More than 40 percent of Homeless Vets Served in Vietnam

One in three homeless men seeking shelter in America's Rescue missions are U.S. Veterans, according to a nationwide survey released today by the International Union of Gospel Missions (IUGM).

The IUGM surveyed more than 20,000 men and women in late October at 146 Rescue Missions around the nation. Of the men, 32 percent identified themselves as veterans.

"The evidence is clear, especially for those who served in Vietnam, that the scars of conflict are not fully healed," said Rev. Stephen E. Burger, executive director of IUGM, an association of nearly 250 faith-based Rescue missions throughout the U.S. "Unfortunately, many veterans continue to have difficulty making the transition to a normal life and often end up living at our Rescue missions."

"Even with all that has been done to help homeless vets in recent years," said Burger, "The numbers have not declined. It means that certain veterans are more prone to some of the primary issues involved in homelessness - things like addictions, mental illness, rejection, family   break-up and poor money management." He added, "Rescue missions are well-equipped to handle the special needs of our nation's veterans - from special programs for veterans to counseling and rehabilitation services."

Forty-two percent of the veterans surveyed said they served in Vietnam; 8 percent identified themselves as Korean War veterans and 8 percent served in the Gulf War.

Lt. Col. (Ret.) David Treadwell, who served two combat tours in Vietnam and is director of Central Union Mission in Washington, DC said, "The sad reality is that what caused many veterans, particularly Vietnam veterans, to become homeless was the availability of the same substances that
contribute to civilian homelessness: illegal drugs and alcohol."

Treadwell continued, "The inevitable result was that soldiers learned to use alcohol as a crutch. For years, I have seen the same result with depressing repetition: The soldier returns to civilian life, but cannot break the drug or alcohol habit. Eventually, he drops out of society and
winds up at a Rescue mission - or worse."

Men accounted for 78 percent of those surveyed, while women accounted for 22 percent. Racially, the breakdown is 40 percent Caucasian, 42 percent African-American, and 12 percent Hispanic.

For more information contact:

Phil Rydman, Director of Communications & Development

Headquartered in Kansas City, IUGM member missions provide emergency food and shelter, youth and family services, rehabilitation programs for the addicted, and assistance to the elderly, poor and at-risk youth. Last year, IUGM Rescue missions served more than 30 million meals, provided 12 million nights lodging, distributed more than 24 million pieces of clothing and graduated more than 15,000 homeless men and women into productive living.

Further information is available on the IUGM website at www.iugm.org