MARK KARLIN, EDITOR OF BUZZFLASH AT TRUTHOUT

Veterans need more housing and assistance. (Photo: Rusty Clark)

At almost any big sporting championship, there's the moment when a baritone announcer becomes solemn, pauses and then introduces a heart-tugging spectacle honoring US military veterans. Usually the crowd roars and waves the flag, feeling a sense of both patriotism and pity for the person, wounded in action, who is brought onto the field. When the presentation is over, however, the rush of jingoistic rhetoric subsides -- as does concern about the fate of individual veterans.

One could argue that such tributes to veterans serve the consciences of those who rely on a voluntary military to assure the continuation of a prosperous lifestyle. These dazzling displays of gratitude, however, do not do much to meet the actual needs of psychologically and physically wounded veterans, as well as those in economic need.

Furthermore, the ephemeral warm and fuzzy feeling sports fans receive for "supporting our troops" by simply responding to a presentation are part of a marketing message. According to a 2015 PBS Newshour report:

The United States Department of Defense paid the National Football League more than $5 million in taxpayer money between 2011 to 2014 to honor U.S. soldiers and veterans at games, an investigation revealed this week.

Nearly $5.4 million was given to 14 NFL teams across the country, the bulk of which ($5.3 million) was supplied by the National Guard and the rest paid by the Army and Air Force, according to government records obtained by NJ.com.

But instead of purely heartfelt salutes to soldiers from hometown football teams, the halftime segments were reportedly part of paid promotions under federal advertising contracts for the military.

One might say the entire unseemly enterprise is more Hollywood production than "heartfelt."

Even Donald Trump played the veterans "supporter" card when he announced that he was going to raise and give up to $6 million to veterans charities in September, only to be called out on not fulfilling his promise by The Washington Post.

There's the showmanship of honoring veterans – and then there's the painful reality of the lives many veterans return to. Today's Washington Post reports that "one reason so many veterans are homeless [is that] they can’t afford lawyers":

David Garrett returned home from war to find he had no home. A disabled veteran from Maine who had served in Iraq and Afghanistan, Garrett soon fell into homelessness. After almost a year of camping out, he found an apartment he could afford by negotiating a deal in which he paid lower rent in exchange for paying four months in advance. When his landlord sold the building, the new owner said he found no evidence of Garrett’s prepaid rent and tried to evict him. Facing homelessness once more, Garrett needed a housing solution. But to get one, he urgently needed something else: a lawyer.

With nearly 50,000 veterans sleeping on the streets each night, it’s clear we are failing to serve those who have served our country. But the solution isn’t as obvious as it might seem. Veterans don’t need simply more doctors and shelter beds; new research shows that veterans need lawyers to fight on their behalf as well.

Like most injustices in the US, the impact on people of color is more extensive when it comes to veterans living on the streets. According to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, "Roughly 45% of all homeless veterans are African American or Hispanic, despite only accounting for 10.4% and 3.4% of the U.S. veteran population, respectively."

As a result of many scandals in the last few years involving the US Department of Veterans Affairs, some veterans' charities exposed for pocketing large amounts of funds for "expenses," and an insufficient number of nonprofit veterans' assistance organizations, there appears to have been some advancement in the care of returning veterans and assistance provided to them. The exact number of homeless veterans is not possible to calculate, but it does appear to be falling due to the new resources resulting from the increased clout of advocacy groups working to reduce the number of veterans who lack adequate shelter.

The obstacles, however, are still formidable in moving from rousing cheers for veterans at public events to embracing them within our communities.

Consider that Augusta, Maine just denied a permit to create a transitional living house for female veterans because the city does not allow "rooming houses." As the WABI television website reported on July 7:

An Augusta veteran’s organization has hit a snag in their plans to build transitional housing solely for females [veterans].

“I think the confusion comes from it being called a homeless shelter in the beginning because it isn’t a homeless shelter. It’s transitional housing. That’s what the VA calls these houses,” said Alicia Barnes, a Betsy Ann Ross House of Hope board member.

The Betsy Ann Ross House of Hope volunteers are renovating a three-story home on Summer St. for up to eight women and their children.

“The ideal situation is that they don’t have to pay rent while staying here,” said Barnes.

In 2014, Budweiser created a Super Bowl ad and year-long campaign to "salute" veterans. Of course, it was a marketing effort to positively brand the alcoholic beverage and associate it with a knee-jerk patriotism. At the time, Dame Magazine derided Budweiser's opportunism: "Budweiser’s despicable 'Hero’s Welcome' ad leaves a bad taste: The cheap beer manufacturer gave Super Bowl watchers a cheap cry, at the expense of U.S. Veterans."

It might not be overstating the mood of the nation to assert that we are glad to swill down a beer for our veterans, but we don't want them in our communities if they are in need of a place to live.

Not to be reposted without the permission of Truthout.