Veterans of War

Despite the scandal, despite the reform, despite the resignation of the Veterans Affairs Secretary, thousands of our nation’s heroes still find themselves waiting months on end for a doctor’s appointment. Countless more still find themselves on the streets, lacking any form of housing. To these veterans, the wounds of service go beyond the physical scars incurred on the battlefield. Even in 2015, many of our veterans return home to face even more daunting challenges; unemployment, homelessness, and the struggles of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).   

In Los Angeles, thousands of veteran patients in the VA Greater LA Healthcare System face egregious wait times for appointments. Recent findings in January by Los Angeles’ VA department shows new veteran patients wait an average of 48 days before receiving medical assistant. Furthermore, with PTSD becoming an ever growing concern, new mental health patients in Los Angeles are waiting over a month to get an appointment. Since January, the average wait time has decreased by 4 days.

The situation goes beyond health care. There are nearly 50,000 homeless veterans in the US. Los Angeles remains the city with the most homeless veterans where there are as many as 3,700 veterans on the street on any given night. And while the VA has pledge to end homeless among veterans by the end of 2015, the number has only decreased by 33% since 2010. As the days until December 31st countdown, one thing is certain: little has improved for our nation’s veterans.

For veterans, the burden of service should not remain once they return home. 3 Generations’ campaign to value our veterans aims to provide our servicemen venues to share their stories in communities where both the storyteller and listener can find relief. By conveying the stories of veterans who have found help and who continue to struggle alike, we look to examine ways to address the issues at hand and bring these solutions to the forefront. With your support, we can help ensure that our nation’s veterans receive the service they deserve for the service they have provided us.