Why do Veterans Need More Gratitude and Benefits

Dear people of the United States,

I speak on the behalf of all the veterans that have laid down and sacrificed their lives for this country, I think us veterans deserve more than a day of gratitude and free healthcare. Imagine going to war in a country halfway around the world not knowing whether you will come home to see your family again, some do and some don’t but the ones that do come back home may suffer from injuries from war or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder therefore veterans should be entitled to free healthcare, discount on housing and entitled to a job. If you risked your life for your country wouldn’t you be entitled to benefits and respect?

Veterans deserve free healthcare and insurance. A lot of veterans come back home facing injuries, PTSD and more. According to US Department of Veteran Affairs, 15% of veterans that served in Vietnam and 10–12% of veterans that served gulf war suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and will immensely benefit from knowing that the people appreciate all that they have sacrificed for them. If a service member comes back home with injuries or disease they can receive free healthcare to prevent any difficulties the injury is causing or to prevent the disease from escalating.

Veteran’s day should become Veterans month. There are a lot of appreciation months for different groups of people for example, pride month, women’s month etc. According to the US Department of Veteran Affairs, 22 veterans that have served in the military commit suicide each day and this is one of the many reasons why we should have a month to recognise the work and all blood shed these men and women have done for the freedom of the United States. In doing so many this might make veterans realise that they have done a good service for the better and it will possible decrease the chances of a veteran committing suicide. Freedom is not free.

There are many veterans that are unemployed and that are homeless therefore they should be able to rent houses, apartments or condos at a lower price than the usual. There should be an organisation that provides veterans with a job. US Department of Veteran Affairs estimates that there are nearly 40,000 veterans suffering on the streets with no money, no food and no family to contact. The US Department of Labor states that the percentage of unemployed veterans that served active duty in the US Armed Forces is 5.1 in 2016. Many of these unemployed veterans have disabilities due to injuries from war, struggles like injuries, PTSD and more may be the reason why some of these veterans are unemployed. With a stable job and affordable housing these veterans will be able to have a shelter and finally get out of poverty.

In conclusion, I believe that veterans deserve more appreciation, gratitude, and should receive more benefits like free healthcare and lower housing prices. There are many veterans that are struggling with homelessness, jobs and PTSD, we can help these veterans by raising awareness and finally bringing this to the attention of the government in order to enact change for the better!