U.S. Military Veteran story 3-19-08

[sgtusmc]

U.S. Military Veteran story 3-19-08
Peter Macdonald 465 Packersfalls rd Lee NH 03824 603-659-6217 NH.Veteran@Yahoo.com
   Our children join our military to protect and defend Our Nation.  Some of these children live a horror that will echo in their minds until they die.  Many will return with mental and physical disabilities noticeable to the common person.  Other Veterans will have the echoes of combat cooking in their heads camouflaged by the joy of being back in the "World" U.S.   A happy child with potential to live a successful happy life, joined the military and returns a different person.  Relationships fail, jobs become unsteady as the echoes begin to return.  Many veterans become homeless on the street or behind the back conversations of friends (that never served) about the potential that was wasted.  The echoes of war that someone whom never lived could possibility conceive grow with time.
   I talk about this because of a news story in a mid west town that has sent 15 children off to Afghanistan and Iraq.  This one mother describes how she never under stood the feelings until it was her three boys over their.  89% of the U.S. population never joins our military.  The children that do join, come home to be ignored or treated as trash because of the physical and mental disabilities society refuses to recognize.  Elected officials use the Veteran's story during election time only to change priorities once elected.  Families cheer the Veteran during the Veteran's day parade only to turn their head and walk past a homeless Veteran dieing on the street.  When the news hits your home and it is your child returning the Veteran is not trash.  Over time you become discouraged by the uncaring response from the Veterans administration and elected officials.  Society now treats your loved one as trash and you try to shout.  Many Veterans die with no loved ones to shout for them.  These are the children that went off to war for your safety.
   I speak because I am a 100% disabled Veteran.  Two of my three disabilities are combat related.  I did eight convoys across Thailand, Laos and Cambodia delivering surplus supplies to friendly camps as an American Advisor.  I am not good enough for the NH governor to hear my grievances.  The VA stopped my medical care in an effort to stop my letters to the editor about a U.S. congresswoman from NH.  The state, county and local police harass my family at work and home.  I have lived with the echoes of war since 1974.  I volunteer to help others every day as a selfish way to believe that I belong back here in the "World" U.S.  The newspapers censor my letters as to imply why speak about the trash or let the trash speak.  I came back to the "World" U.S. believing that I was coming to a better place.  You say that society want to understand why returning U.S. military commit suicide but you fail to recognize that we do not belong back here.  We came back to a nation that wants to use a Veteran's story and fails to recognize the echoes raging in the Veteran's head.  Veterans with physical and mental disabilities are givien no care or substandard care camouflaged by an administration that would build a bigger hospital rather than treat those Veterans in need.  Our children join only to return as your trash.  Suicide becomes an honorable alternative to societies attitude.  The news medias censoring this letter only illustrates the truth.
Peter Macdonald Sgt USMC Semper Fi