(WSBT) Sunday is Veterans Day, and as we prepare to honor those who serve our country, a shocking number of those men and women will have to sleep on the streets.

About 196,000 veterans had no place to go last year according to the Homeless Research Institute.

And 57-year-old James Young, who served during the Vietnam War, is no exception.

"I went over there to keep my nation free and protect my nation and I really got nothing for it,” Young told WSBT News.

Young is just one of many homeless heroes locally that believe once they returned they vanished in a sea of red tape.

“The Vietnam vets got lost,” said Randy Bullen, a homeless veteran. “I would suggest that we go ahead and learn from our mistakes, number one, and take care of our soldiers as they come back whether it be mental or physical.”

"We're sometimes forgotten,” said veteran Marcus Smith, who is also homeless. “When you change mentally and socially and then you’re put back into society sometimes it's hard to deal with things."

The Center for the Homeless is the only place to turn for many veterans. Right now there are 22 staying there.

“It absolutely is a big challenge because there aren't enough programs for the number of veterans that we have,” explained Jacqueline Kronk with the Center for the Homeless. “That and they aren’t easily accessible to those here in South Bend."

Young says the challenge for him and many others is finding a job that doesn't discriminate because of where you live.

"Just let us show you what we can do,” Young said. “That’s all we ask.”

According to The National Alliance to End Homelessness, there were 1,200 homeless veterans reported last year in Indiana.