Of every 10,000 American veterans, 21 experienced homelessness at the beginning of 2020 (Shane III, 2021). This number seems small to common citizens, but it is huge to veterans who sacrificed their lives for us and returned to nowhere from war.
Former soldiers face many challenges when they return from military service and transmit to civil life. Many veterans sustain injuries and become physically or mentally handicapped. Others have nowhere to go, being unable to pay for their housing. Some veterans suffer from unemployment due to a lack of education and experience. Former soldiers often struggle with their sense of identity and purpose as they do not know how to serve their country outside of military service. But why should we care?
People usually remember veterans once a year, on Veterans Day. However, the problem of homelessness among U.S. Armed Forces veterans is not new, and it dates back to the colonial era. After the Revolutionary War, homelessness began to expand, and the overcrowded jails, workhouses, and almshouses stimulated the state to build new four-story facilities (Markee, 2003, p. 1). During the Reconstruction Era, veterans made up “the general homeless population at the time” (Stasha, 2021, para. 1). Currently, the situation is deplorable, and about 40,000 veterans are homeless in the United States (Stasha, 2021, para. 3). Do you still think that veterans’ problems do not concern you? Then continue reading.
Wounded veterans suffer from unemployment and lack of money not because of their inability to work but because of the discrimination against and prejudices toward them. Veterans experience lower levels of employment and earnings than nonveterans, even when their education level and qualifications are the same (Shepherd et al., 2020, p. 590). Many people think that if a person is disabled, they will not be able to perform their jobs effectively. However, it is not true, and Christy Gardner destroys the myth of the incapability of wounded veterans. While serving overseas, she lost her legs, but she remains active and helps other disabled veterans adjust to their new lives.
You may think that the theme of disability is not newsworthy because many disabled people learn to live with their diagnoses, and they do not require attention. However, many people lose heart only because they do not receive support from society. Christy Gardner says, “it was pretty crazy. I mean, especially because the doctors and everyone had said you’ll never do this, you’ll never do that, you’ll never do this. And then right away, bam, success on the first try. So, it really kind of set the tone from there” (Maine, n.d.). If doctors and other people had supported her, the transition to a new life would be easier.
There are also other problems that wounded American veterans face daily. Mental health problems, relationships with family members and members of their community, and accepting themselves – all these issues need to be addressed immediately. However, it is not easy to address such problems without financial assistance.
Rather than ignoring veterans’ needs and celebrating Veterans Day once a year, we should demand a better life for them, donating money and asking those who succeed to share their experiences with peers. If we fail to do it, the fault is not in our government or society but in ourselves.
References
Maine. (n.d.). Transcription of Love Maine Radio #350: Dr. Owen Logue and Christy Gardner.
Markee, P. (2003). War and homelessness: How American wars create homelessness among United States Armed Forces veterans. Coalition for the Homeless.
Shane III, L. (2021). The number of veterans experiencing homelessness rose slightly even before the coronavirus pandemic. Military Times.
Shepherd, S., Sherman, D. K., MacLean, A., & Kay, A. C. (2020). The challenges of military veterans in their transition to the workplace: A call for integrating basic and applied psychological science. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 16(3), 590-613.
Stasha, S. (2021). How many veterans will be homeless in the US 2021? Policy Advice.