Homeless Veterans
American Heroes Living on the Streets
Over the past few years, communities are recognizing the plight of homeless veterans. And we believe that video documentaries such as “The Invisible Ones: Homeless Combat Veterans” produced in 2008 have helped shine a light on this burgeoning problem. We’ve sent our young soldiers to the other side of the world to police other nations and/or protect national interests. But then they return home in body bags. Or they bring the war back with them. And those unable to find work or pay the rent are summarily dumped out on the streets.
Steve Mason
I met the Poet Laureate of the Viet Nam War, Steve Mason, before he passed away from complications due to Agent Orange.
He wrote amazing poems about his thoughts and observations of the War and its far-reaching results. I dedicated a blog post to his poem “The Wall Within.”
DP Mark Schulze films Dr. Jon Nachison, Founder of Stand Down, at 20th anniversary in San Diego
People who are homeless line up to receive food and water from a San Diego man
Homeless man downtown San Diego holding up a sign saying “Hungry man Needs Help.”
Homeless veteran, Jimmie Dorsey
It was a sterling day when I went out to the mailbox and found this letter from Communitas Awards:
Congratulations, we are pleased to inform you that Crystal Pyramid Productions is a winner of a Communitas Award for your nomination, “The Invisible Ones: Homeless Combat Veterans.”
The Communitas Award
Communitas Awards recognizes exceptional businesses, organizations and individuals that are unselfishly giving of themselves and their resources, and those that are changing how they do business to benefit their communities.
Our judges found that Crystal Pyramid Productions clearly exhibits the spirit of communitas, a Latin word that means people coming together for the good of a community. Crystal Pyramid Productions joins other Communitas winners recognized for specific programs involving volunteerism, philanthropy or ethical, sustainable business practices.
We were thrilled! We don’t do community work or produce pro bono documentaries for kudos and applause. But it sure is nice when it happens. All the work we have done on this documentary, and all the work we will do in the future is really about one thing. And that is to draw attention to the plight of our homeless veterans. We want to reward those who have served our country. We want them to have a roof over their heads and a comfortable place to rest their weary heads.
OB Rag review of “The Invisible Ones: Homeless Combat Veterans.”
“OB” stands for Ocean Beach which is the most bohemian and “hippy-like” of all San Diego County’s beach communities. I lived there in the late 1970’s. My tiny apartment overlooked the Pacific Ocean and Ocean Beach Pier. It was a great time. I was in my early 20’s and my entire life was ahead of me. I adored beach living and thought that I would be there forever. But consequently, when the landlady raised my rent, I had to skedaddle. At the time I was living paycheck-to-paycheck and I couldn’t afford to stay. But Ocean Beach has always had a special place in my heart.
“As Services Improve, Combat Veterans Need Our Attention Now More than Ever.” This is an excerpt.
I remember the morning of September 11, 2001 well. I was sitting in a study hall at my high school in Teaneck, New Jersey, listening to a radio host announce that two planes had crashed into the World Trade Center. Three friends and I hopped in a car and sped down the Jersey Turnpike. We pulled over in the Vince Lombardi rest area just in time to watch the towers fall from across the Hudson River.
Being that I was a 17 year old and had yet to form any personal beliefs, my friends and I decided that morning that we would enlist in the Army and go get Osama. Forget that most of us had post-high school plans (in my case, college). It was our duty as Americans, as people who had been blessed to grow up in a middle class, multicultural environment where we were taught from a young age how far this country had come in terms of tolerance, to protect our liberty and make sure the thousands who perished that morning didn’t die in vain.
What’s Happened Since the Production of “Invisible Ones?”
Since we produced this video, more cities and their citizens are aware of the problem and are doing things to fix it. While in office, President and Mrs. Obama shed a light on the issue and did what they could to help eradicate the homelessness of our veterans. Their predecessor unraveled a lot of the work done to help veterans. But then the father of a fallen soldier came into office. President Biden has outlined his “Plan to Keep Our Sacred Obligation to Our Veterans.”
Take a moment to honor of our veterans who have served and now find themselves homeless. Watch “The Invisible Ones: Homeless Combat Veterans” in its entirety.
