NationStates Jolt Archive

NOTE: I have to admit that I cried when I read this. Would to God that people had been so concerned and generous toward Vietnam veterans.


Groups Provide Homes For Disabled Vets (http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,FL_homes_041105,00.html?ESRC=eb.nl)
Associated Press
April 11, 2005

PENSACOLA, Fla. - Army Sgt. Jamvis Armour lost his right arm and sight in one eye, broke a leg and suffered burns over 40 percent of his body while in Iraq. And it got worse: Unable to serve, he no longer had military-provided housing for himself and his family.

In contrast with the scorn sometimes heaped on veterans returning from the Vietnam War, Armour and other former soldiers forced to retire on medical disability are finding local and national groups willing to provide housing.

Armour, 25, returned home in November. He spent more than year recovering from wounds suffered in a May 2003 grenade attack on his truck in Iraq.

The military had provided housing for his family while he was a soldier. But now he was on his own and partially disabled. Adding to the problems was a housing crunch created by Hurricane Ivan.

"We knew nothing was guaranteed," said Armour's wife, Kiersten. "We knew after the hurricane how hard it was to find a place."

Local veterans groups and community leaders stepped in, putting the Armours up at a hotel at one of Pensacola's Navy bases, and launching a campaign to obtain a house for the desperate family.

Armour, his wife and their children - Alexis, 5, Gabrielle, 4, and Elijah, 2 - moved into a nearly new 2,500-square foot house three days before Christmas. It was theirs free and clear - thanks to an assist from the Housing and Urban Development Department.

HUD sold a repossessed house to Escambia County for $1 and it then was passed on to the Armours through the group Veterans in Need.

"It's surprising that people get together and do something like this," Jamvis Armour said. "Words can't even describe it."

The effort was patterned after a similar one in neighboring Santa Rosa County and now at least two national groups have been formed to provide more houses for disabled Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans.

"It's sort of catching on," said John Gonsalves, founder of Homes for Our Troops in Taunton, Mass. "People are now, throughout the country, starting to look at this and see that there is a need."

Read the complete article here: http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,FL_homes_041105,00.html?ESRC=eb.nl

What? No one has any comments? Tsk! :)

What? No one has any comments? Tsk! :)

Shouldn't it be the government's responsibility to provide suitable care and housing for those crippled in its service?

Shouldn't it be the government's responsibility to provide suitable care and housing for those crippled in its service?
I suppose not if you're unforuntate enough to serve the America of the Bush/Clinton/Reagan era!

I suppose not if you're unforuntate enough to serve the America of the Bush/Clinton/Reagan era!
It's never been a benefit to disabled servicemen and women to receive government financed housing. The only benefit involving housing of which I am aware is the VA home loan program. This has been true for as long as I can remember.

For what they have given this country I salute them. They deserve better than what they get, but free housing is a bit too much, thats more taxes for us to pay, and I'm poor enough already. I think we can do better than we are right now on VA in general, but I don't know how to make it better.

Maybe they shoulda won the war.

:p



Poor humor.


aye... preahaps.

I allways wonderd what happens to people when they get out of the army, it basically forced unemployment is it not.

It's never been a benefit to disabled servicemen and women to receive government financed housing. The only benefit involving housing of which I am aware is the VA home loan program. This has been true for as long as I can remember.

The 'should' in my post was intended as an ethical one.

For what they have given this country I salute them. They deserve better than what they get, but free housing is a bit too much, thats more taxes for us to pay, and I'm poor enough already. I think we can do better than we are right now on VA in general, but I don't know how to make it better.

Do you agree that the President should receive $400,000 per year for his work from the state, and so be able to buy a place to live for the rest of his life, whereas those who are disabled as a result of his actions, and so unable to continue in the work they are trained for, aren't able to buy a home?

That is so sad. The world's richest country has its disabled soldiers dependant on charity. :(

That is so sad. The world's richest country has its disabled soldiers dependant on charity. :(

Among other things.

*yawn*

it's all a plot...

They deserve better, but I'm not sure free housing is feasible, if it can't be done, it can't be done. I had a cousin who served two tours of duty in a place most people can't pronounce, the people who served their usually called it Hell, we know it as vietnam, when he got back he got a "thanks, now get a real job, you freeloader." from the government, when people found out he was a vet he was suddenly unhirable, he worked as a janitor, a convenience store clerk, and as a gardener on weekends, he gave alot for his country and got effectively nothing in return, do I think there's something wrong with that? Hell yes I do, but I don't know how to make it better, my cousin was a proud man and he accepted charity from no one, but the problem is that no one offered. As a Veteran of our most misunderstood war he was taboo, no job, no charity, no help, sink or swim on his own and he didn't "swim" very well for nearly ten years, after ten years things started to get better for Veterans, in the south at least, I don't know about up north, but in those ten years he had two wives, one who left him and one who stayed with him till he died, he also had two sons, they never went hungry but he told me of a few times he did so they wouldn't, the world did not like Vietnam Veterans, and my cousin suffered for ten years because of it, it got better, but even in 2001 when he died it wasn't what it should have been, he deserved better than he got and this country owes him and his family alot, but if someone has a good idea of what to do I'm open to it.

If you are disabled in most employment, worker's comp pays for the results of lost wages - including housing. I find it utterly disgusting that a soldier wounded in wartime doesn't even get that type of consideration. Kudos to those that help them. If you find any specific charities that do this, let me know, and I will be sure to give when I can.

When you take into consideration the fact that msot NCOs in the US military come from poor backgrounds with no post-secondary education,, its even sadder. Your nations poorest have given their health and often lives for their country and all they have received is maximum work for minimum wage and kick in the backside when they come back.

I think there are defintely the resources to help the Veterans, but no one in fedral gov't gives a toss. They'd rather spend billions in legal fees to give their cronies the right to cause nightmarish pollution as they drill for oil on what was supposedly a National Wildlife Refuge up in Alaska.

Would it really hurt the US gov't so much to spend say, 20 billion dollars ( a drop in the bucket compared to the trillions they've spent on war). They could give grants for the downpayment on a house, interest free mortages and interest free small business loans. They could create a Veterans Scholarship to pay the tutions of any veterans that wanted to pursue further education in a profession or trade, set up training programs and employment programs that would hook them up with businesses that wanted to do their part by hiring veterans.

Would it hurt the pocketbook to much to extend FULL health coerage to anyone seriously wounded while serving in military?

I'm an avowed pacifist and I think they way Bush and his cronies entered the war as totally wrong ( I disagrre with how, but I'm still out on the why) but the way the US military is treating its veterans makes me completley incensed.

I'm overjoyed to hear about the help Sgt. Armour and his family have gotten the help they did. The people that helped them out deserve a lot of praise for what they've done. Its shameful though that charities and local housing authorities had to be the ones doing this. They've shown how things ought to be done, now lets just hope the US gov't will feel ashamed enough to correct their inactions and actualy do something about it.

Do you agree that the President should receive $400,000 per year for his work from the state, and so be able to buy a place to live for the rest of his life, whereas those who are disabled as a result of his actions, and so unable to continue in the work they are trained for, aren't able to buy a home?


The President traditionally donates his entire salary to charity.

Maybe some consideration should be given to putting it toward Veteran programs specifically.

NOTE: I have to admit that I cried when I read this. Would to God that people had been so concerned and generous toward Vietnam veterans.


I know how to take that feeling right out of you.

Listen carefully.


You listening?


Jane Fonda!

:fluffle:

NOTE: I have to admit that I cried when I read this. Would to God that people had been so concerned and generous toward Vietnam veterans.[/url]

I do believe we Viet Vets swore we would not let what happened to us happen to our brothers in arms in the future. I think we swore we would not let the military and veterans of other wars go through what we did. I salute the veterans who did this and I salute our military that are now serving.