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Article by Lishamarie Hunter

Women comprise the fastest-growing segment of the homeless Veteran population. The 2017 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) estimated that just over 40,000 veterans were homeless on a single night in January of that year. Of those, about 9 percent were women, out of a population of more than 2 million female Veterans.

From 2016 to 2017, the number of homeless female Vets increased by 7 percent, compared with 1 percent for their male counterparts (2021). A side by side comparison of female and male veteran populations reveals that both groups of veterans reside in the greatest number in California, Texas and Florida, however they differ in concentrations.

Female veterans have the highest concentration in Texas; male veterans, in California. As the unemployment number rise due to the pandemic the homelessness is only growing, and more veterans being affected. That figure, according to the center, is projected to rise by about 9% to nearly 40,000 by 2025 (2021).

Many homeless female veterans were victims of military sexual trauma and feel resentment toward the military and the VA. As a result, many do not identify themselves as being veterans. They tend to stay away from the organizations wishing to help them because they feel they were betrayed by that organization in the past. According to the VA’s National Center for PTSD, data from the VA’s military sexual trauma screening program shows that about one in four women and 1 in 100 men say that they experienced sexual trauma or assault while in the military.

Homeless female veterans don’t fit the stereotype of a homeless person living on the streets. Female homeless veterans often have children and tend to stay with family or friends temporarily.

Some reasons for the underreporting of female veterans and lack of assistance for their situation are listed below:

1. A large percentage of female veterans facing homelessness find ways to live with family or friends, “couch surfing” for extended periods of time.
2. Many feel unsafe sleeping on the streets or even in shelters.
3. Many homeless facilities focus on the larger population of male homeless veterans, who also happen to be more likely to reach out and utilize VA services than their female counterparts.
4.  Many female veterans with children are worried that by accessing services or asking for help against homelessness, their children will be removed from their care.
5. Others learn that many shelters have limits on the number of children that can accompany their mother.

The majority of programs throughout the nation and in particular the VA system addresses the male veteran homelessness. There are resources for homeless veterans both male and female. VA understands that many women Veterans face challenges when returning to civilian life, including raising children on their own or dealing with the aftereffects of military sexual trauma.

Without intervention, these and other issues can put women Veterans at greater risk of homelessness. VA also strives to address the individualized needs of women throughout its specialized programs for homeless Veterans. Every VA Medical Center and regional benefits office also has a dedicated advocate to make sure women Veterans get the health care and benefits they’ve earned through service (va.gov)

Another organization that provides assistance with homeless female veterans is Final Salute INC. This organizations mission is simple to provide safe and suitable homes to homeless female veterans. They do this with their program H.O.M.E. The H.O.M.E Program provides transitional housing, on-site case management, food, clothing, transportation, child care subsidy/assistance, employment support and other essential supportive services to homeless female Veterans and their children.

The H.O.M.E Program focuses on integrating women Veterans back into their local communities and providing, safe and suitable residential areas to choose from. The H.O.M.E Program is a collaboration with a variety of resource partners that includes targeted supportive services to assist women Veterans in reaching their goals. The organization is based in the DC Metro Area, the programs have assisted women Veterans and children in over 30 States and Territories.

The organization assist with permanent placement once Veterans are ready to transition from our residential facilities. Who is eligible to apply for benefits from the H.O.M.E program. Veteran must have an “honorable or under honorable conditions” discharge; verified by DD-214*. (*Requires completion of initial service obligation (ISO), unless medically discharged). The veteran must also be willing to adhere to terms of the Resident Agreement and 2-Year Plan for Independence. Phone number is 703-224-8845 (2019).

The first step in eliminating the homelessness is to acknowledging the need for assistance. The local Vet Centers, VFW and American Legions can provide names and numbers of programs locally that provide emergency assistance. Local homeless assistance is available for veterans through your nearest HUD office. Call the HUDVET National Hotline at (877) 424-3838 FREE for around the clock assistance, or view the resources for homeless veterans on the HUD Exchange. No Veteran regardless of their gender should be homeless.

References:

• Absher, Jim. Female Veterans Are Fastest Growing Segment of Homeless Veteran Population. military.com, March 28, 2018, Retrieved February 23, 2021.
• Boothe, Casura, Steere, Suarez, The Numbers Don’t Add Up: Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development Severely Underestimate Number of Homeless Women Veterans. Released: August 24, 2016 Revised: December 1, 2017 Revised: July 2, 2019, Retrieved February 23, 2021.
• Angela M. Rogers, https://news.psu.edu/story/598769/2019/11/18/research/homeless-female- veterans-out-sight-out-mind, November 18, 2019, Retrieved February 24, 2021.
• Veteran’s Aid Org. The Invisible Homeless: Female Veterans Often Go Uncounted, February 8, 2018. Retrieved February 23, 2021.

Read more articles from VOM Magazine here: https://www.veteransoutreachministries.org/vom-magazine/

Article by Tom Konecny Originally posted on www.MeetAmerica.com

The ever-popular Johnny Cash produced some 1,200 songs throughout his illustrious 50-year career, but there’s sudden reinterest in one of his tracks that didn’t even crack the Top 30 when it was released in 1974.

“Ragged Old Flag” is the title piece of Cash’s 47th album, but this grand, spoken word tribute to patriotism was originally written, it seems, with a heavy and concerned heart as American leadership sat at crossroads. When it was released in April 1974, America was absorbed with the ongoing Watergate scandal and the disconcerting feeling it was leaving behind. Cash had long been known as an outspoken entertainer, and had even visited President Richard Nixon in 1972. However, he didn’t like seeing the unfolding – if not embarrassing – narrative taking place and how it reflected on America.

Cash had supported Nixon’s candidacy, but he was also beginning to question policies around the Vietnam War. He wrote the song, according to Robert Hilburn’s Johnny Cash biography, to “reaffirm faith in the country and the goodness of the American people.” Cash wanted to remind Americans what patriotism meant and of his own faith in America at a time when many were divided.

Cash’s song tells a story about a visitor encountering an old man in a town square, and they talk about what both the flag and American has been through together. The song is reflective of Cash’s patriotism and love of America, and that’s part of the reason Cash gained such crossover appeal among fans of country, rock and roll, blues, folk and gospel.

The tune enjoyed a bump in popularity while featured at the beginning of FOX’s telecast of the Super Bowl in February 2017. The three-and-a-half minute clip showed war recreations and present-day actors in a town square. The network could have used that time to sell prime ad space, but its patriotic sports director instead chose to use Cash’s song to promote his love of the United States.

“Ragged Old Flag” was well-liked with fans during Cash’s live performances, and it gained even more popularity after 9/11. It’s often recited at events around the nation, it has been played by the U.S. Army’s West Point Band, and it’s regularly recited by veterans groups on national holidays.

While Cash’s intention behind the song may have been forgotten some 40 years later, the legacy lives on in various ways. It stands well enough on its own as a truly patriotic tune, and many also consider it as an anti-flag burning song.

Although “The Man in Black” passed away in 2003, he’s probably smiling at that sentiment – because he was proud of that ragged old flag.

Image Details: This is the cover art for Johnny Cash’s “Ragged Old Flag” album. The cover art copyright is believed to belong to the record label or the graphic artist(s). Source: Wikipedia.

Read more articles from VOM Magazine here: https://www.veteransoutreachministries.org/vom-magazine/

By Kathleen Golden (published May 21, 2015)

The first appearance of the “battlefield cross” is a matter of conjecture. It might have been during the Civil War, to signify a dead soldier to be gathered and buried during a truce called for that purpose. Soldier dead were buried in graves in temporary cemeteries near the battlefields, identified by simple wooden plaques. The configuration of the rifle pointed downward with a helmet perched on the stock was a more common sight during World War I and World War II. While the battlefield cross still acted as marker so that the Graves Registration Service personnel could remove the body for burial, it also began to serve as a memorial. Although it is called a cross, the memorial has no overt religious context.

During the Korean War, changes were made to the process of handling the dead; instead of interring the soldiers in temporary military cemeteries, they were removed to staging sites to be readied for shipment to Japan and ultimately home. The battlefield cross memorial probably took on more significance during this time, as a way to provide closure for the fallen soldier’s comrades. Richard Holmes put it best in his book, Acts of War: The Behavior of Men in Battle: “Proper burial of the dead, accompanied by a degree of formalized mourning, is as necessary for those who die in battle as it is for those who perish in more peaceful circumstances. Having some sort of focus for mourning is useful for the dead soldier’s comrades.”

Beginning with the Gulf War in 1991, and during Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, the latest version of the battlefield cross: rifle, helmet, boots, and dog tags, has become the symbol of loss, of mourning and closure for the living. The photographs shown here are of two different memorial services; one a formal service at the 503rd Airborne’s home base in Vincenza, Italy, and the other in Afghanistan. Both of these young men are represented in the Armed Forces History Collections here at the National Museum of American History.

Interpretations vary regarding the meaning of the components, and how they are placed. The rifle facing downward means the soldier was killed in action; a rifle with a bayonet stuck in the ground tells us the soldier went down fighting. It’s not hard to interpret the placement of the boots or the presence of the dog tags: the soldier has marched the final march to battle, and he will never be forgotten.

Kathleen Golden is an associate curator in the Division of Armed Forces History. She is an avid blogger who covers a wide array of military topics. She urges you to take some time this Memorial Day to reflect on the meaning of the holiday. Article published on www..americanhistory.si.edu National Museum of American History.

Read more articles from VOM Magazine here: https://www.veteransoutreachministries.org/vom-magazine/