GI Junkies: The Forgotten Veterans

[MoeMentim (OP)]

[Chip]

Thanks for posting that.

In Oz, we are lead to believe that US vets are treated with respect and no mention is ever made about this tragic reality.

I thought they got housing and were looked after.

Getting on drugs either on duty or back home (or both) is completely understandable ... you risk your life for your country and for democracy and then get cast aside and made to feel worthless -- fuck that's harsh.

[MoeMentim (OP)]

i've known several vets, even today the veterans health care system is sorely lacking.  it's overwhelmed, especially regarding mental health & substance abuse treatment.  an alarming percentage of our homeless population are veterans, i see "please help, homeless vet" signs every day & i live in an upscale town.  i usually throw them a buck, or occasionally a bud.

[Chip]

rep. for being a sweetie (throw them a bud as the war on Pot in Co. is over)

[bignasty]

I've seen both sides of it. Yes, if they know the system, they're given housing allowances or loans or grants and get a VA disability check that's tax free and rivals a very good paying job. Not to mention free schooling and health insurance, etc.. The homeless vets usually have mental illnesses or just don't know the sytem or how to use the system to get their benefits. I have a few friends that know the system and they all get at least $1500 a month tax free for health problems that ain't that serious.

Two friends get 60% disabled which is about $1500 a month for sleep apnea that he had before he joined the Army and the other one is from a bad back he got from having a car wreck while drunk and smoking crack while in the military. Another friend gets 100% disabled 'cause of a hip replacement 'cause he fell while on active duty and had to have a fake hip put in. He used the system and now he gets like $3300 a month tax free from the VA (plus a little more for his wife and kid) and just sits on his ass all day and will never work again even though he could. He also gets SSDI (social security disability) so he probably gets about $4500-5000 total a month tax free. They all can go to school and actually get paid for it and get a housing allowance and when they go to buy a house, they'll get low interest VA home loans.

The VA hospitals are completely fucked though and I wouldn't go to them if I was a vet even though it's free for them. But their pain management program is the shit. I know a good amount of vets that get 10 100mcg gel patches and 120 10/325 norco's a month in the mail. I used to get 10 patches a month for $160 'cause one guy didn't really know what he had 'til one of his buddies told him and fucked my whole game up 'cause I'd make those patches last 15-20 days then I'd take my 120 'dones for the other 10-15 days of the month. I could always get their norco's for $2-3 each and sell 'em for $5-6 each too so that was always a big help. I'd make $2 off of at least 240 pills and that'd allow me to buy an 8ball of dope if I needed or wanted it.

Vietnam vets were treated like shit though and still are in many ways. The new age younger vets can claim PTSD and automatically get at least 30-60% disabled. But the Vietnam vets are still fighting for disability benefits for being exposed to agent orange. It makes no sense to me. I see why they wanna get fucked up. They risked their lives then came back home to the states to a bunch of hippies calling them baby killers.