Vietnam Vets Donation Is Still Important Today

By Christine Parker


It may seem strange for those not old enough to remember, but there was a time when returning soldiers were not treated with open arms. The war in Southeast Asia was a conflict that many citizens found immoral, and the men and women who chose to fight were thought by some to be a symbol of everything wrong about the choices politicians made. Soldiers were often greeted with contempt and disrespectful comments. It could be very difficult to be a veteran during this time. Many found adjusting hard and needed the services a Vietnam Vets donation helped provide.

There are many nonprofit organizations dedicated to helping all the veterans of foreign wars. They have many functions and do as much as they can. A lot of servicemen and women come back from combat zones with severe physical injuries. They may have to undergo numerous surgeries and months or years of rehabilitation. During this time, many are not able to work which can produce great hardship for their families.

Post-traumatic stress disorder is a serious mental condition most people were unfamiliar with before the veterans of the war in Southeast Asia began to complain of the symptoms. Not only have they experienced the effects of this disorder, many were also exposed to agent orange and have had to live with its deadly aftermath. Suicide is an unfortunate result of life after combat for some. The percentage of veterans who commit suicide is alarming, and there are nonprofits that use the donations provided to work tirelessly to reduce these numbers.

Donations to nonprofit organizations go a long way to help make it possible for ailing veterans to get the physical, mental, and emotional help they need. A lot of the returning service people do not know exactly what benefits they are entitled to, and these organizations have experienced staff to help they fill out paperwork, contact their state and federal representatives and fight for their rights if necessary.

A lot of young people who graduate from high school, but aren't ready to go to college, enlist in the military. After they have completed their tours of duty, many don't know how the skills they learned fighting will translate in a civilian workplace. Nonprofits help a lot of these young people with resumes, counseling, and interview techniques. They even help them apply to colleges if they are interested. The staff of these are experienced in getting the financial aid packages that help these veterans find work or higher education.

Whenever Congress has a bill regarding the rights of veterans under consideration, donations make it possible for representatives from veterans' organizations to make their voices heard. Getting them the benefits they deserve is uppermost in the minds of these advocates.

Making it possible for service people to have somewhere to go to talk with others who have experienced the pressures they deal with is important, and one of the things nonprofits do is to establish outreach programs that help veterans avoid the feeling of isolation.

It is necessary to remember that most veterans volunteered to place themselves in harm's way. Their service to the country should be honored not matter whether or not people agree with the decisions politicians make that send soldiers into war zones.




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