| Front Page Top

#15 Yes, you have to be careful on who we are truly dealing with. When you claim to have fought to serve our country, so many will run to assist.
You see this on the street in Manhattan often.

Many work 9 - 5 Monday to Friday and on weekends or week night's they go out and pan handle. This is tax free money folks** Think about it if you dress and play the role of a homeless bum
and take home $200.00 each week (many of them make more if they bring along hobo the dog or felix the cat) to gain sympathy from passer by
times 4 weeks- simply $800.00 each month extra tax free dollars for the CON ARTIST.

It is a true story. I dated a N.Y.C Cop and he told me himself- that is what is going on. Many run to Salvation Army, by wigs, old clothes and scruff themselves up in order to make extra money.

Andrea Jackson

Posted by Andrea Jackson 2004-12-09 7:44:34 PM|| 2004-12-09 7:44:34 PM|| Front Page Top

#16 # 12 you are correct. If this is true which I feel some of it could be, we are going to see a social crisis with our veterans. A few month's ago I noticed in our local daily paper there was a story or two about a soldier who came home on leave and it was "SO BAD" over there the soldier committed suicide. My uncle was a VIETNAM vet and to this day he WILL NOT TALK ABOUT NAM.

Andrea Jackson

Posted by Andrea Jackson 2004-12-09 7:52:23 PM|| 2004-12-09 7:52:23 PM|| Front Page Top

#17 #13 PLEASE educate yourself on DEPRESSION.
WHen diagnosed with clinical depression, it is difficult to tend to lifes most simplist tasks.

I have friends who suffer and I work with handicapped client's- for some getting out of bed is impossible. When your brain is "out of balance" your WHOLE BODY IS OFF.

ANdrea Jackson

Posted by Andrea Jackson 2004-12-09 7:57:05 PM|| 2004-12-09 7:57:05 PM|| Front Page Top

#18 When ever ima feel blue I buy a 2 dollar toemaytoe and slice it up and share it with my cat lizzie.

Posted by half 2004-12-09 8:01:15 PM|| 2004-12-09 8:01:15 PM|| Front Page Top

#19 # 14 you left out genetic predisposition. I have a hard time comparing WAR to any other stress. Many turn their back to our veteran's
mainly the U.S. Government- who sent them there in the first place! A real nice Thank You**

Andrea Jackson

Posted by Andrea Jackson 2004-12-09 8:02:19 PM|| 2004-12-09 8:02:19 PM|| Front Page Top

#20 Why does this patter have such a familiar ring to it? I think I'm having deja vu all over again - haven't we been here before and heard this same voice and story before?

Sheesh...

Posted by .com 2004-12-09 8:07:11 PM|| 2004-12-09 8:07:11 PM|| Front Page Top

#21 # 20 Who are you referring to? - what number response?

Andrea Jackson

Posted by Andrea Jackson 2004-12-09 8:44:40 PM|| 2004-12-09 8:44:40 PM|| Front Page Top

#22 yeah .com, I thought anti-w was gone forever as well. At least this one wants to support the troops. Prolly distant cousins or sum such.

Posted by Jarhead 2004-12-09 9:25:09 PM|| 2004-12-09 9:25:09 PM|| Front Page Top

#23 No, depression and mental illness are not choices, but the decision not to seek help is, the same with booze and drugs.

Andrea stop making villians. The fact is help is available; there is no excuse for homelessness...

Posted by badanov 2004-12-09 10:10:37 PM|| [http://www.rkka.org/title-boris.gif] 2004-12-09 10:10:37 PM|| Front Page Top

#24 Present policy at the VA is that claims from vets of Iraq, Afganistan & those identified as homeless are fast-tracked. The higher ups are watching this very closely. Both VA & service organizations like VFW, American Legion, etc., have outreach programs for homeless vets. The case load is huge though and the process can be slow. Vets need to do their part too. If you don't show up for exams or provide info required by law we can't award you benefits. And if we don't have a clue as to where a vet is, we can't send benefit checks.

Posted by VAclerk 2004-12-09 11:14:34 PM|| 2004-12-09 11:14:34 PM|| Front Page Top

23:57 Bomb-a-rama
23:47 lex
23:44 Aris Katsaris
23:42 lex
23:42 AJackson
23:40 lex
23:40 Sobiesky
23:34 lex
23:33 Frank G
23:30 AJackson
23:29 gromky
23:27 Capt America
23:25 Aris Katsaris
23:24 gromky
23:23 AJackson
23:18 JosephMendiola
23:17 Ricky Williams
23:14 VAclerk
23:12 JosephMendiola
23:10 Frank G
22:56 phil_b
22:50 trailing wife
22:49 .com
22:48 .com