U.S. Vets, Suffering From Unemployment and Homelessness, Support Occupy Protests

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http://abcnews.go.com/US/us-vets-suffering-unemployment-homelessness-support-occupy-protests/story?id=14841972

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"There is a massive disconnect between the larger society and U.S. service members. Right now we have high unemployment, homeless and suicide rates among veterans. Scott is just one example of hundreds and thousands of service members who are tired of the rhetoric and want real substantive change," said Hughes, who said he returned to Iraq as a civilian after his tour to fight for peace.

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"There's a lot of solidarity with the Occupy movement," said Matt Howard, who was a Marine from 2001 to 2006 and served two tours in Iraq. "A lot of the same issues that the veteran population is contending with is linked with the Occupy protests in terms of economic equality and a disappearing middle class."

Howard, who has marched with the protesters in San Francisco, says he links the issues the demonstrators are protesting to the heavy costs of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the cost of repairing the mental and physical wounds of vets through the Department of Veteran Affairs.

"The 1 percent have profited during times of war," Hughes said. "If you're profiting during a time of war, what does that make you? Everyone else is losing, everyone else is struggling financially, service members and vets are just one part of that struggle for survival while the one percent is profiting. We call those war profiteers and I don't know when in our country that's been OK. That's one reason while Scott was out there."