FREQUENTLY I SEE A MAN WALKING ON RIVER AVE, WHO IS WEARING RED, WHITE AND BLUE ATTIRE, AND CARRYING AN AMERICAN FLAG.  I ASSUME HE IS A VETERAN. I SALUTE HIM FOR HIS PATRIOTISM. I READ ABOUT VETERANS WHO ARE HAVING A TOUGH TIME GETTING BACK INTO CIVILIAN LIFE, PERHAPS FINDING A JOB OR JUST NOT BEING UNDERSTOOD BY THOSE HE DEALS WITH EVERYDAY.  NO VETERAN WHO WANTS A JOB SHOULD BE OUT OF WORK, BUT MANY ARE UNEMPLOYED TODAY, DUE TO THE ECONOMY.  THIS IS A NATIONAL SHAME.  

I THINK MOST VETS HAVE PROBLEMS GETTING BACK INTO SOCIETY--MAKING THE TRANSITION FROM COMBAT TO THE WORKADAY WORLD.  I RECALL COMING TO THE SUDDEN REALIZATION THAT I WOULD HAVE TO GET A JOB, WHEN I RETURNED, AND I HAD TO PAY FOR ANYTHING I WANTED, RATHER THAN HAVE IT AUTOMATICALLY ISSUED TO ME.  

A LOT OF ORGANIZATIONS ARE WILLING TO HELP VETERANS.  MOST HAVE SERVICE OFFICERS.  CONTACT THEM OR ALLEGAN COUNTY HAS A DEPARTMENT OF VETERAN SERVICES WHERE TAMMY GRIGG CAN HELP WITH VETERANS SERVICES.  THE NUMBER IS 269-673-0501.  I HOPE THIS HELPS SOME VET.-