Why Does Johnny Come Marching Homeless?

[Pale Rider]

Why Does Johnny Come Marching Homeless?

2008-01-19 13:31:34
By ERIN McCLAM AP National Writer

LEEDS, Mass. (AP) — Peter Mohan traces the path from the Iraqi battlefield to this lifeless conference room, where he sits in a kilt and a Camp Kill Yourself T-shirt and calmly describes how he became a sad cliche: a homeless veteran.

There was a happy homecoming, but then an accident — car crash, broken collarbone. And then a move east, close to his wife's new job but away from his best friends.

And then self-destruction: He would gun his motorcycle to 100 mph and try to stand on the seat. He would wait for his wife to leave in the morning, draw the blinds and open up whatever bottle of booze was closest.

He would pull out his gun, a .45-caliber, semiautomatic pistol. He would lovingly clean it, or just look at it and put it away. Sometimes place it in his mouth.

"I don't know what to do anymore," his wife, Anna, told him one day. "You can't be here anymore."

Peter Mohan never did find a steady job after he left Iraq. He lost his wife — a judge granted their divorce this fall — and he lost his friends and he lost his home, and now he is here, in a shelter.

He is 28 years old. "People come back from war different," he offers by way of a summary.

Read the full story here...

[KitchenKitten99]

I could never do this. I would force antidepressants down his throat or any way I could before I divorced him. If he needed help that badly, leaving is certainly not going to help any more.

Divorce is not an option in this situation.

[Psychoblues]

The shallowness and obviousness of your argument is noted.

I could never do this. I would force antidepressants down his throat or any way I could before I divorced him. If he needed help that badly, leaving is certainly not going to help any more.

Divorce is not an option in this situation.

What about Peter Mohan? I know and have known many in his type of frame of mind. Some are helped competently and some are sent to tough it out on their own. The question remains, what about Peter Mohan?

[Pale Rider]

I could never do this. I would force antidepressants down his throat or any way I could before I divorced him. If he needed help that badly, leaving is certainly not going to help any more.

Divorce is not an option in this situation.

My brother had a really hard time after he came back from two tours in Viet Nam. He finally killed himself nine years later, but he was a total wreck. He had gone through alcohol treatment twice, but couldn't kick it. The demons in his head were tougher than he was. He never went in for mental help. I don't know why. I urged him to many times. Maybe he felt that would have made him feel weak, crazy, and that thought just added to his suffering.

War is hell, both during and after. I've been shot at and hit myself. I can't say as though I was all that scared, I was more pissed that they didn't give Air Force personal weapons unless we were being over run. I was issued a web belt, a chem warfare kit, a gas mask and a helmet. BFD. But I've suffered no ill effects other than two holes in my right lung and a large scar where they cut me open to get the shrapnel out. That's not the case with many vets. They have memories that stew in their head, and haunt them in dreams. It wears them out, and death seems to be a better thing than living with it. The V.A. should provide full help for these guys. There should be a home for them to go to, because it helps to be among others than understand the hell you're going through. Sometimes, I think the way we treat our veterans is a crying shame. We ask our military men and women to DIE for us if need be, but then when they come home we just kick them to the curb. Believe me, I know. Trying to get benefits from the V.A. is like trying to get a constitutional amendment passed, by yourself. It's a goddamn shame.

[pegwinn]

I'm Lucky. I've heard plenty of loud noises and managed to not get hurt. From time to time I will react a little "extreme" to provocation or the unexpected. But nothing like some of the stories I've about. In fact, if I had a shot at going back into uniform without being benched for knees and back I would.

I feel for this guy. I hope that his plight isn't the result of bad calls on his part or a refusal to seek help. I didn't get the whole article since my computer isn't playing nice with the internet tonight.

Believe it or not, I feel for his wife as well. I really doubt the divorce appeared out of the mist. It's tough enough on family without the rapid change up that war brings about.

There isn't any good answer here.

[Psychoblues]

In recognition for the service and sacrifice of your brother, pr, I you.

[actsnoblemartin]

I think the numbers need to be verified, but even 1 homeless vet is too many.

god bless em.

[Psychoblues]

How about 200,000 and that is what the VA admits, martin.

I think the numbers need to be verified, but even 1 homeless vet is too many.

god bless em.

My younger brother was killed late last year. Some of you helped me to come to grips with that. He was a homeless Viet Nam vet and had been so for many years. What happened to him? I can't explain it as he could never explain it to me. I am also a Viet Nam vet but I obviously didn't experience the trauma that he endured. He was a good kid when the Navy recruited him. Just what went wrong? From a societal point of view he was pretty much worthless when he mustered out in San Diego, California 4 years later. Something damn sure happened in those years for which he would never talk about or even attempt to relate in any way to the rest of us.

[Pale Rider]

In recognition for the service and sacrifice of your brother, pr, I you.

And I - - sir.

[Psychoblues]

Thank you, sir. After 2 brothers have been lost to the Viet Nam experience, however, and both of them suffering for many years and neither of them ever identified or offered any assistance from the VA I think the respect is just a tad too late.

And I - - sir.

I certainly don't mean to diminish your offer of respect or your salute, pr, but right now I've gotta load in my throat and my heart that I find hard to bare. I know that you did everything your country asked of you. Why is it so godamned hard for this country to recognise what we all did? It just pisses me off in the worst way.

Thanks, pr. You'll always be a hero in my book. I gotta go right now. Maybe I'm being a little too sentimental, maybe I'm being too hard on you and even myself or maybe I'm just drunk and need some rest. Whatever, God Bless Our Troops and all that don't agree can simply go to hell, kiss my ass, or both.

[Kathianne]

My brother had a really hard time after he came back from two tours in Viet Nam. He finally killed himself nine years later, but he was a total wreck. He had gone through alcohol treatment twice, but couldn't kick it. The demons in his head were tougher than he was. He never went in for mental help. I don't know why. I urged him to many times. Maybe he felt that would have made him feel weak, crazy, and that thought just added to his suffering.

War is hell, both during and after. I've been shot at and hit myself. I can't say as though I was all that scared, I was more pissed that they didn't give Air Force personal weapons unless we were being over run. I was issued a web belt, a chem warfare kit, a gas mask and a helmet. BFD. But I've suffered no ill effects other than two holes in my right lung and a large scar where they cut me open to get the shrapnel out. That's not the case with many vets. They have memories that stew in their head, and haunt them in dreams. It wears them out, and death seems to be a better thing than living with it. The V.A. should provide full help for these guys. There should be a home for them to go to, because it helps to be among others than understand the hell you're going through. Sometimes, I think the way we treat our veterans is a crying shame. We ask our military men and women to DIE for us if need be, but then when they come home we just kick them to the curb. Believe me, I know. Trying to get benefits from the V.A. is like trying to get a constitutional amendment passed, by yourself. It's a goddamn shame.

Pale, my condolences to you and your family. I agree, that whatever help is necessary should be given to the vets that come home and are unable to readjust.

My dad was lucky in that the VA was more than willing to help him with the cancer and other problems he had. Perhaps it's the area we live in? He chose to have them 'consult' so that the meds could come through them, (though that didn't work with the chemo meds, all others it did). His hearing aids, which he needed at 78, not like me, were provided by the VA. He had insurance and felt more comfortable at the hospital of his choice. Of course, that wouldn't have been an option if he'd come back mentally damaged, instead of physically.

[gabosaurus]

Because the current administration is much more interested in creating new veterans than treating them. Once our soldiers complete their designated tours of duties, or are sent home for other reason, they become gristle for the health care mill.
In our haste to increase war spending and provide bogus "tax cuts," we have severely cut our mental health system. Once you have worked in the mental health system, you realize how underfunded and understaffed it is.
We love to tell stories of the able bodied military hero coming home from Iraq. But it is almost off limits to tell of the wounded soldier, or the ones with several psychological problems. We just put them back out on the streets and tell them that they are on their own.
The scraggly looking guys on the corner begging for money -- how many of them are veterans? How many are homeless vets? Do you care? Sure you do. But not enough to provide help.
The senseless war creates a lot more than corpses. It creates walking wounded and shells of former men and women. Our currently system can help perhaps 1 out of 10.
You probably don't care. I know Bush doesn't. He doesn't care about the dead either. Just collateral damage in his endless war of vengeance.
It's not just the blood that is on Bush's hands. It's the now useless brain matter. Too bad he only a few months left to enjoy it.

[Dilloduck]

Because the current administration is much more interested in creating new veterans than treating them. Once our soldiers complete their designated tours of duties, or are sent home for other reason, they become gristle for the health care mill.
In our haste to increase war spending and provide bogus "tax cuts," we have severely cut our mental health system. Once you have worked in the mental health system, you realize how underfunded and understaffed it is.
We love to tell stories of the able bodied military hero coming home from Iraq. But it is almost off limits to tell of the wounded soldier, or the ones with several psychological problems. We just put them back out on the streets and tell them that they are on their own.
The scraggly looking guys on the corner begging for money -- how many of them are veterans? How many are homeless vets? Do you care? Sure you do. But not enough to provide help.
The senseless war creates a lot more than corpses. It creates walking wounded and shells of former men and women. Our currently system can help perhaps 1 out of 10.
You probably don't care. I know Bush doesn't. He doesn't care about the dead either. Just collateral damage in his endless war of vengeance.
It's not just the blood that is on Bush's hands. It's the now useless brain matter. Too bad he only a few months left to enjoy it.

Our mental health system was decimated decades ago. Those needing mental health treatment come from all walks of life as do our homeless. If you are adamant about debasing our president, find some thing that is actually the result of something he is responsible for.

[Mr. P]

Because the current administration is in creating new veterans ...

It's disgusting that you always focus on and use veterans and the military in your attacks on the administration.

[typomaniac]

Our mental health system was decimated decades ago. Those needing mental health treatment come from all walks of life as do our homeless. If you are adamant about debasing our president, find some thing that is actually the result of something he is responsible for.

Thanks mostly to Ronald Reagan, you forgot.

That's still no excuse for not providing good mental health care through the VA. It never ceases to frost me to see people put "support our troops" ribbons on their SUVs and never even consider this issue.