Monday, March 13, 2017

Vietnam Vets Donation Is Still Important Today

By Christine Parker


It seems strange today to think there was a time when soldiers returning from a war zone were treated with contempt and protests. They were jeered at public rallies and confronted on the streets if they appeared in uniform. Many who returned from the war in Southeast Asia came back with drug habits and mental problems. There are those who still struggle, and need the help a Vietnam vets donation can make.

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.

Not all conditions veterans suffer from are physical. The Southeast Asia war produced a great number of returning soldiers diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. Veterans from this era were exposed to deadly herbicidal chemicals known as agent orange. This exposure has caused disease and early death. Veterans commit suicide at much higher rates than civilians. Nonprofit agencies work with troubled soldiers to get them the help they need.

One of the most important contributions the nonprofit organizations have made to veterans is championing their rights to mental, physical, and emotional care. It is sometimes difficult for retired soldiers to navigate the complexities of the system to get the benefits they have earned. The staff on nonprofits have the skill to help them with filling out forms and writing letters to their representatives when necessary.

For some veterans, military duty is the first and only job they have ever had. Once they retire and have to find employment in the civilian world, many are at a loss. Donations to veterans' organizations make it possible for them to have an advocate who knows how to help them assess their current job skills, write effective resumes, handle job interviews, and dress appropriately for the workplace.

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.

Isolation and depression are big problems for some veterans trying to reenter the civilian world. Donations to nonprofits make it possible for them to connect with other soldiers, sometimes veterans of other wars, who can relate to the issues and struggles they have. These outreach programs are a vital part of the work nonprofits do.

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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