A recent study indicates that one in four homeless Americans are veterans [PDF file]. NPR is running a series of stories about the plight of homeless veterans, including oral profiles of several vets who are or were homeless. As another commentator notes, many veterans come from disadvantaged backgrounds and are thus more likely to experience homelessness at some point in their lives. The military provides one of the few opportunities for young men and women from economically depressed regions to build a future for themselves. Veterans’ disproportionately high representation in the ranks of the homeless is stark evidence of our collective failure to support our military personnel when they re-enter civilian life. We excel at providing lip service to the patriotism of those who choose military service, but we’re even better at ignoring them once their service is complete.
