Is This the Future Our Veterans Deserve?

Guest Contributor

Cherie M. Smith

As a disabled Navy veteran, I have to ask: Is this what my fellow veterans and I have to look forward to? A system designed to abandon us in our most vulnerable moments? The richest men in the world—most of whom have never served a single day in the armed forces—sit in boardrooms and government offices deciding what benefits we are "worthy" of. Meanwhile, the programs meant to protect and support us crumble under neglect, mismanagement, and indifference.

Let’s talk about reality:

•  The Veterans Affairs Grant and Per Diem (GPD) Program, authorized under Public Law 109-461, was designed to provide transitional housing and supportive services to veterans experiencing homelessness. Yet, reports reveal that 1 in 5 veterans are unlawfully documented as "successful discharges," while many disappear from these programs entirely—left to fend for themselves in the streets.

•  At the Borden Avenue Veterans’ Residence in NYC, veterans are forced to endure conditions that can only be described as a nightmare: rampant drug activity, violent assaults, inedible food, and no accountability from those in charge. Security sleeps in the halls while veterans die of overdoses.

•  Veterans like Timothy Pena, who raised concerns about these inhumane conditions, are silenced and removed from advocacy groups instead of being heard and supported.

How did we get here?

This isn’t just a broken system—it’s an insult to every veteran who has ever put their life on the line for this country. The richest men in the world and disconnected policymakers dictate what benefits we “deserve,” all while profiting from the freedoms we fought to secure. As former President Theodore Roosevelt said, "A man who is good enough to shed his blood for his country is good enough to be given a square deal afterwards."

Yet, where is that deal? Where is the respect, the dignity, the honor promised to us when we signed up to serve?

What needs to change?

1  Accountability: Congress and the Department of Veterans Affairs must investigate violations of Public Law 109-461 and ensure that programs like GPD deliver on their promises.

2  Oversight: Leadership failures, like those of NYC VA Director Karen Fuller, must not go unchecked. Veterans' lives depend on leadership that acts with integrity and urgency.

3  A National Priority: Veterans are not charity cases—they are national treasures. It’s time to prioritize their well-being with the same urgency used to approve defense budgets.

We’ve had enough.

As veterans, we upheld our oath to serve and protect this country. But now we’re left asking: Why fight for a country that turns its back on us the moment we need help? Why should we continue to sacrifice when we’re treated as afterthoughts? As Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

This injustice toward veterans threatens the very fabric of what this nation claims to stand for.

To the policymakers, the wealthy decision-makers, and those in power: Remember this—freedom isn’t free, but neither is our silence. We served this country with honor, and we will not stop fighting for the respect and care we deserve.

It’s time to honor your promises. It’s time to fight for those who fought for you. Veterans are watching, and we demand better.