"No Veteran Left Behind" nice thought but untrue

While it is wonderful to think that "no veteran is left behind" in this country, it is far from true. Every day it seems funeral homes report long forgotten remains of veterans long gone and forgotten about by family and friends. Their ashes collect dust in storage. Some people have dedicated their lives to finding these forgotten heroes and make sure they have a proper military funeral.Homeless veteran given proper military funeral
There are more stories like this on this blog and they break your heart at the same time they make you feel thankful there are so many people out there trying to help in whatever way they can.

Then some end up finding their way into the hands of angels on earth trying to take care of them when they become homeless.
Vietnam Vet Andrew Elmer Wright found a home as a homeless vet
Pastor Joel Reif, of First United Church of Christ made sure that when Andrew died, he was not forgotten any more than he was forgotten in the last part of his life spent on church grounds surrounded by love of the members there.

We leave them behind when claims are not honored. We leave them behind when programs to help them do not begin because someone is waiting for someone else to do it. We leave them behind when we decide to not donate to any veteran's charity simply because there are too many of them, never once thinking that one less veteran will be helped because we didn't want to give a buck or two to all of them, even though we could afford it.

We leave them behind all the time but when we try, or should I say when some people try to make a difference, there are less veterans to leave behind. When you think they are less than 10% of the population of this country and less than 1% of Americans serve today, you'd also think we should be able to take care of all of them but first, you'd have to really care for all of them and stop waiting for someone else to do it. I see so much good happening across the country, like this report, but then I wonder, what about the other cities and towns doing nothing but thinking someone should do something.

No veteran left behind as volunteers flag gravesites

By Kendra Leigh Miller
Staff writer
Posted May 22, 2010 @ 09:44 PM
Last update May 23, 2010 @ 01:31 AM
Taunton — No veteran’s grave was left unmarked.

Volunteers came out by the droves to the Mayflower and St. Joseph’s cemeteries Saturday to make sure every veteran’s grave was marked with an American flag.

Marine veteran Don French, who served in World War II, is one of many who organizes the flag marking every year for the more than 60 cemeteries in the city of Taunton.

“Just like when we’re in battle, we don’t want to leave a buddy behind,” French said. “This is the same thing. Even after death, we don’t want to leave anyone behind.”
click link for more