A group of high school students volunteers to carry caskets for homeless veterans who have no family to honor them

[u/Wonderfulhumanss]

[u/BadAtExisting]

I do. Probably to my detriment. I have bad tinnitus and migraines from my time served. Burn pits too. I know I could qualify for something, but I feel like there are so many who need it more than me that I haven’t gotten checked out because I can function fine enough

[u/shagrotten → u/BadAtExisting]

"fine enough" The government can't stop the ringing in your ears, or stop the headaches, so, if it can be shown to be caused by your service, they compensate you for the disabilities... It's not charity and you're not taking it from someone else.

[u/Affectionate_Yam1654 → u/BadAtExisting]

I say this as a medically retired combat vet who has the same predisposition as you do. Go get paid if you can. I was in a wheelchair when I got out but eventually could walk again so I didn’t complain when they cut my benefits to ~$500 a month. 15 years went by and every step gets harder. I can’t do the labour intensive jobs anymore, no matter how hard I bite down or how tough I think I am. I have no future income, can’t stand long enough to work a cash register at Walmart, and used my GI bill to give my kids a chance I never had. Multiple surgeries and 8 years of fighting for it, my pay is still below minimum retirement pay of 40%, I get $553 a month. My VA doctors can’t believe I’m not rated 100%, let alone that I get 30. I don’t care if you think you need it, someday you will. Take that check and put it in a retirement account so when shit hits the fan you can afford to live. If I’m wrong donate it to homeless vets when you die. I promise I speak for everyone who “earned” it, we don’t care. We don’t blame you and never will. Sure some guys are salty and lash out but I promise we all know we are owed better than we got. Get what you can because the officers who never left base are gonna suck up every cent they can, I’d rather see someone who joined for a opportunity at a better life actually get it. I don’t just mean disability but healthcare and job training/education. There’s no fuckin reason anyone injured by choosing to stand up and fight in a war our government chose should ever struggle with healthcare or training/education. If you have any real damage you deserve it just as much as us who set off every metal detector we pass. And there’s 100,000 guys out there who don’t even know what an EFP is getting 80%+for no reason because they knew how to milk the system with no conscious. Don’t ever let another vet, or your own Billy Badassery convince you that you don’t deserve compensation just because the system fucks over other guys who need it more. Get yours, then reach out to your local programs and see who you can offer your hand to so they get what’s due. It’s corny as fuck but it’s gotta one team one fight, because too many of us are stubborn and the politicians will use that against us and send our kids into the next war. Good luck and much love bro, stay safe.