Poverty and homelessness disproportionately effects those who have served in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and National Guard. While the reasons are diverse — the lack of perceived skills by civilian employers, physical and psychological injuries sustained during service, a sluggish economy — the reality is undeniable: veterans make up only ten percent of the population, yet seven percent of veterans live in poverty and one in five are homeless. Of those that have served, the group hardest hit have been National Guard veterans. 

Seventy years ago today, Japan attacked a naval base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, killing and wounding thousands of Americans. The enemy might have been Japan, but in the American melting pot there were many Japanese faces. The Pearl Harbor inspired solidarity in America soon gave way to distrust and a staggering suspension of the U.S. Constitution. "War Relocation Camps" for 100,000 Japanese-Americans were set up, and entire families of American citizens were forced to halt their lives and move. Some of those relocated Japanese-Americans petitioned the U.S. to serve in combat as a way of demonstrating their loyalty. The petitions were accepted, and soon Japanese-Americans were fighting as both volunteers and drafted servicemen.

In a rare moment of bipartisan agreement yesterday the Senate passed a small segment of President Obama's jobs package that aims to help unemployed veterans seeking jobs. Financial incentives of up to $5,600 will be offered to employers who hire veterans unemployed for longer than six months. The hope is that it will help the thousands of veterans unable to find employment. 

There were a number of big stories out of Washington late this week. On Thursday, the Obama administration announced that it would delay making a decision on construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline until after the 2012 elections. The pipeline, which would stretch 1,700 miles from Canada to the Gulf Coast, was opposed by environmental activists who said it threatened a major source of drinking water in Nebraska. Meanwhile, in Congress, the Senate unanimously passed a bill to help veterans find jobs and the "super committee" continues to debate a debt reduction plan.

It's a beautiful, ancient language, one that very few people understand or speak. Navajo was instrumental to the success of the U.S. in World War II. Navajo volunteers worked with the U.S. military to create a secret code language that was used for communication in the South Pacific. Chester Nez, at 90 years old, is one of the only surviving member of the original Navajo recruits, and the author of a new memoir "Code Talker." 

On Wednesday, the Pew Research Center released a poll indicating that only a third of American servicemen and women believe the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have been worth the costs. All of these complicated factors weigh on American efforts to withdraw troops from the country. The findings came only two days before the tenth anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan. Afghanistan is now the recipient of the largest amounts of aid in the world, accruing $33 billion over the past decade. But the country is still struggling, facing an unprecedented drought and appealing for food aid for the nearly ten million people who are suffering because of it.

Sixty-six troops died in Afghanistan this month, making August the bloodiest month for the U.S. military this year. That number includes the helicopter crash on August 6, which claimed the lives of 30 American troops, most of them Navy SEALs. So far this year, 299 Americans have been killed in Afghanistan. Will this have any affect on President Obama's plans to drawdown the additional 33,000 troops he placed in a surge effort? 

Monday was the deadliest day of the year in Iraq. Insurgents waged 42 coordinated attacks across the country, leaving almost 100 civilians and security forces dead, and hundreds injured. The attacks came ahead of America’s planned withdrawal from Iraq. Can Iraqis handle their own security and should America focus on our own problems here at home? 

For millions of Americans, Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of the Summer. It's a time for backyard barbecues, town parades and family getaways. However, for the men women and families of those who killed serving their country, Memorial Day weekend resonates more deeply. William Brown is a former Navy Seal and currently a law student at Rutgers.  Mary Galeti is the wife of First Lieutenant Russell Galeti of the National Guard.

It's become a tradition here at The Takeaway to speak with veterans about who they're remembering on Memorial Day. Taryn Davis's husband Michael was a soldier serving in Iraq. He was killed in Baghdad in May 2007, when Taryn was just 21 years old. Taryn is the founder of the American Widow Project. Also with us is LaNita Herlem. Her husband was also killed in Iraq, in April 2006.

Memorial Day is a holiday — we break out the grill, head to the beach, pack a picnic. But many people around the country are also focused on the holiday's genesis: honoring our men and women in uniform. This weekend some will throw parties for loved ones; others will visit graves of the deceased who served or gave the ultimate sacrifice. Still others will be visiting war memorials around the country. 

We've been asking you: Who are you honoring this weekend, and how are you going about it? You've given us some powerful responses. 

Memorial Day is coming up on Monday. Over the last few years, we’ve spoken with veterans to see who they’re remembering. Last year we spoke to veteran Joe Sturm about three men from his battalion who were killed in Afghanistan. But Joe is finding this Memorial Day more difficult than most, as he reflects on the ten years since the war began. Also with us is Roman Baca, an Iraq War veteran and the artistic director of Exit 12 Dance Company which stages "The Homecoming," a ballet about the Iraq War, on the Intrepid military ship this weekend in honor of Memorial Day. 

All week long we're talking with some of our favorite guests from the past year about the year that was, and what they foresee in the year ahead. Today we're having a conversation with our friend Kristen Rouse. Rouse is a first lieutenant in the Army National Guard, and a veteran of the war in Afghanistan. She returned from her most recent deployment two weeks ago.

What was it like to fight in the trenches in World War I? What about the jungles of Vietnam, or the deserts of Afghanistan? The Library of Congress has been collecting first-hand accounts of life on the front lines in the Veterans History Project for a decade. The war stories — collected in the form of audio and video interviews, letters and photographs — not only tell of soldiers' experiences abroad, but also relay how the wounds of the wars they fought continued to affect them for years afterwards.

On Veterans' Day, we take a look at a growing library of over 70,000 veterans who have served our country. 

Brian Turner has been out of the U.S. Army for six years, but his memories are still vivid. Turner served 2003-2004 in the 3rd Stryker brigade in Iraq. Oscar-winning film "The Hurt Locker" took its title from one of the poems he wrote upon his return. We listen to him reading some of his own words.

On Veterans Day, we're taking your messages to send to people serving overseas. What's the one thing you want to say to active duty soldiers and sailors?

On Wednesday, President Obama will present the Medal of Honor to the parents of Staff Sergeant Robbie Miller, killed in action in Afghanistan at the age of 24. Miller is credited with saving the lives of seven American soldiers and fifteen Afghan troops as he charged toward an enemy position, drawing fire away from his comrades. 

Miller is only the third person to receive the Medal of Honor for valor in Afghanistan, and many wonder why that number is so low. 

The military ads we see on television often claim that enlisted men and women have the opportunity to gain valuable job skills while serving our country. Whether the dream is to be an engineer or a journalist, the promise is that the military can help that dream to come true. But are these promises real? And what do real veterans face when trying to find work?

The combat mission in Iraq officially ends today, but the question about what we've accomplished there will remain for years. We hear from veterans of the war, and ask them what they felt they personally accomplished there.