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There are many organizations that help veterans, and sometimes they overlap. In fact, there is often much overlap, but each major group does have a positive specialty of some type, such as Paralyzed Veterans of America, Nevada Chapter.

Last month I began to tell the story of Leon Cooper, a World War II veteran who took part in the bloody battle of Tarawa. A California resident, in 2008 he paid a visit to the Pacific island and said he could not believe his eyes. The sunny beach that in 1943 had been turned into a battlefield had deteriorated into something else again — a combination junkyard and burial ground.

Hospitals and clinics operated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs have come under immense scrutiny in recent years. Some facilities have been found to be deficient in treatment of veterans, and politicians from both sides of the aisle have taken officials to task.

There are many agencies that offer the promise of employment to veterans. While few, if any, offer high-paying, executive level positions, they are often good starting points for newly minted veterans and part-time National Guard members and reservists. One site I suggest is sponsored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars and can be accessed at VetJobs.com.

For 20 years, California’s Bakersfield Business Conference was a gem of a gathering in the Golden State, produced by the law firm of Borton Petrini LLP. Top business executives, American politicians, military spokesmen and veterans, plus world leaders, gave speeches at the all-day event on the campus of California State University, Bakersfield. I covered the event for its past six or seven years. When the two-decade anniversary was reached, the event was retired. Except the fans wouldn’t let it die.

In my eyes, the U.S. homeless population has seemingly grown during the past few years. I don’t claim to have a scientific poll to back up that statement. I base it on visual impact.