One of my regular customers, a Marine, came in today.

[Pab Sungenis]

The guy has been coming here for years. I think the fact that our military discount lets him and his son get in for the same price he would pay for himself across town has something to do with it.

I've gotten to know this guy very well over the years. Whenever he's on leave or between rotations, he makes sure to come in with his three year old son to see whatever's playing. He's done two tours in Afghanistan and just got sent back from one in Iraq with health conditions. Every time I heard about an American getting killed over there, I've prayed it wasn't him. I haven't had the agony some on here have had with losing people they knew, or who were close to them. Yet today, having seen what the war has made of this man, I wonder if those whose friends were killed weren't the lucky ones.

This man has been reduced to a shell of his former self, both in body and in spirit. Throughout his time here, at least when I could see him in the lobby, he was gasping for air. The VA is trying to say that it wasn't breathing toxic smoke and depleted Uranium that have given this 33 year old man the lungs of a 50 year old, that he just let himself get out of shape. This man, as far as fitness goes, has always been your stereotypical Marine, built like a brick outhouse. Even after not being able to work out daily for the last couple of months due to an inability to breathe, he's still well toned. Besides, letting yourself get out of shape doesn't result in large amounts of scar tissue in your lungs. This is the first time the claims I've heard about the government giving Iraq War veterans the shaft on health care and benefits have a human face put on them for me, and it's not one that's pretty to look at.

Then it struck me, what is this man going to do now? All he's ever known is being a Marine. He spent his entire adult life in service to this country, and has had very little training in any civilian field. Most manual labor is going to be out of the question for him due to his vastly diminished lung capacity, and there isn't much aid to help him go back to school and learn the skills to get a really well paying job.

We keep hearing about the 3,006 (and counting) men and women killed in this war, but what that number doesn't reflect is the thousands upon thousands like this man, who aren't dead but will never again live the lives they left behind. These are the walking dead (at least among those who still have their legs) whose livelihoods have been ripped away from them due to this pointless, unwinnable, war of choice.

3,006 dead is only the beginning of the story, even if (please, God) no other Americans are killed in Iraq. This stupid war has put the best and the brightest of an entire generation into a meat grinder for no good reason. We have a whole generation of servicemen and servicewomen who have been crippled to some degree in the name of George Bush's oedipal desires, both physically like my customer and mentally, where as with Vietnam we won't truly see the aftereffects of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder for years.

Worst of all, these men and women are going to need to be cared for, to varying degrees, for the rest of their life. We need to ensure that they receive adequate care to keep their health from deteriorating further. We need to pay for their education, training, and therapy to become fully functioning members of society. We owe them at least that much; you can't pull yourself up by your bootstraps if you have no arms. But where are we going to find the money to do this? Sadly, the President and his cohorts don't want to call for any sacrifice to help these brave Americans who have already sacrificed more than we ever had a right to ask of them.

What more can I say? I admire this man's sacrifice, but I can't help but think that it was a needless sacrifice. This man's health and livelihood were ripped away from him, and what did our nation get in return? What great prize did he purchase with his lungs? What benefit did America gain from the men whose legs were blown off by IED's? What noble cause was served by any sacrifice any American has given in Iraq? I have a hard time justifying what has been done to these men and women.

So every time you hear about what's going on in Iraq, and you hear "stay the course" or "surge," remember that the death toll is only the tip of the iceberg. More people have given their livelihoods, if not their lives, for this war of choice than the statistics suggest.

©2007 P. Sungenis, All Rights Reserved.

[Bjornsdotter]

1. K & R

It's a crime how we treat (actually we don't treat) the Veterans in this country.

It needs to be a priority.

Cheers

[Virginia Dare]

2. K&R..n/t

[Blue Fire]

3. dumbya has asked our soldiers for their sacrafice....

be it their lives or bodies. He has offered nothing in return. My condolences to you and your Marine friend. But despite his physical condition, he is more man in one of his little fingers than the entire male progeny of the entire Bush family.
Hopefully now that the legislature is in control of the DFL, the badly needed benefits dumbya stripped from our soldiers to pay for the pocket-lining of his cohorts-in-deception will be reinstated and backdated. We owe it to them and their families.

[NanceGreggs]

4. K & R!!!

:applause: :applause: :applause:

[ninkasi]

5. Thanks for posting...recommended

You're so right. We mourn the dead, but so many, like your friend, are going to need a great deal of assistance, and this country has a sad history of trying to deny as many as possible the benefits they deserve. Ask a veteran of Viet Nam, or of Desert Storm, how well their health issues have been handled.

It is immoral for a country to send troops into hell, then try to nickle and dime them when it comes to trying to restore them to a life of dignity, and improved health. I hope your friend will be able to get the help he needs. There are probably thousands of others who have been wounded in body, mind, or both, who are being denied benefits which they deserve. After all, paying for their service might mean rolling back the tax cuts on million and billionaires. :sarcasm:

[ThomCat]

6. Kick and Recommend

A hell of a lot of people are going to be coming back and joining the ranks of the disabled. And true to history, the government will deny responsibility and let people suffer without help.
x(

[booley]

7. Oh but he volunteered!

But didn't he volunteer?! So he knew he might get hurt and killed and so it's not Shrub..I mean Bush's fault if he does.

:sarcasm: :mad::grr:

At least that's the excuse I have heard from the so called "troop Loving" cons to brush away the death and destruction thier little war mongering has caused.

[Poll_Blind]

8. I agree. 3,000 dead is just the tip of the iceburg. I feel very sorry for...

...this man but I admire his unquestioning service to the United States. That there are people...who will put their lives on the line (and endure worse if they survive) at the behest of our Commander in Chief has always been a testament to the trust that Americans place in their government. The government, in return, typically treats them like shit. This type of relationship has been going on for quite a while, from what little I do know of veteran affairs.

  The Iraq war is the single-most idiotic expenditure of lives and livelihoods in the nation's history. However, the veterans returning from war sometimes with broken bodies but always with painful and sometimes debilitating memories of conflict should be treated, generally, with a complimentary set of services (medical,financial) but also counseling.

  The gentleman in question is not the worst case but it's still terrible that they're treating him like that. Once the burden passes from them (to give their lives, if necessary, in the service of our country) to us (their discharge) it is vital that we do everything to help make these generous people healthy, productive members of society.

  Tossing them aside, as the government so often does, creates huge problems that can be quashed before they start with adequate funding. I am willing, as many are, to share some of the financial burden (through taxation) to alleviate their burden with better services.

  Like educating our children, it is, again, vital to make sure that these returning soldiers are welcomed and helped back into our society.

PB

[Joe Chi Minh]

39. Excellent post, but I don't think it's very sensible to compare the

levels of severity of veterans' injuries, once a certain level of injury (such as this man's) has been sustained.

[Poll_Blind]

40. I know. Sorry, there are two instances of veterans I know...

...who were injured more seriously. One of them was paralyzed because a botched surgery allowed an infection to eat away the muscles in a man's back to the point that he was permanently bed-ridden. He was 19 when it happened. I knew another gentleman who sustained a serious head injury which produced brain damage- not during combat. He was 17. Purely out of sheer stupidity was he injured and the person who injured him was not held accountable in any way for the accident. I didn't mean to downplay this man's injury by any means.

  I was thinking of those two incidents when I wrote the message. I can't go into it/won't go into it more specifically than that. Since I didn't want to reference the individual cases, even generally, I skirted around it by using the words I did. Not the best choice, in retrospect.

PB

[Joe Chi Minh]

42. Thanks. I was just thinking how it might read to other seriously-injured vets.

Your goodwill and intention were never in doubt.

[fooj]

9. KandR

[havocmom]

10. Another generation of too many damaged vets living under bridges.

And the folks that put them there never have to look at them.

[Hissyspit]

11. You couldn't talk about health damage issues of civilians and vets at the beginning

of the war. I remember hearing ONE story on NPR back in 2003 about "Gulf War Syndrome" and what might happen to our soldiers with this second war. It was a faint voice in all the Rah, rah! War, war! noise and I was surprised even it got on. We had plenty of examples from history of what we were going to have to deal with this with this greatly ill-advised war and America ignored it.

I do get annoyed at the emphasis on just the 3,000 U.S. killed number. There is so much more horror and damage associated with this fiasco.

[immoderate]

12. The hidden costs of war...

Shit. We're still paying for Vietnam. It's not only direct and indirect costs like rehabilitation for the wounded. It's the cost to society as a whole. Before the Vietnam War, higher education was flourishing. College graduates with good records could easily find money for advanced degrees. Colleges were receiving torrents of money for research projects.

The Vietnam War sucked up all those resources. Moreover, it depressed private sector manufacturing for items that were not military. Other negative effects on our culture have taken a big toll. The shine was off the machine.

The Iraq War, the Bush Regime may have already consigned what is left to the scrap heap. The tragedies and expense of war, loss of our prestige, neglect of the environment, energy, and other pressing matters, makes the costs inestimable. :(

--IMM

[HysteryDiagnosis]

13. For your regular...... a few links that may be of help.... and if he

can google for glyconutrients and lung scarring he may find some stuff of interest.... it is remarkable what the increased production of adult stem cells along with supercharged immunity can accomplish.


http://www.lpch.org/newsEvents/NewsReleases/2006/cysticFibrosisTreatment.html

STANFORD, Calif-- A compound that has shown promise in combating some chronic inflammatory diseases may be useful in preserving lung function in cystic fibrosis patients, say researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital. The researchers have recently completed a Phase 1 clinical trial of the compound and have begun a Phase 2 clinical trial to test its efficacy in a larger number of patients.

“These people basically destroy their lungs through ongoing inflammation and infection,” said research associate Rabindra Tirouvanziam, PhD, the first author of the study. “We’re optimistic that, with further research, we may be able to inhibit this process.” The findings were published in the early online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on March 13.

http://www.health24.com/news/Respiratory/1-942,33949.asp
Treating pulmonary fibrosis
Created: Friday, November 25, 2005
Adding a high-dose antioxidant to standard drug therapy can improve lung function for patients with a serious respiratory disease called idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Pulmonary fibrosis is a chronic and often fatal disease characterized by extra scar tissue in the lungs. The disease is treated with steroids and other immunosuppressive therapies. However, use of these drugs tends to have little effect and about 70 percent of people die within five years of diagnosis.


http://www.coalitionforpf.org/Patients/faq.asp
Are there any new treatments on the horizon?
Researchers are developing and testing a variety of new ways to treat IPF. These approaches target the various steps in the disease process. Therapies under investigation include:

* Antifibrotic or antifibrogenic agents (such as interferon and certain blood-pressure-lowering medications) to suppress the scarring process
* Antioxidants (such as N-acetylcysteine) to prevent damage to lung tissue
* Endothelin antagonists (such as Bosentan)
* Monoclonal antibodies to inhibit "bad" cytokines (protein growth factors, such as TGF-beta, TNF-Alpha, or CTGF, that activate inflammation)

What are the investigational therapies?
There are emerging therapies currently in clinical trials for IPF patients, including interferon gamma 1-b (Actimmune), Pirfenidone, imatinib mesylate (Gleevec), Bosentan (Tracleer), inhaled iloprost (Ventavis), and GC-1008. For details on active clinical trials and enrollment information, please visit the research section of the website.

When will information be available on these trials?
Several studies are expected to be completed in the coming 24 months.* A recent study of imatinib mesylate (Gleevec) is expected to be completed in the fall of 2007, a Phase III study of interferon gamma 1-b (Actimmune) expected to be complete in early 2008, a Phase II study of inhaled iloprost (Ventavis) is expected to be complete in 2007, and a Phase III trial of Pirfenidone is expected to be complete in late 2008. Bosentan (Tracleer) is expected to begin a Phase III study in late 2006. There is also a large, multi-center research consortium led by the National Institutes of Health called the IPF Research Network (IPF Net) which expects to begin human trials of experimental therapies within 12 months.

[Pab Sungenis]

14. Printed and saved.

Next time he comes in (I refuse to say "if") I'll have these resources waiting for him. Thank you.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

16. You are welcome..... I hope some good comes of it, what I said

about the increased production of adult stem cells due to glyconutrient intake may not be a hippie luddite pipe dream.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Glyco-Nutrients-and-Stem-Cell-Production&id=10839
During the speach, Dr. Reg McDaniel talked about first seeing new stem cells in the peripheral blood of clients using glyconutrients many years ago and not recognizing these cells as stem cells. They were 10 times the size of white blood cells and they were given the name "Gee" cells for some time as that's what Dr. Reg said when he observed these new cells that no one could identify! Now we have the tools to identify these cells appropriately as stem cells which can be used as "master keys" to move to places in the body as the body calls for. About a year ago there was an article in JAMA regarding the stem cells implants of male cells into female bodies of women with leukemia who had received a stem cell transplant. When these women died, male marked cells were found as neurons in the brain.

Dr. Reg realized that this might offer an explanation in the many children with fetal alcohol syndrome that were doing so well with the glyconutrients and others who had advanced so far beyond their perceived genetic limitations. He told the story of several adopted aboriginal children in Canada who had fetal alcohol syndrome who have done remarkably well, improving from IQ's estimated to be around 50 to levels around 100. One girl who had difficulties with reading and numbers and was in remedial classes after 3 years with glyconutrients was able to read a Harry Potter book in a week and discuss what she had read.

When they measure the before and after stem cell counts in the blood, virtually none are detectable prior to glyconutrieints. Within a week of giving glyconutrients, there are 200-400 stem cells seen in a microliter of blood with about 5-10 thousand white blood cells. If one extrapolates to the whole body, it is possible that there are 1.7-3 trillion new stem cells throughout our body as we add in glyconutrients. We're at the beginning of understanding all of what is possible with stem cells. There is an article in the June Scientific American if you want to read more about stem cells.

[leesa]

36. I wonder what effect the presence of inhaled uranium has on those stem cells

If they need to home in the lungs and the lungs are toxic with uranium dust, will they be able to survive.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

41. It should not cause a problem. Persons who have added glyconutrients

to their traditional cancer therapies responded better than most, some became responders where they previously weren't. All I'm saying is that many people have obtained a much higher quality of life through the use of glyconutrients, regardless what they were having to cope with. You will hear much naysaying on the subject of glyconutrients, for that I am sorry. My veterinarian, (my dog's actually) has used glyconutrients with many of his patients who have had cancer. Acemannan is the one he uses, I have used it orally for general overall immunity and general health.

Its trade name is Manapol, some use if for digestive disorders, and the European Union granted it a patent for the removal of cholesterol plaque through immune system activation. I'm not kidding.

[hashibabba]

15. Its criminal what we're doing to our soldiers and vets. They

go and fight and come home physically and mentally maimed and all we do is cut more benefits and close more hospitals. And it outrages me when I hear things like them telling him that his problems may not be the result of the war. Like someone above said about the Gulf War. We OWE them! They need our help and I hope the Dems get some more benefits in there for them, just for starters. And get them out of this illegal and immoral war!

[ismnotwasm]

17. Another K&R

We're starting to see the tip. We're still underfunding the VA health care system and denying or reducing benefits for both Gulf war and Vietnam vets. Any veterans.

The human cost is incalculable. When I worked long term care, we'd get VA contracts for Vets who usually needed rehab, or long term antibiotics for some infection, that was my introduction to both the VA system and PTSD. I never got over the conditions or the stories. One thing one of the Vets told me about he roving SNF social worker was "He is a social worker for THE VA, not necessarily the Vets" in other words, the guy (nice guy very, very over worked) was making sure the proper paper work was being filled out and routed to the right channels, he was not an advocate for veterans.

Over and over I'd see it, these forgotten Vets. They broke my heart. I still see it in the hospital I work in, but a hospital atmosphere is very different, and the patient stay is much shorter, so you don't get to know them as well. I try to acknowledge their service if it's appropriate, always. Some want to talk, many don't. God help them, and us all.

[IndianaGreen]

27. Same here, K&R

Countless of casualties of war, on both sides, while the Decider wants to escalate the conflict.

[Laurab]

18. K&R

My nephew is one of the lucky ones. He came back all in one piece. I still can't shake the looks on his face when he was talking about what he had done/seen. I think there will be serious PTSD for most of the people who survived whole, along with the maimed for life survivors.

Many wouldn't have survived if not for fairly recent advances in equipment and training of medics, and some probably wish they hadn't. The "Pro-life" people don't give a shit about them - they're cannon fodder and nothing more.

I don't think there IS any justification for what has been done to these men and women who signed up to serve their country, and ended up serving a madman. There is no "noble cause", except that in all of the things I've read - and I've read a lot, they want to be there to protect and help their fellow marines/soldiers. That's kind of noble, if you can get past the fact that they shouldn't be there in the first place.

I hope that the new majority starts taking steps to ensure these veterans will have the proper care and treatment, job training, and whatever else they need in the future. We will be cleaning up after King George for a long, long time. It's just incredibly sad.

[benddem]

19. When he comes in

and it might be a good idea to call him ...he has the right to appeal that 50% "award" and he must.
He needs to contact the nearest DAV, VFW or American Legion...the one that has a good service officer and get them working on his case. You really can't accomplish much without their help. The service officers are good at getting through the bullshit. DAV will represent you all the way to the national review.

[xchrom]

20. what makes a service persons honourable is how we treat them

when their service is done or they become sick while in the service.

they are deserving of every consideration for their contribution to the country.

[Pab Sungenis]

29. What makes a service person honorable is how they act in service.

When we mistreat or ignore them, we are the ones who are dishonored, not them.

[proud patriot]

21. We must as a country do more to Support our Veterans

:(

[vickitulsa]

22. Think of the effect it would have on the attitude of Americans

if a few hundred of the maimed from the Iraq insanity that is Bush's "profits for rich pals" GAME were to gather in DC and offer up their ruined bodies for viewing to protest what continues in Iraq....

It is so very sad to even contemplate, but as someone who has been a close friend and supporter of Vietnam vets ever since the war, I believe it would shake Americans to their very souls to be witnesses via television to the personal destruction of young bodies and minds that this war is causing.

Remember? Those of you who are old enough -- remember how attitudes at home started changing in a big way after so many of those who had BEEN THERE came home and wore their uniforms during protests of that wrongful war? It makes so much difference if the ones who had to fight in a war and have the most powerful voice due to that service speak out loudly to protest its continuance.

I never watch Dubya on teevee -- I just can't bear to. BUT near Christmas when he personally pinned Purple Hearts on 29 Iraq/Afghanistan vets (I think at Bethesda Hospital), I left him on long enough to see what he would say. It was the first time I have ever seen the slightest flicker of doubt and concern in the man over what he was causing. His words were, of course, trite and unconvincing, but his demeanor spoke worlds.

HE KNOWS he has done something beyond abominable in sending these young soldiers to war the way he has.

American civilians need to SEE FOR THEMSELVES the results of their silence as this twisted pResident prepares to send many thousands more into the meatgrinder!

I honestly think nothing else will hurry up the withdrawal of our troops from places they should never have been sent....

[Im with Rosey]

23. Heart-wrenching story,

beautifully written. Have you thought about sending this to your local newspaper? Even those of us that are aware don't always keep this in mind. More people need to have this to think about while they are reading the morning paper.

[Selah]

24. What does this man say about his sacrifice?

[lastknowngood]

25. Suggestion try to get name and address the folks here are generous

were not rich but we do pull together for a good cause. If he needs help don't hesitate to call on us.

[Pab Sungenis]

30. I don't know his last name.

I never bothered to ask, and never checked his credit card receipts for it. (Besides, that's an invasion of privacy and could cause no end of shit for me if I had done it.) I guess I'm going to have to wait for the next kids' film to come in, then take him aside for a long talk.

The people on DU have been way too generous, and have better things to spend their money on, but all the information that I've been offered is worth more than any amount of money we could raise, and I will be sure to pass it all on.

[Synnical]

26. Great Post - Please write a LTTE

of your local paper. You've already written the words. More people need to read them.

-Cindy in Fort Lauderdale

[dailykoff]

28. I've heard that half of all surviving Gulf War I vets are disabled.

And that war was only a week long!!

[midnight]

31. Very hard to read. This is but the tip of the iceburg. These

soldiers deserve the respect of decent medical treatment. Get rid of the insurance co. There time has come and gone. They now longer serve a purpose. Bring them home, and take care of them.

[caligirl]

32. richly worded with heartfelt words. LTTE here and a very worthy one.

[calimary]

33. Damn. Just DAMN.

The walking wounded and walking dead from this war haven't even been counted yet. Who knows how many tens of thousands there are?

GOD, why can't we stop this damned war?!?!?!?

[OneBlueSky]

34. so tragically true, and almost completely ignored by the corporate media . . .

once in awhile you might find an article in Newsweek or the NY Times Sunday Magazine, but that's about it . . . if people knew the extent of the problem -- and how we'll have to deal with it for the duration of these folks' lives -- they'd be horrified . . .

[Toots]

35. Now imagine this same guy as a National Guardsman that just wanted to help their state.

While I feel for this individual and he is/will get the shaft from the government, he did volunteer for this duty. The National Guardsman on the other hand did not want to be in the Army or they would have joined the Army. They wanted to stay in their state and help out in times of need. They wanted to stay with their families and work at their jobs and yet be there with training and equipment to help their neighbors in time of need. Bush* has not only destroyed people like this man you descrie but has destroyed the idea of the National Guard. Who in their right mind would now join the Guard? If it is combat they want then they will choose the Army or Marines.

[Faygo Kid]

37. "Meat grinder" indeed. Bush is a war criminal.

He may not accept the fact that the buck stops with him, but it does. His unnecessary war by choice so he could puff out his chest and be a war president is a stain on this nation that will never be washed clean. I'm sure his solution to helping returning disabled vets will be consistent with his past actions - slash their benefits, and more tax cuts for the rich.

[Joe Chi Minh]

38. K & R

[lebkuchen]

43. I know of two Iraq vets in their twenties with cancer

The costs in healthcare for our vets will be staggering. Bush won't feel the pinch, however.

[Pab Sungenis]

44. I don't usually ask for K&R but

This thread now has 99 recommendations. Can someone push it to 100? I'd appreciate it. :)

[Chorophyll]

45. Done.

Actually I think I'm number 104. This is a great post.

[MADem]

47. I just tapped it for 107. There's not enough discussion of the real costs, sadly. NT

[onecent]

46. K & R

[Fovea]

48. Johnny and Jane are coming home messed up

physically and emotionally. Many of them will be economically ruined by the disruption of their careers.

They will be ill in mind and body. And they know who sent them there.

I wonder what they will do then? I think this is one of the main reasons folks like Darth Cheney stay in undisclosed locations. But memory fades slowly for the PTSD folks. And we are a nation of guns. There is no retirement program for neocons that allows them to live in America safely. Better luck in Paraguay.

[Pab Sungenis]

49. One final comment before this thread disappears into the archives.

The right-wing lunatics finally found this article, and the insinuations they're making are SO ridiculous. I love seeing these "support the troops" people when they actually hear about someone whose life has been destroyed by this war. They actually find it funny.

So much for "compassionate" conservatives. There is no such creature. They make a big stink about "respecting" our men and women in uniform, yet find actual casualties to be such wonderful sources for mockery. Their total disrespect for the actual men and women fighting Bush's war is not unexpected, but the depths to which it goes astounds me.

Go Cheney yourselves. That's all I've got to say on the issue.

[Lisa]

50. the servicepeople (plus countless civilians) could still be suffering in 2060

This summer, I was in the hospital for tests, and heard heartrending noises from the cubicle next to mine. It was a WWII veteran in his 80s, suffering PTSD flashbacks. The staff were trying to comfort him, but the poor man had dementia and didn't know what was going on. It was awful -- afterwards I started crying in the hospital parking lot, thinking about how senility had eroded his mind until all that was left was the total, abject terror. And WWII was a "good" war by comparison.

There will be people suffering fear like that for DECADES -- long after Bush and his cronies are gone.

[Pab Sungenis]

52. We really do need to thank the servicemen of WWII especially.

Their sacrifices saved the entire world. I still have yet to hear anyone justify the noble cause that the dead and wounded from this war of choice in Iraq. What has their sacrifice given this nation?

This is NOT a judgment on the soldiers, mind you, but on the civilians who issued the orders. They are the ones with blood on their hands.

[Trajan]

51. Jim Webb is focused on this and similar troop issues ...

He promised he would change the environment for soldiers so they are ACTUALLY supported by their country .... instead of the pandering, mealy mouthed, bullshit LIP SERVICE handed out by chickenhawks in the GOP ....

The Democrats WILL support the troops, and hopefully remove them quickly from the battlefield the GOP LIARS have stuck them in ....

[zulchzulu]

53. Thanks for the story! Perhaps he could now do this...

I do some work with these wonderful people:
http://dva.state.wi.us/Welcomehome.asp

I designed the logo and have done some volunteer work for different events where soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan come back and get community support, not just VA support. Many amazing (and equally very sad) stories to tell from this experience...

I'm not sure what state you and he live in, but perhaps there is something like this there...if not, there should be.

[Capn Sunshine]

54. That reminds me

I haven't pitched these guys in awhile; it's always an uphill struggle getting funding fromthe Fed in the best of times.

Keep our kids in mind and give until it hurts.
Disabled American Veterans (DAV)

[Rene]

55. When the soldiers returned from WWII and Korea they banded together.

They joined and/or created the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars(VFW) organizations. These were powerful organizations that got a lot of GI-favorable bills and laws passed. Now many of that era are dying and those organizations have ceased to be as strong and powerful as they once were with legislators. These guys from Iraq and Afghanistan should join the groups and find their strength in numbers together. I was a kid when my family was active in the American Legion and the American Legion Auxiliary. They did tremendous volunteer work for the Veterans in our State of Connecticut. Those guys gathered together to help each other and all veterans across the nation. Come on guys - the organizations are there, they have clubhouses, regular meetings and need new members. Join and learn what you can do when you're organized, with a new mission to ensure all Veterans receive the care and benefits they're entitled to. No returning soldiers should be fighting the bureaucratic and medical battles on their own. Return these two Veterans organizations to their former power status.