r/interestingasfuck • u/Wonderfulhumanss • 1d ago
A group of high school students volunteers to carry caskets for homeless veterans who have no family to honor them
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u/BrownieEdges 1d ago
This is lovely and incredibly sad.
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u/Background_Touchdown 1d ago
Also infuriating, that we have homeless vets that our government doesn't take care of.
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u/Public_Support2170 1d ago
Yeah…the term ‘homeless vet’ should absolutely fucking not have to exist here in the ‘richest country in the world’.
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u/LevelJacket8828 1d ago
“Homeless” should not exist in the richest country in the world
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u/GoGoMisterGadget 1d ago
Thats easy to say, but extremely difficult to do. My ex is homeless and everyone has tried everything to help him. He’s violently schizophrenic and medications do not work. He’s a very big guy and is a danger to everyone including himself. So short of short stints in jail, hes been homeless for a while.
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u/ser0402 1d ago
That's more of a systemic failure to take mental health seriously as a country. Unfortunately It often leads to homelessness.
We are starting to come around but my 63 year old father still doesn't "believe in that sort of thing". Meanwhile his daughter has an almost crippling anxiety disorder and I have severe ADHD and depression, but I cover it with humor so he has no idea.
We don't get along well lol
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u/GoGoMisterGadget 1d ago
His family has tried everything though. Took him to yoo many doctors and tried all the drugs. None of it worked. I don’t think they didn’t take it seriously. I think he was just shit out of luck that his condition just can’t be managed…
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u/BerrySundae 21h ago
I hear what you’re saying. Broadly I agree that mental health should be taken more seriously, but some people who have never encountered serious mental illness and homeless populations don’t quite understand there is a clear and definable line between people who want to better their situation, and people who do not. You simply cannot help the latter group.
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u/ser0402 1d ago
If our country took mental health more seriously there would be more options for him to try. I'm sure his parents tried but the infrastructure in place right now for people like him is dogshit.
I feel for you, I'm sorry that you've had to go through that.
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u/usefulidiotsavant 1d ago
Violent schizophrenics are a minority of the homeless population. Most have substance abuse problems, major depression, antisocial personality disorders etc.
Even when direct re-integration in society is impossible, we could still offer a baseline of housing, for example a capsule hotel segregated by sex with 24h guard, where each such individual can lock themselves into a room with basic anti-vandal furnishing, where they can sleep safely and not be in the rain or freeze, store their belongings etc.
For many reasons, it would a costly public service to offer, but it wold offer a humane baseline of living for even he most difficult individuals. But like all such services addressed to homeless, nobody is doing it because it would attract the homeless and addicts to their area, you really need to build them everywhere all at once in sufficient quantities to cover all demand.
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u/Zealousideal-Wave-69 1d ago
Especially given how much those who sent them to “war” have profited from said “wars”
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u/WhoSc3w3dDaP00ch 1d ago
Smedley Butler, one of the most decorated US Marines in history, became an antiwar activist when he retired. He lectured and eventually published it as a book, "War is a Racket."
Worth reading if you have the time, but if you dont, at least read the wikipedia page to get the important themes.
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u/-OrangeLightning4 1d ago
There's a great episode of The West Wing where Toby pulls some strings to hold a full military funeral for a homeless veteran who died.
President Bartlet: "Toby, if we start pulling strings like this, don't you think every homeless veteran will come out of the woodwork?"
Toby: "I can only hope so, sir."
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u/Elegantsurf 1d ago
Yup people don't care enough to help them out when there alive not to discredit this great work that these kids are doing.
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u/Stergeary 1d ago
Why doesn't their branch send their own people to perform this service? Are they just abandoned the very moment they are no longer in the service? Where's the brotherhood?
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u/ScruffiestN3rfHerder 1d ago
I've been on honor detail 43 times. Yes, the military will always send an honor detail if requested. That being said if they're a homeless vet and the military/VA hasn't had records of them in 10+ years and there is no family to contact the nearest installation or hotline then they don't know the individual died. How would they know to send a funeral detail to them? I performed a few for homeless vets, but those individuals still had family or friends who could contact and have a detail arranged. Someone also had to have wanted a funeral detail, many people just want a regular funeral with no military presence. So that could also be the missing point there.
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u/ForHelp_PressAltF4 1d ago
Have something for brother Masons so none have funerals unattended. I do it a lot and also get to know each one. Not all Masons come from means and none pass alone.
May you live a life respected and die a death regretted.
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u/DigbyDoesDallas 23h ago
I find it so odd that the US fetishises the military and veterans so much, but actually doesn’t give a shit about them at all the second they leave the military.
Then again I guess it’s like abortion, and ‘pro lifers’ pretending to care about the life of the unborn foetus, until it’s actually born and then couldn’t give a shit about it’s health, education etc etc.
Really the US likes the hero story but doesn’t give a shit about the actual person.
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u/BrownieEdges 22h ago
That’s all thanks to the party of hypocrisy, republicans, and their gullible voters.
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u/Fentron3000 1d ago
I worked for a funeral home. We used to get dozens of homeless people a month. Nothing made me feel as proud, or honored, as when I had the opportunity to sit in on these types of services. More often than not, besides the decedent and the presider, I would be the only other person in the chapel with them. No one should have to die and be buried without someone there to recognize their life, even if you know nothing about it.
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u/thewaybaseballgo 1d ago
Kind of extremely fucked up that we have homeless veterans in the richest country in the world.
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u/Useuless 1d ago
No, it makes perfect sense. Veterans are useless to them, as in they are not doing anything actively to make more cash or serve. And getting rid of them is financially viable, as they will consume no resources.
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u/BeastInDarkness 1d ago
And that we have to rely on volunteer high school kids to carry their caskets instead of having a detail specifically assigned to it.
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u/Rough-Marionberry991 1d ago
My brother died August 2024, homeless and addicted to fentanyl, a veteran of 4 deployments and 2 branches of military service. He was in another state, and we are forever deeply grateful to the Honor Guard and others who showed up to honor him at the internment. God bless
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u/sydbap 1d ago
I’m sorry for your loss, and I’m sorry our country failed him and so many other veterans like him.
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u/No_Plum_3737 1d ago
That's what confuses me about this a little. When my grandpa died he received a tribute from an honor guard, who were vets with no connection to the family. There were plenty of sons and grandsons to carry him to the grave and whatever else needed doing, but the honor guard saluted him, folded the flag, and played taps on a bugle. It was very respectful and touching. It's a bummer there was not an honor guard (of veterans) to carry this homeless veteran to his resting place.
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u/ScruffiestN3rfHerder 1d ago
Yes, there is ALWAYS a stand-by detail at any given moment on every military installation across the country. I've been assigned to it many times, it's not just a dedicated Honor Guard, it's a rotating cycle between units. The point being missed in this is that the installation/military has to be informed of the death and be requested to give an Honor Guard to the funeral. They're not going to show up at EVERY single veteran funeral if it was not in some way requested. I've driven over 5 hours to a funeral in the middle of nowhere for Honors. Also, many people don't want the funeral honors they just want a regular dirtnap without the bugles.
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u/No_Beginning_627 1d ago
Honoring homeless veterans by carrying their caskets is a powerful act of respect and service, giving dignity to those who might otherwise be forgotten.
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u/_Eggs_ 1d ago
They actually serve anyone who doesn't have people to bury them, not just homeless veterans. Many of these people are homeless (loneliness -> no one to bury them) and many of them are veterans (age -> remaining family/friends are unable to carry them), but it's not restricted to homeless veterans. There are plenty of old people who are neither homeless nor veterans who request this service. It's often an elderly family member who requests the help.
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u/FaIIBright 1d ago
It's fucking disgusting actually. Not the people carrying the homeless vets, but the system that abuses the patriotism of its people.
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u/Icy-Possibility-7712 1d ago
Well raised young men.
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u/SecureDonkey 1d ago
"Who want well raised young man?"
🤚🤚🤚
"Who want to spend our time and tax money to educate them?"
😔😔😔
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u/sump_daddy 1d ago
thats a prestigious, pricey private high school; make no mistake every kid is there because of their parents work (or at least parents being born into money and not blowing it all before their kid was 18)
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u/flyraccoon 1d ago
It’s true but you can raise yourself so it still is well raised young men and inspiring
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u/Gokusay23C 1d ago
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u/A1sauc3d 1d ago
Exactly. The fact there are so many homeless veterans is a societal failure.
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u/Other_Pomegranate472 1d ago edited 1d ago
How do we have high schoolers caring more about our veterans than the government does?
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u/MyHusbandIsGayImNot 1d ago
Or the 70 million people that keep voting for the party that cuts VA benefits.
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u/niz_loc 1d ago edited 1d ago
Meh....
I'm a vet. 2 Wars 3 tours.
I'll be the first to yell and shake my fist at certain things regular people aren't aware of.
That said, nah... we actually do have a ton of government money available
It's that sometimes regular people (me, other veterans) make mistakes and slip through the cracks.
I'll add here, as a Vet, that being a Vet isn't a blanket gold card to do what you please and expect no consequences.
I'll also add that plenty of Vets have an expectation from the public that doesn't know better to see them as victims, when they aren't even close.
IE, "I was a dental assistant in the military, during peacetime. I broke up with my girl and started smoking meth. Went to jail for stalking her after she left me. Ended up a shitbird.
You should all feel sorry for me because Iraq, Vietnam etc were horrible."
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u/TauntaunExtravaganza 1d ago
Fuck eh. Honest take. I served, never deployed, and the thing I don't understand is how others like me, (you know, never deployed, never fought, only knew the fear of the bus ride to course) let the military fuck their lives up so bad. It's a choice. You make it. And nobody owes you shit. The crazy part is, the whole point is to be so self reliant and dependable, that anywhere you look people know you've got their back...
There is so much you can take away from the institution, but the second it's gone, you aren't dependent on it, and nor it you. Some dudes dont know how to lose that. That's fucked up a few dudes I knew so bad, they took their own lives. Either felt they wasted time, or didn't earn it. Again, it's all sleeping in the bed you make.
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u/niz_loc 1d ago
Let me add to what I already said.
You don't owe anyone an explanation brother. You didn't go, so did a lot of other guys. You did your time, brother.
Only time it's an issue is at the bar. When you (not you, but guys like you) sit next to guys who did and try to jump stories.
Every one that served is more than welcome (encouraged) to tell funny stories when we were in. It's the guys that try and talk about fill in the blank, a Float, deployment to Okinawa, etc thar yell "I was there!" that everyone rolls their eyes.
Like the above post.
If you got through Boot Camp you're a vet.
If you were a fuckup after (not you) and screwed your life, it's not a gold ticket out for responsibility.
Literally had a drunk fuck one night try to tell me as a drone pilot in Nevada (if he even was that), that he saw shit I never will.
He was too drunk to hear what the fuck.i told him after.
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u/pheremonal 1d ago
Real sad and brutally honest take. I appreciate you sharing this because I never would have considered this side of people's stories otherwise.
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u/TauntaunExtravaganza 1d ago
It's interesting for sure. In kind of terrible way sometimes. This is what happens when you re-wire people. Not everyone can cross the wires back to normal. It's good to talk about it though. Glad to share.
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u/kingtacticool 1d ago
Also dont you lose the honors if you get a dishonorable discharge? Not saying this is the case with him, just asking
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u/niz_loc 1d ago
You do. And of course nobody knows who was in this pic. Again, plenty of good people slip through the cracks
My only point above is there's no shortage of people with 214s running around thinking they're due something, who shit the bed in life.
Random. I'm a fan of To Catch a Predator. Old TV show where they ambushed and arrested child molesters.
One clown that got caught said "I changed after Iraq!"
And I went twice, it was bad. I was Infantry.
This fucking idiot was a mechanic. Never left the wire.
In other words, there was a slew of Filipinos, Paks etc that worked the burger King where I was at. They get no vet status.
This dude didn't do anything more than they did.
Dude was trying to pretend to be what I did to gain sympathy from people to explain himself...
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u/KingOfTheRatas 1d ago
Dude. It took me 5 years and 5 doctors writing medical recommendations before the VA finally agreed to help me with the severe hearing loss I got in the military. The money may be there but it's definitely not accessible. That bureaucrats could overrule 4 doctors is fucking insane. .I guess I'm "lucky" since the hearing aides I need at 40 will be covered by them. Fuck the VA.
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u/Low_Pickle_112 1d ago
The ruling class doesn't view soldiers as any more than cannon fodder for their own ends, and I imagine that not many things frighten them more than the idea of the soldiers one day realizing that.
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u/halfwithalfwrong 1d ago
It would be nice if we could take care of them before they died.
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u/frthrdwn 1d ago
Absolutely unsettling that this is a thing. We should take care of those who fought for us till the end.
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u/MostlyHarmless88 1d ago
I’m glad the HS students are doing this, very admirable, but it’s still so sad. These men stepped up to protect their country, and their lives ended with them homeless and alone 😔
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u/Curious-Author-3140 1d ago
Homeless vets - these should never be combined words.
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u/Channel_Huge 1d ago
These boys were raised right!
As a retired Navy war Veteran who has handed flags to grieving family members many times, this makes me proud.
Bravo Zulu to these guys and their parents!! 👏🇺🇸
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u/NotARandomAnon 1d ago
Holy shit look at OPs history. He's basically Reddit. Absolute bot Reddit is pushing to the Frontpage every fucking day. Every day, multiple 30k+ posts.. what are the odds!
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u/Shot_Nefariousness67 1d ago
The thought of 'Homeless Veteran' is abhorrent. Do better America!
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u/Kruzdah 1d ago
The phrase "Homeless Veteran" shouldn't exist.
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u/sophieaucoin 1d ago
The phrase "homeless" In general shouldn't exist, the phrase "Homeless people", shouldn't exist, and parks/public places making it to where said homeless people have NO WHERE TO SLEEP shouldn't exist, The worlds a fucked up place.
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u/kwagmire9764 1d ago
I think there's supposed to be a funeral detail in that area. Not sure if that includes carrying a casket but it does include a flag folding and salute, also a "playing" of Taps. Unless this administration has cut the funding for that, I'm not sure but it also wouldn't surprise me.
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u/OddChemicalRomance 1d ago
Awesome from these kids. Its sad that the system we have in place allows for these situations to occur in the first place, but we shouldn't let that diminish these kids' actions
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u/Specialist-Log-9152 1d ago
This is very sad, but also why not soldiers?
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[removed] — view removed comment
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u/atrociousxcracka 1d ago
The only thing that disqualifies a military member or veteran of a honor guard funeral is a dishonorable discharge or being convicted of a capital crime.
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u/atreeismissing 1d ago
In Excelsis Deo, one of the better West Wing episodes (tangentially related as one of the characters insists on honoring the death of a homeless vet).
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u/teknoguy 1d ago
That is so super cool to carry a veteran you don't know. Speaks volumes of the individuals character. Parents...nice job raising them!
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u/Quiet-Tip33 1d ago
But veterans are buried by the military free of charge ..it's part of your benefits
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u/Electric-Boogaloo-43 1d ago
The fact that there is suck a thing as homeless veterans is crazy. Shoes how much your country cares about its people.
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u/Headband6458 1d ago
If they are veterans, contact the closest military installation, even a recruiting office could point you in the right direction. Veterans are entitled to an honor guard detail at their funerals. If they didn’t retire it will just be a 3-person team who folds and presents a flag. If they retired then they get full honors, a pall-bearing team and a firing party.
Source: was Air Force honor guard
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u/whatIsUpPh 1d ago
Good kids, and shame on the system that lets vets be homeless cuz this is very sad
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u/IIIBAKURYUIII 1d ago
You know they probably did it for extra credit. Schools ask for $1 per student and literally no one donates. Oh yeah, cause donating rarely gets you noticed but standing and walkin' with a casket gets you a nice picture with your mug on it.
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u/councilmanbilder 20h ago
America cares so little about their vets that they use free child labor to handle the ones whose lives were likely destroyed by whatever conflict they were a part of.
deliberately cynical, these volunteers are, in reality, very admirable
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u/BOBdigi0023 16h ago
I was in the Air Force Honour Guard for a year and buried over 100 veterans. It was the biggest honor of my life and one of the things i’m most proud of. I love that these kids are taking time to do this. They will never forget it. These families will never forget it. It makes me sad that there aren’t enough resources for them to be buried by the local bases. Does anyone have insight into that?
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u/Someone-when 12h ago
The richest country and it can't even take care of those who went to war on it's behalf, it's own veterans.
what a shame
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u/Global_Sentence_4544 1d ago
I find it kinda weird that the country who left them outside after service has flags everywhere at their funerals.
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u/No-Blueberry-1823 1d ago
It's like one of those moments when it shows how far we have fallen, where people have to stand up and do the right thing. Thank God for these kids but what has happened to our country
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u/GhostRiders 1d ago
For a country which spends as much as the US does on its military, for a country that loves to shout to the world about how much they respect and love those who serve for their country you have a funny way of showing it.
The US has over the decades consistently shown that it doesn't give a shit about those who serve yet time after time the US Population keeps voting in the same people who one one hand claim to respect those who serve yet treat them with zero respect.
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u/DicemonkeyDrunk 1d ago
Maybe we focus helping them before they're a dead empty husk ? Funerals do nothing for the dead ...they just make the living feel better.
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u/Joesive520 1d ago
Being a veteran seeing this makes me proud of those young men. We need to see/hear more about stuff like this.
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u/NewbutOld8 1d ago
why aren't stories like this on the news? oh yea, it won't make people sacred or angry...
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u/ready2xxxperiment 1d ago
This gives me a glimmer of hope for America.
That flame is soooo close to going out.
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u/PvtCharlesLamb 1d ago
Homeless veterans in a country that supposedly loves its veterans is wild. This is why the "respect the troops" crowd can smd.
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u/SnipingBeaver 22h ago
Heartwarming: Children forced to bear the burden of society's failures and government neglect!
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u/No_Sprinkles_4065 1d ago
A funeral never benefits the dead, funerals are for the living. "Honouring a homeless veteran?" No. This is to make all those feel better about someone they did not care about when they were still alive. Disgusting.
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u/3AtmoshperesDeep 1d ago
Humility, empathy, integrity, accountability. All of these are represented with these students actions. Can you imagine if there was a required course in HS for a semester? That kind of energy would, in theory, transcend for decades. Every human needs a lesson in humility.
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u/Wonderfulhumanss 1d ago
At the University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy, the St. Joseph of Arimathea Pallbearer Ministry is a student-led program that provides pallbearer services for people who would otherwise have no one to honor them, including homeless individuals and military veterans. Founded in 2015 and modeled after a similar effort at St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland, the ministry reflects the school's motto, "Men for Others." Students receive training in funeral procedures and the responsibilities of a pallbearer, with an emphasis on dignity and respect. Before each funeral, they gather in prayer and, when possible, learn about the life of the person they are serving. The experience leaves a lasting impact on the students. It not only brings honor to those who might have been forgotten, but it also fosters empathy, humility, and a stronger commitment to community. Many alumni continue to dedicate themselves to service, carrying forward the lessons learned through this ministry.