who is the bigger entitlement generation

[Tigershark]

disagree. I served 6 years active duty. Could have easily went into combat, there was enough activity going on at the time. would this have meant a life time of entitlement from the government? Even though a member serves, and sacrafices, that member still has the responsibility of getting on with his life at some point. there are exceptions due to health and such, but my point is simply because a person served, doesn't earn them a certain standard of living for the rest of their lives. I may feel badly for the veteran, but everyone floats at their own level. Continue to shake their hands and thank them. But their socio economic development is their own responsibility.

I see your point Roman but I also disagree. If a vetern is on oxygen because his lungs are so rotted from the chemical agents used in both the Korean and Vietnam conflict why should they be forced to work a minumum wage job to make ends meet. But it also happens even today. We have veterns coming back from war now missing limbs or brain injured who are living in homeless shelters, some of them having to fight off sexual assaults from the residents there. There are also veterns in hospitals who to keep getting there treatments and not be kicked out to the streets must agree to participate in experimental drug trials to stay there. In all of these cases our government needs to do more to support the veterns. Some of these guys can never wake up in the morning, have a cup of coffee and read the paper at the kitchen tabe because half their brain is missing and after healed they get warehoused into nursing homes. My opinion though.

[Times Roman]

I see your point Roman but I also disagree. If a vetern is on oxygen because his lungs are so rotted from the chemical agents used in both the Korean and Vietnam conflict why should they be forced to work a minumum wage job to make ends meet. But it also happens even today. We have veterns coming back from war now missing limbs or brain injured who are living in homeless shelters, some of them having to fight off sexual assaults from the residents there. There are also veterns in hospitals who to keep getting there treatments and not be kicked out to the streets must agree to participate in experimental drug trials to stay there. In all of these cases our government needs to do more to support the veterns. Some of these guys can never wake up in the morning, have a cup of coffee and read the paper at the kitchen tabe because half their brain is missing and after healed they get warehoused into nursing homes. My opinion though.

We might be saying the same thing. Maybe.
I said "that member still has the responsibility of getting on with his life at some point. there are exceptions due to health and such, but my point is simply because a person served, doesn't earn them a certain standard of living for the rest of their lives".

But let's also be clear headed about this. Point A = the guy is a war time vet. Point B = the guy's health is shot. Connecting Point A and Point B is a leap of faith on your part. there could be a number of reasons why the guy's health is poor. He could be a three pack a day smoker, and his health problems are self inflicted. You don't know.

If the veteran can show direct causality between his serving and his health problems, then yes, he should be taken care of.

But his health problems could be unrelated to his service, and his holding himself out as a vet could simply be to evoke an emotional response from you.....

Could the military do better? damn straight!

Do some war time vets hold out their poor health condition as a result of war time activity when in fact, the two are unrelated? You bet!

My woman's uncle is a prime example. Served in Viet Nam. Saw a little action. He was a drifter before he went in, and came back a drifter. Spent a lifetime of poor diet, smoking two packs a day, and drinking every day. Now his health is tanking, and found a sympathetic ear that signed off on his claim form. Now he is receiving disability benefits from the army. did he scam the government? Hell ya!

I say all this, because war time veterans in a poor way evokes an emotional response from the public at large. Reality is we know nothing about this guy, and what his situation is. His situation may have nothing to do with him being a veteran.