Stacy Bannerman secured the first-ever Congressional hearing on the effects of war on families of veterans. She is now pursuing accountability from a new angle, as she describes in this note to RootsAction supporters:
 There’s a false moral narrative in this nation that says the only people hurt by war (apart from the vast majority of the victims who live in the nations attacked) are the ones who signed up.
But more family members of post-9/11 veterans are suffering mental and physical injuries due to the consequences of combat in Iraq and Afghanistan than service-members themselves.
I’ve been telling the truth about the war at home for years, hoping to end these endless wars, hoping to eradicate the lies with the truth about the human costs of war. That’s why I’m talking to several class-action attorneys, law firms, and nonprofit legal advocacy agencies about a lawsuit to be filed on behalf of a group of women and kids alleging the U.S. government knowingly failed to protect them from veteran domestic violence.
I’m an author and long-time anti-war activist suffering PTSD from living with my two-time Iraq War combat vet, who strangled me and threatened me with a semi-automatic weapon.
I’ve submitted a massive FOIA request with the Department of Veterans Affairs requesting records proving VA personnel have complied with mandatory reporting policies and laws that require VA professionals to contact the proper authorities in known or suspected cases of veteran domestic violence and child abuse. There are fees associated with getting those documents and time and costs involved with advancing the class action. Will you please make a tax-deductible donation so I can continue with this potentially lifesaving and law-changing work?
I’m also working to secure a lawyer experienced in handling federal disability cases, because family members suffering service-connected injuries deserve Veterans Administration (VA) disability benefits.
 The VA already offers a range of benefits to children born with spina bifida or certain other birth defects as the result of parental exposure to Agent Orange while serving in Korea or Vietnam. But there are potentially millions more family members who’ve been injured or permanently disabled due to their veteran’s service or service-connected injuries.
In a study of adult children of combat veterans with PTSD, which I wrote about in my book Homefront 911: How Families of Veterans Are Wounded By Our Wars, researchers found shockingly high rates of hypervigilance, of alcohol and drug use, and physical and emotional abuse while growing up under the care of their combat veteran parents.
Suicide rates of children of male Vietnam veterans in Australia, most of whom served a single tour, are triple that of civilian youth. Time will tell if that rate is even higher in the children of veterans who served multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. We already know post-9/11 military kids, spouses, and caregivers of veterans have higher rates of suicide and suicide attempts than their civilian counterparts.
The Military Times published a groundbreaking report on "The Army’s Hidden Child Abuse Epidemic" in 2013, stating that “the spike in abuse and neglect cases [between 2009-2012] dovetails with the grind of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.” Research conducted by the Department of Defense and others shows that early exposure to violence may alter children’s DNA to produce cellular changes equivalent to seven to ten years of premature aging.
Caregivers and children of veterans are the foot soldiers in America's invisible draft, and they ought to have VA benefits when they are wounded by our wars. As I’m working to end America’s endless wars, and hold the VA accountable for failing to enforce mandatory reporting laws and policies, I’m also working to make sure we are caring for all “who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan.” Not just some.
I believe a nation that wages endless war has a moral and fiduciary responsibility to cover the costs of the people who are collateral damage, including at home.
My mental and physical wounds, including PTSD and a life-threatening infection due to dangerously stressed immune function, were the result of a war I never signed up for but will be fighting for the rest of my life. I’m slowly getting better but being 100% disabled for several years effectively bankrupted me.
Stacy's finances have been ruined. Unable to pay her rent, she must move out by July 12 and is seeking new housing. Can she count on your contribution to help find safe housing and continue this work?
Click here to support Stacy Bannerman and her upcoming work with a tax-deductible donation.Half of every dollar you donate will go directly to Stacy, while the other half will support RootsAction Education Fund's efforts to raise up the voices of whistleblowers and truth-tellers.
A rare level of courage, clarity, and credibility is required for the work that Stacy Bannerman does, and the massive project she’s got underway. Please consider making a donation today to help Stacy stay housed and mobile and provide the financial stability necessary as she’s making the case for federal accountability for the families who are killed or wounded when the war comes home.
-- The RootsAction Education Fund Team
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Background:
>> CNN: Study: Bush, Aides Made 935 False Statements
>> New York Times: When Strains on Military Families Turn Deadly
>> Homefront 911: How Families of Veterans Are Wounded By Our Wars
>> Military Times: Veterans Can Now File Class-Action Lawsuits Against VA
>> Military Times: The Army's Hidden Child Abuse Epidemic
>> Suicide Prevention Resource Center: Military Children and Suicide Risk
>> Australian Institute of Health and Welfare: Suicides in Vietnam Veterans Children a Continuing Problem
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