A Proper Burial



The 61-year-old also was a man starting to get his life back together after living for years in a shanty beneath a Cleveland bridge. He had struggled with alcoholism, but by November he had a welding job, friends and a place to stay at a boarding house.

Are you goofing on a PTSD homeless Veteran who was cast aside by the goverments health care system because he did not have the wheir with all to help himself or am i not getting what you posted -- jz

Correct, you're not getting what I posted.

There was a "West Wing" episode that had a story line like this.

All nice and dandy that they gave him a military burial (as they should), but where were they when he was living under a bridge. 1/3 of homeless are vets.

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1979 Black on Black, 300CD (sold), 1990 Black 300SE, Silver 1989 Volvo 780, 1988 300CE (vanished by the hands of a girlfriend), 1992 300CE (Rescue).

"You May Have Been Homeless, But When You Serve, A Nation Remembers"

I don't fully understand these words either.

Nevertheless,
"Greater love hath no man...."
S/F Marine.

Me neither.

Our government quickly turned a blind eye to the MIA in Vietnam, Korea and WW2 even though there was/is evidence that some are alive.

The mistreatment of veterans at Walter Reed a couple years ago unfortunately was not an isolated case. Hopefully veterans are now getting the care they should be getting. But I wouldn't count on it given the history.

johnjzjz I'm with you.

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I guess if forum members only come equiped with a political agenda, then that's all that they can perceive. Sad really.

Don't think this has anything to do with politics. Respect.

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1979 Black on Black, 300CD (sold), 1990 Black 300SE, Silver 1989 Volvo 780, 1988 300CE (vanished by the hands of a girlfriend), 1992 300CE (Rescue).

While I think it is admirable that he got a proper burial I also believe it was a day late and a dollar short. I do not know what his military service entailed but I think he deserved more from this country. He along will all other vets should be afforded every possibility to advance in life and to be happy.

Like it or not, this is about politics. Politics of war, or service, of obligation, benefits, responsibility... you name it. We are letting our service men and women down on a daily basis.

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The New Plight of Veterans, Increase in Female Vet Homeless

Conservative estimates count about 131,000 homeless veterans in the United States, most of them from the Vietnam War era. The VA has pinpointed 3,717 homeless veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, but the nationwide total could be as many as twice that -- about 7,400

I'm also not sure of the point; are you criticizing the fact that he was allowed to be homeless for all those years or giving credit to the folks who arranged this service. I too think that helping him while he was alive would have been more useful. Maybe some of this attention should be transfer to others who are still in his position.

Why does there have to be criticism? The story of this Marine's funeral has all the elements of a great story and should be seen as that. We don't know why he became detached from his family, why he seemingly lost it all, or what he did or didn't get from the VA. What we do know from the story is that he touched the lives of many and died trying to save others. If that weren't enough, you have the actions of others that prevented him from being a "john doe" and culminating in "a proper burial." If that's not a great story, perhaps the best in recent memory, then I don't know if there's any hope for you politico warfare junkies.

I was just asking, I thought you were trying to make some larger point by posting the story. I do think it illustrates some issues, because he apparently did not get help while he was alive; and I thought that was your point. As far as I'm concerned, this has nothing to do with politics.

that is just plain wrong and sad. for some reason the Vietnam war produced a lot of fall out. while the present administration is trying to "fix" health care,
these homeless vets are living under a bridge somewhere trying to stay warm.
something is wrong with this picture.