BigB,
Your first link is broken - .com is there twice instead of once.
I watched Born on the 4th of July last night. That movie, plus the need for appeals like those in your links, show that the govt. does not do nearly enough for soldiers retired through serious injury. When you consider that the US spent something in the order of $180bn for the war in Iraq, you would think they could spare $1bn of their own to help those soldiers who can never serve again, and who will be disabled for the rest of their lives. It's appalling that their fate is abandoned to appeals and voluntary donations for their wellbeing.