Posted: 4/24/2010 6:08:20 AM EDT
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I've seen these folks all over Palm Beach County since moving here after I retired in '07.
I'm the faculty advisor for my campus veterans club and I'm looking for ways we can help out local vets that are down on their luck. Someone mentioned the VSO and told them hell no. Most of the folks with the VSO look like they went down to a surplus store and bought some camo pants a t-shirt, boots and a cover, put them on and set up shop outside of Winn Dixie. They always are asking you for money to help veterans. I'll only speak to them if they make the first move. The conversation usually goes like this. VSO: Sir, want to make a donation to help veterans. Me: Are you a veteran? VSO: Uh, Yeah........... Me: What branch of service? VSO: (Enter branch here, usually Army or Marine Corps) Me: I'm a 20 year Navy veteran, or if the VSO says they were a Marine, I say I'm a Corpsman. What unit were you with, where did you serve? VSO: (Starting to look worried) It was a long time ago....... Me: I'll give my money to a legit group. VSO: We are legit, we give money all the time. ME: Walking away. I ran into these guys yesterday on Northlake Blvd at the Northlake and Congress intersection. Poser was wearing a OD Marine Corps cover (with the EGA), ACU pants, Tan t-shirt and black boots. Pants bloused at the top of the boots with boot strings hanging out like spider legs. VSO: Can you help out a veteran? Me: You a Marine? VSO: Yeah Me: What’s going on shipmate? I'm a Corpsman. VSO: Blank stare Light changed and I had to move on. A Google search on VSO has a lot of hits with scam in the title. I found this interesting tidbit of information. The Veterans Support Organization travels around the state. They are a licensed and insured non-profit. According to the organization, not all who are collecting are veterans and they all get paid a percentage of what they collect. According to their own bylaws, at least 50% of what they take in goes towards helping veterans. This explains a lot of things, I've seen them pull money out of the buckets and pocket it many times. I've also seen a van plastered with VSO logos everywhere in the county, except at the VA Hospital. I'm a frequent visitor at the VA, they are my PCM and it’s one of my clinical sites, and I've yet to see them there. As a veteran, I’m pissed off that an organization claims to represent veterans and openly solicits money claiming it’s going to support said veterans. It burns my ass even more to know that they use non-veterans dressed up as soldiers, sailors airmen or Marines to get the money and that these posers are paid. I know that there are a lot of veterans could use the work, and a lot that would do this for free, and they wouldn’t wear a half ass uniform while doing it. Have any of y’all had dealings with this group? Your thoughts, opinions. |
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There are a couple of these guys who hang around Forest Hill and 441. Like you Doc, I usually ask what branch of the service they were in, most of the time they see my haircut and tell me they were Marines. It really chaps my ass when I have some guy telling me he was in my beloved Corps and went to basic training at Ft. Bragg. I mean really, if you are gonna play the part, at least get some things straight.
I know that there are organizations that will help Vets who are down on their luck without begging for money on street corners. They just need to stop over at Bldg 10 at the VA hospital and there will be someone there who can help them out. Ron ...Semper Fidelis... |
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when i EAS on 08 from USMC and came back to Miami this is one of the first things i noticed..them wearing uniforms with funky color shoes ,bunch of them look like homeless people with uniforms...
some of family use to give them money usually along the stoplights around my house but not anymore since i brought this to their attention, i always get a shady vibe every time i see or talk to those VSO guys |