In the midst of the worst surge in U.S. mortgage defaults in seven decades, foreclosures in towns where our soldiers and veterans live are increasing at a pace almost four times the national average, according to data compiled by research firm RealtyTrac Inc. in Irvine, California.

``We've never faced a situation like this, not in the Vietnam War, World War II, or the Korean War, where so many military are in danger of losing their homes,' said Paul Sullivan, executive director of Veterans for Common Sense, a Washington-based advocacy group started in 2002 by Iraq and Afghanistan War veterans.

'Military Foreclosure filings in 10 towns and cities within 10 miles of military facilities, including Norfolk, Virginia, home of the Navy's largest base, rose by an average 217 percent from  a year earlier.

Nationally, the rate was 59 percent in the same period, according to RealtyTrac, which tallies bank seizures, auctions, and default notices.

The biggest surge was in Columbia, South Carolina, home to Fort Jackson, where the Army trains recruits for combat in Afghanistan and Iraq. Properties in some stage of foreclosure there rose an astounding 492 percent from a year earlier, RealtyTrac said.

The second-biggest increase was 414 percent in Woodbridge, Virginia, right next to the Marine Corps Base, Quantico.

Foreclosure filings also tripled in the cities surrounding Norfolk Naval Base and the Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base near Oceanside, California, RealtyTrac said.

Havelock, North Carolina, site of Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, saw foreclosures more than double.

Weak Credit Military families were especially targeted as prime customers during the callous and greedy boom in subprime lending, and their frequent moves, overseas stints, and low rate of pay meant they were more likely to have trouble making their payments, said Rudi Williams of the National Veterans Foundation in Los Angeles.

An Army or Marine Corps sergeant with four years of experience only makes $27,000 a year today, plus combat pay of $225 a month, according to the 2008 Military Authorization Act. Soldiers authorized to live off-base also receive a housing allowance that this year starts at only about $500 a month.

Counting pay and stipends, our soldiers today still fall well short of the 2007 median U.S. household income of $59,224, as measured by the National Association of Realtors in Chicago.

“Think about how much stress comes with a foreclosure, and then imagine you're walking the same tightrope while being deployed in Baghdad,' said Paul Rieckhoff, 33, the head of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America and a former 1st lieutenant with the Army's 3rd Infantry Division.

The Servicemembers' Civil Relief Act protects our soldiers and sailors from losing their homes for nonpayment of mortgages only while on active duty, and only for 90 days after they finally return home.

A few members of Congress, including Senator Johnny Isakson, a Georgia Republican, and Representative Bob Filner, a Democrat from California, are now trying to extend that to a year, saying three months isn't nearly long enough.

Another flaw in the current law puts the burden on our soldiers, sailors, and the families they left behind to come up with the paperwork and notify the bank of their mortgage problems, said Sullivan of the Washington Veterans' group.

And unlike in other wars, members of our military often are able to telephone home or receive e-mails, creating a huge morale problem for them as they try to deal with foreclosure notices back home, while fighting a war for their country. 

``It's heartbreaking to see people struggling with a foreclosure while they or someone they love is in a war zone, or when they're trying to adjust to life after coming back from one,' said Sullivan, a Cavalry Scout with the Army's 1st Armored Division during the 1991 Gulf War. 

The last time our valiant soldiers and veterans lost their homes to this extent was during the Great Depression.

What an abysmal mess our valiant troops and their families find themselves in now, in a truly abysmal war that never seems to end, and that some of our politicians want to see go on forever.

And the more I see and hear and read these sad days, the more I’m convinced that our current President will go down in history as the worst leader we’ve ever had.

It’s definitely time for a change in this troubled nation of ours.  Please research every candidate’s record on veteran issues before voting for anyone in the pending election.

The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America’s Recent Report Card on Our Two Presidential Candidates is as follows:

Senator Obama – a B+

Senator McCain – a D.