Homeless vet found in river

That's really sad. My heart goes out to him and any family he possibly has out there. The homeless situation in Indy is far worse than most feel it is. I used to work Downtown and it was downright depressing. What's even worse is that when you try to help some of these people, they've been on the streets so long they don't want a better life. They just want the same thing you and I have: respect and to be treated like a human being. I will be praying for you Roger.

Such a shame to see someone who fought for all of us end up like this. I sincerely hope there was at least some effort made by the VA to offer some kind of help. They had to know he was homeless. It would make the situation even more tragic if they just discharged him knowing he had no place to go.

This is hitting home for me. My father in law was found dead last week in a lake. He too was a vet and had just (a day prior to his death) been released from the hospital. We did not know it, but he too was homeless.
Something has got to be done to raise awareness of this problem.

No veteran should be homeless.

wishing that the VA could have learned the man had no place to go and provided some assistance for him. The VA does more than just health care. Poor fellow, may he rest in peace.

I have no idea if this man was an alcholic, but he was homeless, The city of Seattle has started a project to house chronic street drunks, regardless if they stop drinking or not, certainly we all wish they would stop drinking, but this is certainly more humane then allowing them to die in the street/river.

It was predictable that someone would go off his collective nut when the 1811 Eastlake project opened last December. The project provides permanent housing to chronic street drunks and allows them to keep drinking. And that sort of thinking sounds insane to uptight media types like KOMO-TV's Ken Schram, who denounced the place as enabling drunks. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer's Robert Jamieson has been nitpicking 1811 as well, since well before it opened, in fact, and the paper continues to refer to it as a "wet house." But here's the deal: Chronic street drunks cost taxpayers about $50,000 a year as they move through the current streets-jail-emergency- room-repeat program. The new approach, spearheaded by the Downtown Emergency Service Center, gives these guys a roof over their heads, lets them hooch it up, and saves the taxpayers money because the former street denizens will no longer be cycling through jail and ERs. Estimated savings: about $35,000 per person. Sounds counterintuitive, sure, but so far the reports are that the drunks are drinking less.—Philip Dawdy www.desc.org/1811.html

this is tragic, as many have said. Did the discharge planners attempt to find him shelter? The homeless problem needs to be addressed by our public servants. Instead of spending $80,000 on ONE campaign ad, use the money to provide shelter and services to our homeless vets.

This is a tragedy!!! This wasn't just some freak, it was a VETERAN. He should have never been homeless. Our Government should be ashamed at the number of our Vets that are homeless and are dying on the cold streets, and about the half hearted health care that the veterans are supposed to be so greatful for. Don't ever expect the VA to help them with finding shelter, food or clothing. They barely give the health care that they claim to. I have family members that go there for lack of coverage to go anywhere else and the care leaves alot to be desired.
Whether or not he drank is none of our business, it was probably what he witnessed in the military that made him turn to alcohol, if he in fact did.
The homeless situation in this city, as well as across the country, is totally out of control but our so called "public servants" don't pay them any mind. I worked for a facility that was trying to find a new larger building and the city fought them tooth and nail every time they tried to buy one. Our "public servants" only care about the rich in our community and it is obvious that they aren't going to change any time soon. The homelessness in our city and else where has been a growing problem for many many years and there is little being done by the city or state to help these poor people. Thank God for the people who make it their lifes work to help these people and try to help others from getting that far under. Thank God for people who still have a heart.

How sad this is to hear-seems we need to address Lugar, Carson, Daniels, on the homeless Vets, and the homeless. My question is, why has this BEEN allowed to happen? Will we do this in the future to the Iraq vets? This to me is very shameful on Indianapolis VA part-and I agree, they had to know he had no place to go. With all the government waste, I think our Lawmakers need to look at what were spending the Indiana Tax dollar on, and maybe take some of this Toll Road Money-and put it to work in assisting these fine men and women to get them back on their feet. These boorish ads on TV about how the candidates brag about how we spent the Toll Road money-well, Mitch, you need to look up this issue and see what you can do to help this one.

It is a sad thing when a man who has served his country, ends up homeless and floating in the river. Well, when your country doesnt need you anymore---

Obviously this remains was quite an error in judgement!
I would hope that the Veterans Hospital
would re-evaluate the policy for determining the dismissal of patients!
Ashamed of our current rewarding system
for our veterans and hope this serves as a warning that this policy needs to
be improved quickly.

Why would he be sent home at night from a hospital with no home to go to?
This is an American Tragedy!

How is that our Goverment treats our Vets like this,

We will have more very soon, are they going to be treated that way too.

No One in America should be starving or homeless, but some how they are every where.

"Homeless vet found in river"

For a Republican-Red state, this is a disgrace. The Governor, Mitch Daniels and his Republican allies should be ashamed, as well as every Hoosier...

We all need to vote this Tuesday to change America! Tell your friends and family!

What a shame...

What a disgrace.

RealityCheck wrote:

Sorry but its not our responsibility to give people room and board....if the VA couldnt release people who dont have homes.....it would be full of bums! The only people who go to VA is poor vets that have no jobs, money or insurance.
With that said...I do think if our government can take care of Iraq, Africa, China and all the other countries we give money to, they should be able to take care of our Veterans!!! Or how about Indianapolis can build a stadium......but close schools. I dont blame the VA hospital....I blame our government!!

LOTS of working vets use the VA-where in the world did you get YOUR information? NO ONE should be released from ANY hospital without some assurance of follow-up care-whether ist is in a rehab, aSsisted living, health care or homeless facility--YOU DON'T JUST TURN SOMEONE OUT ON TO THE STREET--THAT IS IRRESPEONSIBLE AND PERHAPS THIS INCIDENT WILL BRING TO LIGHT SOMETHING THAT I AM IMAGINING HAPPENS FREQUENTLY.

RealityCheck wrote:
Sorry but its not our responsibility to give people room and board....if the VA couldnt release people who dont have homes.....it would be full of bums! The only people who go to VA is poor vets that have no jobs, money or insurance.


I beg to differ. I am a vet with a service-connected physical condition. I work at a very good job that has wonderful health care, but pre-existing conditions are not covered. I continually fight to recieve treatment from the VA, am shuffled to the back if the list, etc. You cannot begin to comprehend the horrors that some of those have endured, just to come home and to be sluffed-off as last years' style by people who consider them as bottom-feeders, or as an expense to be cut.

A person died. Alone and broken. And you make smug remarks. I'm glad you never served, I am glad you are healthy. I'm glad you never had to endure what some have. That tells me that those in uniform did their job well. A thankless city turned it's back as so well shown by your comments.

This is happening all over the country. This is not just an Indy problem. I personally know someone that is experiencing the same thing in their family. The problem is only going to get worse as the new wave of vets come home from the Gulf. Unless we were with them as they were fighting the War, we have no idea what they are experiencing. They sacrificed their lives for our freedom then they come home - to what? Many have emotional issues, substance issues etc. The United States needs to find a solution.

Amen,

Think about this,

You go over seas and not only are watching people getting blown up, and housing but you are directly blowing these people up and their homes. tryong not only to make them a free place itself but also to protect our country. This alone is a physiclogical problem. You have no family close by, you can't and stop in a bar and have abeer, you are under alot of stress 24/7. And youhope your bills are getting paid back at home and your family is taking care of. And you pray tp GOD you make it back.

If you can't say nothing nice to our Vet's then go sign up and find out what in the hell they are going through now and then. Our goverment is at all levels and ther is no reason for this kind of behavior. We can come 80 million to build a performance Art Center, but we cant keep our people well, healthy, and housed

No veteran should Become homeless, They fight for our freedom. And they should be taken care of for life

The VA should be asshamed that they turned A VET out on the street with nowhere to go!!! They are to blame for the mans death!!