Resources for the Veterans Community
Stereotyping Homeless Vets Is Wrong
By Denver Mills, Executive Chairman, East Bay Stand Down
It is a historical fact there have been always been homeless veterans. Many were homeless after the Civil
War, World War I, World War II and Korea. Probably at about the same percentage as we currently see.
The Civil War vets were called hobos, and the name stuck throughout the succeeding generations of
veterans. The famous "skid rows" were largely populated by homeless veterans after World War I and World
War II.
Unfortunately, the longer people are homeless - regardless of whether they are veterans or not - the
more difficult it is for them to get off the street, for a number of reasons. These are the folks who
most people see, and are identified as being "a bunch of lazy men" - as a recent letter to the editor
from a World War II veteran proclaimed.
At stand downs, like those held in the East Bay and the one recently held at the Dixon May Fair grounds,
we find that about one-third to one-half of the participants have been on the street for more than one
year. These folks are very difficult to help in breaking free from that lifestyle. However, it does
happen, and it is very worthwhile.
The critic of the North Bay Stand Down 2002 should be very proud of his accomplishments throughout his
life. I thank him for his work and for his service to our country.
I hope that he can understand that the problems of homeless veterans are not just those of the current
veterans, and are much more complicated than just them being "a bunch of lazy men."