OpEdNews » Some Parents of Vets Coming Home From Iraq & Afghanistan Forced to Give Up Retirement To Care For THeir Brave Offspring

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Tag(s): Careers; Family; Iraq Exit Strategy; Iraq Veterans Against The War; Iraq War; Military; Parents; Power; Veterans; Veterans; (more...) Veterans Admin VA; Veterans Benefits; Veterans For Peace; Veterans Handicapped; Veterans Iraq; Veterans Neglected; Veterans Post Tramatic Stress; Veterans Vietnam (less...)
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May 24, 2008 at 20:02:32

Headlined on 5/24/08:
Some Parents of Vets Coming Home From Iraq & Afghanistan Forced to Give Up Retirement To Care For THeir Brave Offspring

by ALONE Page 2 of 5 page(s)

www.opednews.com

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-Bombing deaths of over 200 marines in Lebanon in 1983

-Bad economic spending decisions on military hardware and budget over the past 3 decades

-Privatization of American military and Intelligence Agencies

-Invasion of Panama in 1989

-Coalition War with Iraq 1991

-Military quagmires in Somalia (1991-1993), in Afghanistan (2001 to Present), and in Iraq (2003 to Present)

-Bad management of Peace in Israel and the Middle East in general from the Reagan administration onwards since 1981

Alas, the state department and U.S. government agencies find me-and others like me-to be unemployable.

AARP ARTICLE ON VETS & STATUS OF FAMILIES 2008

In the aforementioned, piece from American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) on the burdens that veteran victims of war are importing home to their families, the author, Barry Yeoman, notes that it is "estimated 10,000 recent veterans of these conflicts now depend on their parents for their care. Working unheralded, these parents have quit jobs, shelved retirement plans, and relocated so they can be with their injured sons and daughters. Many have become warriors themselves, fighting to make sure this new wave of injured veterans gets the medical care and rehabilitation it needs."

In the main human interest tale introducing the topic, a frustrating tale of a women name Cynthia and her son, it was noted that the main character's son had entered the military only because in the two years prior, the economy in her family's region of the country was doing so poorly, i.e. jobs were lacking.

I understand this. My own brother joined the navy during the Reagan recessions of the 1980s.

However, I wonder how many young unemployed or underemployed young Americans will come home injured now and in the immediate future?

In doings so, I also wonder how many of those entering national military service will feel that between (1) joblessness, (2) entering the U.S. military or (3) joining its private military contractor, signing the recruiter's paperwork is a no-brainer?

MANY, MANY, MANY ARE COMING HOME NOW

The AARP article states, the "Theater Hospital in Balad, Iraq, has a 96 percent chance of survival. He or she can sometimes be stateside within 36 hours of the injury. As a result, there are just 6 deaths for every 100 injuries in Iraq and Afghanistan, compared with 28 deaths per 100 in Vietnam, and 38 in World War II, according to Linda Bilmes, a researcher at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government."

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http://the-teacher.blogspot.com/

"I am from Kansas so I also use the pseudonym 'Kansas' when I write and publish. I keep two blogs--one with blogger and one with GNN. My writings range from reviews to editorials or to travel observations. I also make recommendations related to policy--having both a strong background in teaching foreign languages and degrees in teaching in history and the social sciences. As a midwesterner, I also write on religion and living out ones faith whether it be as a Christian, Muslim or Buddhist perspective."

On my own home page, I also provide information for language learners and travelers http://www.geocities.com/eslkevin/ , http://the-teacher.blogspot.com/ & http://alone.gnn.tv/

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3 comments

Margaret Bassett is an 86-year old, currently living in senior housing, with a lifelong interest in political conumbrums. She hopes to hold out for one more presidential election. Bachelors from State University of Iowa (1944) and Masters from Roosevelt University (1975) help to unravel important requirements for modern communication. Early introduction to computer science (1966) trumps them. It's payback time. She's been "entitled" so long she hopes to find some good coming off the keyboa...

to see more of bio, click on member name
Margaret BassettMargaret Bassett is an 86-year old, currently living in senior housing, with a lifelong interest in political conumbrums. She hopes to hold out for one more presidential election. Bachelors from State University of Iowa (1944) and Masters from Roosevelt University (1975) help to unravel important requirements for modern communication. Early introduction to computer science (1966) trumps them. It's payback time. She's been "entitled" so long she hopes to find some good coming off the keyboa...

to see more of bio, click on member name

This is so insightful, Kevin

In the election coming up, be it national or for a small local office, I believe every voter should gage his/her choice by how careful the candidate addresses generational issues. I say this because when economic times are tough, there is a necessity for those in trouble to turn to kinship.

As you describe, boys become soldiers when jobs and educational opportunites are slight. Even if they are not totally disabled they come back to less opportunities than they envisioned when they were recruited. Those who remain in service may also be trapped. It's the only employer who will give you a bonus before you've performed the service and then hound you to the ends of the earth if you try to quit.

Now it is certain that Americans have a big problem. Some want excellent medical insurance at minimal cost. Yet, philosophically, they must realize that it will come at the expense of exhorbitant outlays to make veterans half what they thought they would become.

So, I say again, it's time to ask candidates. "What is your platform for the returning fighting men and women?" Platform! Something to stand on. Not platitudes.

by Margaret Bassett (33 articles, 2021 quicklinks, 30 diaries, 1353 comments) on Saturday, May 24, 2008 at 8:19:04 PM

KEVIN STODA has been blessed to have either traveled in or worked in nearly 100 countries on five continents over the past two and a half decades. He sees himself as a peace educator and have been a promoter of good economic and social development--making him an enemy of my homelands humongous spending and its focus on using weapons to try and solve global issues."I am from Kansas so I also use the pseudonym 'Kansas' when I write and publish. I...

to see more of bio, click on member name
ALONEKEVIN STODA has been blessed to have either traveled in or worked in nearly 100 countries on five continents over the past two and a half decades. He sees himself as a peace educator and have been a promoter of good economic and social development--making him an enemy of my homelands humongous spending and its focus on using weapons to try and solve global issues."I am from Kansas so I also use the pseudonym 'Kansas' when I write and publish. I...

to see more of bio, click on member name

Thanks, we all need to put our time and efforts

Thanks, we all need to put our time and efforts (or money) where our hearts or brains are.

We can't get stuck in a rut, just be cynical and hopelessly throw up our hands.

America still has a lot of natural and human resources that could reinvent and transform the mess we are in. Moreover, spiritually many have the potential to use their lives and resources well through prayer and supporting others.

However, when we face walls, we sometimes play turtle (duck and cover) which psychologically we have been trained to do.

If it were easier to run for me to get on the ballot, I would be one of those active candidates and I would help put people to work building a better land--whether it be building better cities, transport networks, paying people (even if it is just a token like gas money vouchers) to take off work and visit the aging and injured, I would.

I would look for ways to have programs similar to the rural electrification project or great transport projects like huge trains that vehicle owners could drive quickly on and sit back and commune with other Americans in the train car while going from Athens, GA to Chicago, etc.

by ALONE (152 articles, 1 quicklinks, 4 diaries, 337 comments) on Saturday, May 24, 2008 at 9:50:22 PM

I am an old teacher who believes that if you are nice to people you make their life and your own much better.
vidiotI am an old teacher who believes that if you are nice to people you make their life and your own much better.

Stick the Yellow Ribbons up the you know where

I was drafted during the Vietnam War and was a medic in a medivac hospital in Japan. The wounds were horrific and I felt that someone in the military chain of command lied to us every single day. I felt that Veterans had not been treated very well in that war but compared to the way the Iraqi Vets have been treated, Vietnam veterans were Sultans......at least they didn't have a dysfunctional VA that was actively working against them, at least they had a real, rather than pretend GI Bill that allowed them to transition into the work force. We sometimes would have Congressmen who checked out the hospital to see what was going on (and in at least one case to visit his wounded son). I remember one Congressman actually came to the barracks where the medics were quartered and asked questions. When the 1st Sgt. tried to guide responses, the Congressman dismissed him and continued the discussion with us alone. As a young draftee, I felt that I was being screwed by the Army rather than my country. I doubt that Iraqi Vets can feel that way. The only historic parrallel I can think of with the treatment of today's vets was when the WWI veterans, known as the Bonus Marchers, demonstrated in Washington and were attacked and killed by troops commanded by Douglas MacArthur and a young captain named Eisenhower. I wish that Bush was out and that the war was over so that ordinary citizens could start doing right by our veterans, and start repairing all the other messes (way too long to list) that this administration has visited upon us.

by vidiot (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 247 comments) on Sunday, May 25, 2008 at 9:34:20 AM