We were warned about what they carry home with them

The warning bells rang before the first troops were sent into Afghanistan but few heard them. They began to ring after Vietnam and grew louder every year as more and more veterans we asked much of were forgotten about when they were no longer of use to this nation. Some hard hearts will say that when a veteran is homeless it is his/her own fault because they cannot open their eyes and see the truth of the wound carried deeply in the soul of the men and women we send into combat. The things they carry home are our duty to tend to but when we don't this is what comes after they come home.

Year in Review: The Things Veterans Carry
By: GRITtv Saturday January 2, 2010 11:17 am

It’s 2010, and we’re still at war in Iraq and Afghanistan–and there are some who seem to think that adding a new war would be a great idea. It’s often pointed out that those who are willing to rush into wars are often not the people who fight in them. Back in May, we held a discussion on veterans’ issues. We wrote then:
More than one million soldiers have been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan over the last eight years. Close to 4,500 have died in Iraq and nearly 20 percent of those who return have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Well over 100,000 Iraqis have been killed. As Memorial Day approaches how will soldiers, families of soldiers, and the rest of our society reflect on the dead and those still living with the trauma of war?
Today on GRITtv Darren Subarton a veteran who served in the Army’s 101st Air Borne Division, Joshua Kors who has written extensively on the experience of veterans returning from war, Dan Lohaus director of When I Came Home, and Nada Michael a student in Social Work at Smith College discuss the challenges veterans face, dealing with the VA, and what likely won’t be discussed Memorial Day.
For additional information on organizations and websites that support veterans you can visit Wounded Warriors Family Support, Community of Veterans, Iraq Veterans Against the War, and Support Your Vet.