“Way up north, and nearly as west as you can go, in Ferry County, Washington, there’s a little town with no stoplights by the name of Republic. There’s an abundance of parks and lakes and campgrounds – though I lose track of how many people warn me not to walk any unknown path for fear of trip wire and booby traps.”

This is a descriptive claim. This section gives a description of the town of Republic, insinuating that the conditions may be tense due to the inclusion of warnings of trip wires and booby traps.

“They wanted to get away from society. And for the most part, they’ve blended in really well.”

This is an interpretive claim. This claim suggests that veterans living in Republic were trying to isolate themselves from society and eventually blended into the other citizens.

“We’re standing together on the grounds of Vietnam Veteran Wives, where Danna Hughes, founder of VVW, inspire and savior of Brannan Vines, is holding a fundraiser and tribute for our troops.”

This is a descriptive claim. This claim is descriptive because it describes the event of the fundraiser Danna Hughes held for her community.

“Back in the ’90s, Danna served three counties and some 5,000 former soldiers via the center she founded… A 2000 VA budget crunch led to her clinic‘s being terminated – and her husband’s disability pay ended when he killed himself in 2001.”

This is an explanatory claim. This claim explains how Danna’s clinic was impacted due to budget cuts made within the VA.

“VVW’s No. 1 priority has always been helping vets figure out how to get their benefits. ‘Money has to be first. You can’t breathe without it.'”

This is an evaluative claim. This claim is evaluative due to Donna making a judgment that money for veterans should be prioritized.

“But it takes more than that. ‘She,’ Danna says, meaning the wife – nearly all the vets around here are men – ‘NEEDS therapy.'”

This is an interpretive claim. This claim is interpretive because it interprets how PTSD in veterans also affects their families, such as their wives, insinuating that for their own well-being, they should also receive therapy.

“It may take years for the verdict to come in on whether secondary trauma will be officially acknowledged as its own unique form of hell.”

This is a predictive claim. This claim is predictive because it predicts that eventually there will be an acknowledgment of secondary trauma.

“The VA doesn’t wanna spend the money. Even with veterans, they try to say, ‘Well, you really had a preexisting condition.'”

This is an evaluative claim. This claim is evaluative because it evaluates the way the VA handles cases of trauma and PTSD.

“The VA already is footing some $600 million worth of PTSD treatment for veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan in 2013, via hundreds of medical centers and smaller outpatient clinics, plus 232 vet centers that offer general readjustment services.”

This is a factual claim. This claim is factual due to providing statistics explaining the financial trouble found in PTSD treatment covered by the VA.

“Caleb alone, just in disability checks, not even including any of his treatment or his numerous prescriptions, will cost the VA $1.7 million if he lives until he’s 80.”

This is a factual claim. This claim is factual due to listing the prediction of the cost of Caleb’s disability checks to the VA based off of his expected lifespan.