Amazing Veterans

America is an incredible place.

I've had the benefit and pleasure of having travelled to more than 20 different countries and I have some context to make some comparisons. One of the most amazing things about the United States is our ability to say or write or scream or sing or paint whatever we want in a lawful manner.

Our freedom of expression is admired and envied by people all over the world. Even if we disagree with another person's ideas or opinions we agree they should be able to express their message. It is my pleasure to use this freedom and forum to express thanks for one of the unsung and underappreciated groups in America: veterans.

The ongoing presidential campaign has pushed veteran's issues to the national forefront tand has provided an amazing opportunity for a dialogue about the treatment of our veterans, so I am honored to take some time and try to further the discussion.

According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), most of our homeless veterans are male, and only about 9% are female. The majority are single and live in or around cities. Sadly, a large proportion suffer from mental illness, alcohol and/or substance abuse, or co-occurring disorders.

Homeless veterans are younger on average than the total veteran population. Approximately 9% are between the ages of 18 and 30, and 41% are between the ages of 31 and 50. Conversely, only 5% of all veterans are between the ages of 18 and 30, and less than 23% are between 31 and 50.

America’s homeless veterans run the gambit regarding the wars they span, having served in World War II, the Korean War, Cold War, Vietnam War, Grenada, Panama, Lebanon, Persian Gulf War, Afghanistan and Iraq (OEF/OIF), and the military’s anti-drug cultivation efforts in South America. Nearly half of homeless veterans served during the Vietnam era. Two-thirds served our country for at least three years, and one-third were stationed in a war zone.

About 1.4 million other veterans, meanwhile, are considered at risk of homelessness due to poverty, lack of support networks, and dismal living conditions in overcrowded or substandard housing.

We, at Samaritan House, have made veterans a priority. We've housed, supported, and helped countless veterans find employment, permanent housing, and the resources and tools to assimilate back into a society that is better with them in it. We rely on your kindness and partnership to make a difference. We fight daily without the benefit of immense fanfare or sudden popularity. We grind away every day because we care.