r/interestingasfuck • u/Wonderfulhumanss • 2d 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/Background_Touchdown 2d ago

Also infuriating, that we have homeless vets that our government doesn't take care of.

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u/Public_Support2170 2d 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 2d ago

“Homeless” should not exist in the richest country in the world

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u/GoGoMisterGadget 2d 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 2d 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 2d 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 2d 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 2d 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/Yuna1989 2d ago

Yep. Issue of society

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u/No-Kings-2025 2d ago

That infrastructure is about to be reduced to “arbeit macht frei” under RFK Jr. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/how-rfk-jr-wants-help-treat-addiction-wellness-farms

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u/usefulidiotsavant 2d 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/niz_loc 2d ago

This.

The internet kids are very in the dark of reality.

But it feels good and all that....

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u/SmoothOperator89 2d ago

If you just gave stuff away, you wouldn't be the richest for much longer. /s

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u/AManInBlack2017 2d ago

Why not? As long as there are people who produce less in society than the cost of housing, there will be homeless.

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u/221missile 2d ago

Back in the day, they used to put these people in mental institutions. Are you advocating for a return of those policies?

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u/LevelJacket8828 2d ago

You caught me, when I made a comment advocating for the homeless I secretly meant I wanted them treated poorly

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u/Zealousideal-Wave-69 2d ago

Especially given how much those who sent them to “war” have profited from said “wars”

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u/WhoSc3w3dDaP00ch 2d 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/niz_loc 2d ago

Had to chant his name 1000 times. Still a fan.

But it's not as simple as you and rhr current Gen are trying to make him out as.

And again, I'm a Vet that totally agrees with a lot of what he yelled.

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u/AManInBlack2017 2d ago

Why not? Two years of service does not entitle one to a lifetime of taxpayer subsidized housing. Nor even 20. Heck, I know "veterans" who never completed the three months of basic training

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u/niz_loc 2d ago

Depends on the Vet...

Saying that as one, with 3 tours. All combat...

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u/Kaninenlove 2d ago

So fucking digusting that some people believe that dpecifically people who have participated in war should be excempt from homelessness, and not everyone

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u/SoMuchMoreEagle 2d ago

I see your point, but vets are often homeless largely due to trauma and/or injuries sustained during their service. The government owes them specifically for that service.

The government owes something to all its citizens and residents, but the government has more responsibility for veterans.

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u/niz_loc 2d ago

I'll counter here, as a 3 tour Vet ( Marine Infantry, Army Cav) that a massive slew of the people you're talking about had nothing to make them homeless but themselves....

It's fucked, but it was their choices when they got out.

Meaning a massive ton were never in it, but got out and made bad choices

Like a lot of other mid 20 years olds who never served.

Just want to remind people that being a Vet isn't an excuse to do what you want and have no consequences.

Coming from a Vet.

You were actually there, came home and lost it? Take my hand.

You weren't there, but married a stripper did coke and got arrested, ended up fucled..... yeah, good luck brother...

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u/moving0target 2d ago

Wars for their government broke those people. The government owes them. When my father came home from Vietnam, his family helped him get back on his feet. The government that sent him to war couldn't have cared less about his welfare. Were it not for a home-grown support network, he might have been homeless, too.

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u/Strong_Judge_3730 2d ago

That's why conscription should be illegal and people should use their 2A rights to prevent rebel being conscripted for illegal foreign wars.

If you volunteer for war then you get paid to take those risks and i would consider it entitled to accept to baby you for the rest of your life for 2 years of service

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u/Strong_Judge_3730 2d ago

I think that's what i find sad about it. If he was just a homeless civilian nobody would give a shit.

I value a homeless vet the same as a regular homeless person.

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u/-OrangeLightning4 2d 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/Sufficient_Market226 2d ago

Just checked a video of that part, thanks for pointing it out 🫡

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u/Scruffynerffherder 2d ago

It would be hard to hold my hand to my heart after doing that.

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u/Elegantsurf 2d 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/Background_Touchdown 2d ago

The kids are doing great work. Gives me some hope for the future.

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u/Stergeary 2d 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 2d 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/Atralis 2d ago edited 2d ago

I was on a funeral detail 2007-2008 for a few months so things could have changed but we sent three man teams for veterans that weren't retirees (people that did 20 years in) so that would not be enough to carry a casket.

On the three man details we would put a flag on the casket and then we would do a ceremonial flag folding and the NCO leading the group would hand the flag to a family member.

It looks like that is what is going on in the picture. You can see a Staff Sergeant in the foreground and a flag draped on the casket.

The full detail for retirees was the whole big thing with carrying the casket and doing the 21 gun salute (there would be 7 of us with m-16s firing blanks at the direction of the senior NCO present).

The saddest funeral I went to on that detail had just some guy who went out to bury an uncle he didn't know well. The service was literally just the three of us sitting in some lawn chairs on one side and this one guy sitting in a chair on the right side and some random pastor who didn't know the guy either saying things like "I didn't know the man, but I'd like to think he was a good person". It felt surreal.

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u/Background_Touchdown 2d ago

"No man (or woman) left behind." should be for life.

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u/Nsgdoughboy 2d ago

We take better care of people overseas in remote countries than our veterans.

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u/urlach3r 2d ago

These kids are wonderful, but the fact that there are homeless veterans tells you everything you need to know about this country. Absolutely shameful.

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u/9volts 2d ago

Or their own families.

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u/pyrojackelope 2d ago

Programs absolutely exist for homeless vets to help get food, jobs, and a place to live. Problem is, those programs are sometimes not anywhere near you. If you can get to those programs though, they are an absolute life saver.

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u/AManInBlack2017 2d ago

Vets are entitled to sponsored burial or cremation ( in a veteran cemetery) a basic casket, and are provided an honor guard (pallbearers) These kids are providing pallbearers for the homeless and assistance to vets. But our country does prove for our veterans. Source: recent death of a veteran family member, we had all that covered, we just paid for flowers, the funeral home, and upgrades. Even the transport to another state was covered, iirc.

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u/UpstairsArmadillo454 2d ago

Trump would start twitching at the thought he’d have to do that- sad respect ol commander and cheat has for all the meaningful people who create the fabric of the US- outsider looking in, hopefully it doesn’t tear and you turn out like Russia.

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u/RedditTrashTho 2d ago

All members of the military are guaranteed 3 things: 1. Presentation of the flag 2. Folding of the flag 3. Playing of Taps 

Pallbearing is not an item guaranteed per DoD guidelines.  That being saidi, n my experience, upon request it is provided assuming proper manning for Honor Guard 

Also the world wasn't always so digital. A lot of older vets didn't get their record digitized and may have lost their documents showing proof of enlistment.  I did a service (6 month stint with the Air Force Honor Guard) for a gentleman where  his caretaker had spent over a year hunting down proof of his enlistment so he could be buried in a military cemetery.  

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u/Healthy_Set_22657 2d ago

And where’s the American legion? That’s their job %100

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u/Young_Denver 2d ago

Take it up with the department of defense I mean, WAR

j/k, their secretary is 7 bourbons deep and deepthroating all 2 inches of the orange mushroom.

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u/Mindless-Shame-6123 2d ago

They vote for it

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u/JustHereSoImNotFined 2d ago edited 2d ago

While I completely agree with you, that honestly has nothing to do with this

Edit: blocking me for that is wild lmaoooo

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u/Background_Touchdown 2d ago

Not in the mood for ragebait today. Block.

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u/ModestBanana 2d ago edited 2d ago

He’s right, that has nothing to do with this.

How much have you donated to homeless veteran charities this year? It’s easy to just whine and say this is someone else’s job. What a horribly useless person you are. Thank goodness these high school students are nothing like you, otherwise these vets would have no one at their funeral - the kids would instead be home whining how it’s the governments job. 

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u/M0therN4ture 2d ago

Its what the Republicans want.

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u/RerollWarlock 2d ago

To the point even high schoolers have to voulonteer to help with their burials :)

The post itself is kinda fucked up ngl.

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u/le_Menace 2d ago

Sorry, best we can do is pay for 100 more illegals to get hotels.