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Homeless Vets "Stand Down"

By Jess Jesperson

Jess Jespersen, Midwest Coordinator

The Stand Down has come and gone and the results are filtering in. We are trying to come up with final figures on how many vets have followed up with any of the services that were offered. While the final tally is not in yet, I can give you the following information. There were several referrals to the V.A. Hospital for further medical treatment. One vet was admitted to the psych unit and one vet did not want to be admitted. The word on the street is that the Stand Down was not a sham or lip service and we look for more participation (unfortunately) at next year's event. It is nothing short of a national disgrace that we have to provide this type of service for veterans while pleading our case with the state Legislature to provide the money to fund this type of service to the homeless veterans.

But, back to the point of this article as I could go on and on about the political implications; so far, 16 vets have been to Job Service to seek employment. This number is going up weekly, so the final figures aren't in yet. But it shows clearly that the majority of these vets want a job. I can't swallow the argument that these people are homeless by choice. I did not meet one veteran out of the 97 vets seen that wanted to live on the streets. Where this type of mentality comes from I can only guess. The vets I talked to all wanted a job, medical care, and a place to live. There has also been some medical follow up by an organization called Health Care for the Homeless. Some vets are utilizing this healthcare option over VA care. I can't blame them. With the history of the VA, it comes as no surprise. However, this is one time that the VA deserves a big thank you. They opened the hospital and its services to our group. Also, the event couldn't have happened without their help. They came through for us when we needed them and my hat's off to those dedicated VA employees who volunteered their time and expertise to the Stand Down.

We have money left over from our original event and are considering a mini-Stand Down for some time after the holidays. We still have plenty of clothing to give out and a stash of blankets so winter won't be quite as hard on our comrades. This event would be a one day affair. If any VVAW Chapter is interested in sponsoring an event like our Stand Down, contact: JESS JESPERSEN, 3217 N. MARIETTA AVE., MILWAUKEE, WI 53211. 414-916-1253.

We can provide the organizational plans for an event such as the Stand Down. Hopefully, this plan will help reduce the labor that goes into a Stand Down by providing a blueprint so you won't have to start from ground zero. The event has also brought diverse groups of veterans' service organizations which is a must for smooth operation and it gives people from different organizations the chance to meet and work together. The importance of that is obvious. If we are to keep our benefits we must band together and fight the common enemy; an apathetic Federal government that wants us to die off and leave them alone to waste more lives and money. It's time we looked for commonalities among us rather than a bunch of small groups hung up on differences. We've been working at cross purposes long enough. ALL VETERANS MUST UNITE AND KICK ASS WHERE NECESSARY!!!!!!!!!!!

Respectfully submitted,
Jess Jespersen,
Midwest Regional Coordinator VVAW