America Keeps Forgetting its Heroes, but California Remembered Daniel Foster

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M. Dennis Paul, Ph.D. November 26, 2011 2:59 am (Pacific time)

Tim... I can only imagine how hard it is for you to write these pieces. I, for one, am thankful that you have the strength.. and character. It is such an embarrassment to have other military, ex or not, supporting these individuals while the government offers ever more empty promises. In my area, there are a pair of ex marines so severely wounded they rely on locals for all their transportation needs ...shopping, doctor appointments and the like. I have yet to see these individuals without their heads down and eyes watering when they hesitantly ask for a ride to here or there. Each weekend they park a small table and chair in front of a supermarket and silently beg for enough money in their tin can to make this weeks rent and enough rice and beans to get them through. Right up the road is a huge VFW hall. Next to the supermarket is a Dunkin Donuts. The store manager starts their can off every week with a 20$ donation. By Sunday at 5pm, when the store closes, they usually have enough for the week.. but with the economy the way it is, little else. The manager of Dunkin Donuts, who has kept coffee, donuts and sausage and egg sandwiches coming to their little table, packs them up and takes them to their rented cabin.. 2 rooms, bathroom with hand fed toilet tank, a small, very old wood stove and an old pump faucet. A couple of locals from the VFW will plow them out during the winter and a few others will perform other assists. They get plenty of offers for a pitcher of beer and a sandwich or meatloaf from the VFW patrons but always turn them down. Out of curiosity, I asked why. Better than 70 % of the drinkers at the VFW are suffering with PTSD and other forms of trauma induced psychosis. They also suffer greatly from this but have determined that they will fight it like they fought for everything else in their lives. Both have a hard time with the idea of taking pain meds.. which both clearly need. They told me that donations get slim around this time of year and they can see the embarrassment in shoppers eyes and faces as they walk by. One woman, as I watched with them, actually had tears in her eyes as she walked by, turning her head away. Both of these young men have multiple visible injuries and those horrible invisible ones that hurt even more. One said to me that he feels he has to apologize to people like that tearful woman. He hates the thought of his presence causing pain for anyone else. Family? None. Sadly, one's parents died in a car accident while he was in Iraq. He was an only child. He has an Uncle..A Vietnam Vet who has been living in woods in Tennessee somewhere for at least 20 years. The other.. Mom had killed herself a few years ago after his dad left her. Hasn't seen or heard from him in years. Local VA? Not close enough for either to get appropriate service and besides, they say, they only try to farm you out to other states so this state looks like it is handling its population of "heroes". Sure, they round some up and march them in the local parades... then go right back to trying to convince them to go elsewhere. $$.. collecting tin cans and trying to fill the small one on their small table. What they get for disability is taken for debt repayment.. like in your article. This seems to be an all too common story. Too. if they can find any reason to deny a claim or withhold a payment, they will do so in a heart beat. We certainly treat our "heroes" well here, don't we? Both of them were maimed by roadside bombs and sniper fire. Both refuse to be called heroes and get visibly upset when store patrons refer to them this way. They hold their tongues. Both say they made mistakes and finally figured out that it was Halliburton and the Koch brothers and the oil companies that they fought for. Both said they would be on the front lines at Wall Street if they could... if they could handle another beating or tear gassing. It's obvious they can't. I asked if there was something special I could do for them. I had already given them what cash I had. Almost in unison, both said.. "Come talk with us again, soon. Most people just drop some coins or bills and rush off. It's like they're afraid of us".

"Anonymous".. every time you stroke that keyboard, you conjure up a vivid image of a braying jackass. You have virtually no clue regarding whatever subject is at hand, you offer nothing resembling intelligence and expose your dullness with every echo from that dark cavern which harbors your very limited collection of disingenuous "thoughts". I concur with Tim's response.. FU.

I am asking everyone, not just in this season which is more difficult for these men and women (Yes.. we have women living in bushes and under bridges, but at any time... DO WHATEVER YOU CAN TO HELP. And it is not enough to just toss coins into a tin can. Stop and talk for a minute, or two... these are human beings and human beings need contact to thrive. Offer a lift.. if you can commit to a month of laundry runs, a VA trip, a visit to family or friends... even bring them home for a meal or to a local church spaghetti dinner or pancake breakfast and sit down and share it with them... so many have lost the simple know how of gathering and sharing as they have been shunned and hidden for so long.

For my two reluctant heroes.. Yes.. I am going to ask for donations. Cash first.. send what you can if only a single dollar bill. Send it to: M. Dennis Paul c/o 5 Stone Circle Windsor, NH 03244. If sending a check, make it out to me.. I am not going to do this long enough to set up all the essentials. My goal is to get them enough for a pellet stove, pellets, a simple shower, electric pump and propane water heater. The property owner has agreed to help with the installs and reduce rents for 18 months.. negotiable after that time for perhaps an extension. I'm donating a freezer and have gathered local hunters who have committed to 10% cleaned and prepped donations of whatever game they snag this winter. So far, 45 pounds of venison has been committed and is now stored in the freezer in my shop. Please do not mail meat! Donations of insulation (High R Value), sheets, pillows and pillow cases (Memory foam if possible as they will be used for leg separation). Vitamins (all kinds)ace bandages, toe wool, left and right medium and large hand/wrist braces, all length and size bandages and dressings, surgical tape rolls, a standard large full nose/mouth CPAP mask. That's all I can remember at the moment. I honestly don't expect much response from this one writing in a comment section. I'm just tossing it out here and will do so in many other venues. If it clicks for you.. go for it. Anything and everything is greatly appreciated.. and thanks for all you do, Tim.

Tim King: My sincerest gratitude to you, I love your revolutionary ideas, thank you so much Professor..

COLLI November 25, 2011 6:29 am (Pacific time)

Watch how both of the major political parties strut and shout about how patriotic they are . . . then turn their backs on these young men and women who answered their country's call. If both parties gave even half of what they spent each year on the various elections to help these U.S. heros, maybe some of us would stop viewing them as the plague spreading vermin that they really are.

AmandaBlack November 24, 2011 9:26 pm (Pacific time)

First and foremost, it should be the US Government to provide the help and care to all veterans and their families, as promised every servcemen and woman. No one disputes that privately many organizations are ready to help any returning vet in need.However, that is not the point. The US government has made promises it has not kept. The VA is just one of the organizations affected by drastic budget cuts - no wonder the American people have no confidence in the system

Anonymous November 24, 2011 6:31 pm (Pacific time)

If you were a regular reader, because you could never be a member, of various veteran's magazines like those from the DAV and American Legion, you would see that tens of thousands of people are constantly helping veterans in similar, even far worse situations. Many of you on the fringe left who hate people like non-veterans Limbaugh, O'Reilly and Hannity, and so many other conservatives...

Tim King FU

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