Research for statistics concerning a relatively precise number of homeless veterans, and in particularly the number of homeless Vietnam veterans, is frustrating to say the least.  There are a wide range of numbers and percentages reported, and some “official” reports of numbers of homeless Vietnam veterans don’t even come close to reconciling their own figures.  Knowing these figures are debatable, it appears there are as many as 250,000 homeless veterans in the United States today.  Of these, approximately one-third, or 82,500 are from the Vietnam era.

There is widespread belief that there are countless Vietnam veterans who weren’t  able to deal with the war and who eventually became homeless after encountering many personal problems.  These men are seen as walking wounded, and in some cases deranged people waiting to explode.  This belief may have been encouraged by a popular television movie about Mitch Snyder, a once homeless Vietnam veteran whose story was well known around the country.

Some men do suffer from these problems and they need all of the compassion and support that the government and charitable organizations can provide.  These men, though, are not the norm.  Studies show that homelessness is not clearly related to combat experience, as homeless veterans appear less likely to have served in combat than veterans with homes.  Rosenbeck research completed in 1996 indicated “that the veterans who are at greatest risk of homelessness are those who served during the late Vietnam and post-Vietnam era. These veterans had little exposure to combat, but appear to have increased rates of mental illness and addiction disorders,  possibly due to recruitment patterns. Faced with a lack of affordable housing, declining job opportunities, and stagnating wages, people with these disabilities are more vulnerable to homelessness.”

This information does not diminish the need to help the homeless, and in particularly homeless veterans.  When discussing the plight of homeless veterans, Vice President Al Gore, himself a Vietnam veteran said, “... no one in this nation should live this way and especially no one who has served this nation in uniform."  Gore said the government has a veterans' outreach program to provide housing for homeless veterans, and Vietnam Veterans of America is working with the Department of Labor seeking to integrate homeless veterans into the labor force.  Over a four year period the Veterans’ Administration  awarded more than $20 million in grants to community groups to provide homeless veterans with places of refuge and to recover their health. The goal is to give veterans an opportunity to regain their dignity and independence.

The mystery surrounding the life of a homeless Vietnam veteran is told in the book, December Stillness, by Mary Downing Hahn.  This is a wonderful book that can be used to discuss the issue of homeless veterans at length.