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Veterans

Homeless veterans are unacceptable. War has permanent, life-long effects on its survivors. Our veterans deserve to have their needs met: healthcare, benefits, mental health care, and housing. Right now, many veterans are aging, and their caregivers need support and funding too. This issue is bigger than individuals — it’s about systems of support for families, caregivers, and the institutions providing them care.

My husband Phil served in Vietnam from 1966–67. I know, first-hand, the long term effects of serving in a war. Shortly after we were married, his mom gave me a box of letters that Phil had written home when he was in service. She told me he came back as a different person than he was when he left, and gave me a brochure to read about PTSD. Phil had difficulty sleeping, was jumpy if you came up behind him, and it took years until he stopped looking down for land mines. These symptoms led to him having a construction accident that left him permanently paralyzed below the waist.

The VA needs to be fully funded, so that its programs can continue and expand. The Department of Veterans Affairs went through the same staffing crisis as everyone else during the pandemic. Senior living, community support, and caregiver support are crucial areas that we need to support as Vietnam veterans age.