“I think my favorite part of growing up was being in New York, surrounded by all different people with so many things happening all at once. It was the feeling of being a part of something, you know?”

I felt like I was a part of something as I sat in awe across from a homeless Vietnam veteran at the Veteran Affairs Hospital in Northport, New York. I was there as a member of a charitable group known as “General Needs.” I had volunteered to serve food in the VA hospital’s cafeteria on a sunny day in July last year. I recall sitting across from this man and staring at his hands, watching them move as he spoke.  His skin was wrinkled; the hairs on it were graying. I often think about those hands–how they were held to his heart during the Pledge of Allegiance, held together in prayer in the marshes of Saigon, and now held upwards for the next meal at the local homeless shelter.

Often we view Memorial Day, a day meant to honor the sacrifices our veterans have made for our nation, as an opportunity for self-indulgence. Every time I hear Memorial Day sales on the radio, I cringe. The Memorial Day holiday barbecues sicken me and the patriotic commercial advertisements make me nauseous. According to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, approximately 11% of the homeless population in the United States are veterans. This issue pervades into our own backyard–Long Island currently has the largest homeless veteran population, 5000, in the nation. These men and women fought and sacrificed themselves for our country–both home and abroad. Yet we are nearly blind to the issues affecting them. We exploit Memorial Day as an opportunity to go to the beach for the first time or to receive 20% discounts at the local electronics store. Between our narcissism and our inbred capitalist consumer culture, we forget the struggle that thousands of homeless veterans experience every single day.

Today’s homeless veterans are truly forgotten. They are an almost invisible people. They are unable to support themselves at home. They are hungry and lack basic materials such as shoes and socks. The things we take for granted every day are privileges to them. Many suffer from undiagnosed psychological disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, and physical ailments such as amputations. As a result, they are immobilized, both mentally and physically–unable to escape their illusions and illnesses as a result of stifling economic situations and lack of basic mental and health services.

But what can we do? For starters, we cannot stand idle as these people, who have sacrificed so much for our country, continue to struggle. As American citizens, it is our moral duty to contact our local officials and ask what can be done in our community to help these veterans. We need to emphasize that housing, employment, and health care be made widespread and accessible to those seeking help. Because government funding is limited, these programs are very often strained and under-funded. The best we can often do is give the one thing we often take for granted: our time. That is what I did last summer, and the experiences I have gained and the people I met during my volunteerism are remarkable.

That is what being American is all about.

Note: If you are interested in donating basic necessities like clothing, toiletries, and bedding to  homeless veterans, please contact General Needs at [email protected] or at (631) 266-1672. Visit their website at http://generalneeds.org.for more details.