The name of my site is derived from a short story I wrote entitled "Lest You Forget." It is a story about veterans and what is happening to them because of the federal cutbacks. Although this was written several years ago, not much has changed. We still have veterans (men and women alike) fighting for their lives, in their own country, and many are losing the battle. They are freezing to death in the winter and dying from heat in the summer. They are dying from starvation and from lack of adequate medical care. They are being murdered for the few coins in their pockets or the clothes upon their backs, while they sleep on the streets, in the parks, or in their cardboard "homes." I will admit that some choose to live this way, but the majority have no choice. As military personnel, these veterans swore to protect our democracy and fight to the death, if necessary, so we could have the right to the "pursuit of happiness." They should have no less than the Americans he or she fought for.

So who is to blame? Personally, I put that on the shoulders of our Congress. Agencies, like the VA, can only operate on the funds allocated by Congress. If that funding is short, as it has been in the past, the services available to veterans will have to be cut back or in some cases be eliminated. My thoughts on this matter are if Congress can get funding for pork barrel projects in their own districts, then they can find more money to provide medical care for our veterans. If Congress can find money to send overseas, then they can find the money to feed for our veterans. If Congress can find money to send a rocket into space, then they can find the money to house our veterans.  

DEDICATION

This site is dedicated to the men and woman who served this country as well as those currently in uniform.

A SPECIAL NOTE TO VETERANS SUFFERING FROM PTSD

There is nothing I can say or do to replace the terror you feel when you hear a loud noise. There is no comfort I can give you when the sun sets and the hellish nightmares begin.

I can, however, say this: If anyone deserves to live their lives free of pain, it is you. If anyone deserves to have a happy existence, it is you. But we know there is an enemy far more dangerous than the ones you fought on the battlefield, preventing you from living the life you deserve. That enemy is called memories and it probably has destroyed more lives than war itself.

I am not an expert on matters of the mind nor do I pretend to be. The only reason I am writing this is because it is a subject matter that keeps crossing my path. I believe we all have heard the comments: "They went there, they came back, they are not the same, and they won't talk about it." I know veterans who have overcome this enemy and I know veterans who haven't. Some sought relief through counseling, some from the Wall, some through isolation, some through drugs and/or alcohol, and yes, sadly enough, some through suicide.

I know from personal experience what it is like to have PTSD. I know on a comparision scale of 1 to 10, mine ranks 1 to your 10. Please, give yourself a chance to a full life by getting the assistance you need. You earned and fought for that right.

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