Buffalo Niagara Film Festival - Buffalo and Niagara Falls, NY, USA

The Invisible Ones: Homeless Combat Veterans

A documentary about homeless combat veterans in America. How many homeless veterans are there? At least 200,000, but Dr. Jon Nachison, Co-Founder of Stand Down, feels this is a very conservative figure. How do they become homeless? What kind of help can they receive? What is PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)? How did Stand Down begin? What is the VVSD (Veterans Village of San Diego)? These and other questions are answered by experts including Congressman Bob Filner, Congresswoman Susan Davis, Brigadier General Bob Cardenas, Rescue Task Force Director, Gary Becks; Vince Lombardi Association Director, Bob Schmidt and others including homeless veterans, private citizens who are doing what they can to help the homeless, and Veterans Administration staff. (Note: In the spirit of producing a 'non-partisan' documentary, the filmmakers invited both Republican and Democratic Congresspeople to speak about this issue; the two Democrats graciously accepted while the two Republicans declined, citing busy schedules. Gary Becks of the Rescue Task Force, has worked as a Special Assistant to Congressman-R Duncan Hunter, and it is the filmmakers' thought that Mr. Becks and Brigadier General Bob Cardenas both fairly present a 'Republican' viewpoint.) This is a very pertinent and yet 'invisible' issue to most Americans as there are newly arriving Iraq and Afghanistan veterans who find themselves sleeping on the streets as they return from combat.

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Exact Runtime
00 hr : 42 min : 48 sec

Date of Completion
July 2008

Country of Production
U S A

Country of Filming
U S A