Tony from invisible people on Vimeo.

As I watched this video I saw that Tony is actually a homeless veteran. He served in the United States Marine Corps. While it’s sad that a lot of veterans end up homeless and in poverty it did not surprise me to see that Tony was in this situation.

Here are some hard facts for you:

The U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) says the nation’s homeless veterans are mostly males (4 % are females). The vast majority are single, most come from poor, disadvantaged communities, 45% suffer from mental illness, and half have substance abuse problems. America’s homeless veterans have served in World War II, Korean War, Cold War, Vietnam War, Grenada, Panama, Lebanon, Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan), Operation Iraqi Freedom, or the military’s anti-drug cultivation efforts in South America. Forty-seven percent of homeless veterans served during the Vietnam Era. More than 67% served our country for at least three years and 33% were stationed in a war zone.

The next question which the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans highlights is also important. That question is why are veterans homeless?

In addition to the complex set of factors affecting all homelessness — extreme shortage of affordable housing, livable income, and access to health care — a large number of displaced and at-risk veterans live with lingering effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and substance abuse, compounded by a lack of family and social support networks.

A good documentary on this problem is When I Came Home. I remember listening to Heorld Noel on WBAI in NYC when this documentary was being promoted in 2007.

Tony also mentions that there are a lot of homeless veterans out where he is panhandling.