VETERANS SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS: SLEEPING WITH THE ENEMY
August 27, 2009 by Gordon Duff · 135 Comments
TOO MANY ENSLAVED BY IGNORANCE INTO TURNING ON THEIR OWN
VETERANS RIGHTS ADVOCATES UNDER ATTACK BY SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS AND MEMBERS
By Gordon Duff STAFF WRITER
While a million families wait, up to 18 years, for veterans disability claims, while soldiers are sent to fight a war with no purpose, sent to fight, sick, sent to fight suicidally depressed, while veterans are dying of service related diseases from AO to GWI in unpublished and shocking numbers, while "appointed" special courts crush veterans rights, service and retiree organizations and the majority of veterans and serving military do and say absolutely nothing. Some go further, "sleeping with the enemy."
It’s worse, much worse. Not only do they say nothing good, most work openly against veterans who, especially recently, have won huge victories for veterans rights, victories won, not only against an uncaring government but with no support from millions of fellow veterans and the organizations who have rubber stamped every oppressive act, every abuse that has for decades destroyed veterans and their families.
Truth is very simple. For 60 years things have gotten worse for veterans although tens of billions of dollars have bloated Veterans Affairs into the most dysfunctional and oppressive bureaucracy in our entire government. Courts now "officially" find the DVA proven "troubling" but nobody seems to know why. We know. Sick veterans know. Veterans who have worked claims thru the system know.
What vets don’t know is how the American Legion, VFW and other groups have advised the DVA and Congress, led us, every step of the way, to the total failure and utter disaster we have now. These groups "played" at helping vets but became a home for political extremists or dimwits addicted more grandstanding than the hard work required by informed veterans advocacy.
Service and retiree organizations, their members and most serving military fail to comprehend critical issues:
- CLAIMS BACKLOGS AND RECORD DESTRUCTION AND ALTERATION
- LACK OF "DUE PROCESS" IN VETERANS APPEALS
- MASSIVE FAILURES IN HEALTH CARE
- RETALIATION (AND PROSECUTON) OF WHISTLEBLOWERS
- CORRUPTION, BONUSES AND MISALLOCATION OF RESOURCES
- THEFT OF BILLIONS IN VETERANS LAND MANAGED BY DVA
- LACK OF RESEARCH AND TREATMENT OF SERVICE SPECIFIC ILLNESSES, AO, GWI, RADIATION SICKNESS, ETC
The majority of veterans and active duty military, not only know nothing but usually support groups and political candidates whose positions hurt veterans and hurt the military. Lazy and careless members of the military and veterans community fall for childish propaganda like a rat sniffing out a stinking corpse.
It isn’t enough, failing to help or supporting vet hating candidates. Millions are spent to push real veterans advocacy agendas off the table to be replaced by phony flag waving and half hearted patriotic issues. Why are they half hearted? Real support for a strong America requires real support for her veterans and military and not misinformation and political games.
This is a bit of the damage done:
- "TALKING’ MEDICAL AND CLAIMS PROBLEMS TO DEATH FOR YEARS WITH NO SOLUTIONS
- SUPPORTING POLITICIANS WHO CUT FUNDING AND CLOSE FACILITIES
- HELPING COVER UP VA CORRUPTION
- HELPING THE VA DELAY RESPONSIBLITY FOR SERVICE SPECIFIC DISEASES
- FAILURE TO SUPPORT WHISTLE BLOWERS, SILENT SUPPORT FOR VA RETALIATION
- CONTINUALLY MISINFORMING CONGRESS AND THE PUBLIC ON CRITICAL VETERANS ISSUES
- SUPPORTING "SMOKESCREEN" ISSUES LIKE FLAG BURNING, COVERING UP REAL PROBLEMS
- RUNNING POLITICAL PROPAGANDA PROGRAMS PUSHING VETERANS VOTES TO VETERANS ENEMIES
- OPENLY OPPOSING GROUPS FIGHTING FOR VETERANS RIGHTS
- SUPPORTING ANY AND ALL WAR INITIATIVES, NO MATTER HOW SENSELESS
- SUPPORTING ABUSE OF OUR MILITARY
- SUPPORTING ABUSE OF OUR CONSTITUTION AND INTERNATIONAL LAW
- ABANDONED VIETNAM VETS, OFTEN DENYING MEMBERSHIP AND SUPPORT FOR YEARS
- SUPPORTED NEGATIVE MEDIA STEREOTYPES OF VIETNAM VETS FOR DECADES
For every failure of the service organizations, most military retiree groups even go further. Some actively oppose funds for veteran medical care and benefits feeling it threatens retiree privileges. On one landmark issue, retiree groups continually oppose use of Space A military flights for disabled veterans and Medal of Honor winners, yet millions of tax payer dollars are spent to subsidize both flights and facilities, terminals, hotels, for retirees to use.
All the game playing, be it retirees against vets, conservatives against liberals, delusional idiots against less delusional idiots or serving military who are systematically instructed by our military to disrespect veterans and their service, makes unity an impossibility.
The industry that breeds ignorance is too powerful and ingrained to convert. Veterans have been too polite and understanding, not only with the public and their leaders who could care less what happens to us but with other veterans whose utter ignorance has left us powerless.
The idea that social organizations with good and decent members operate under a national bureaucracy so less decent than the members themselves, or most of them anyway, that reason itself is challenged.
How do we say, thanks for your service, thanks for the flowers and the motorcycle processions but keep the hell out of politics and please, please dump your leadership, fire your lobbyists and get connected to the real world?
Gordon Duff is a Marine combat veteran and regular contributor on political and social issues.
Mr. Duff’s article is excellent. I definitely agree that Veterans issues are “talked” to death in Washington. A good example of that is the issue of Gulf War Illnesses. We’re now almost nineteen years past the Persian Gulf War and we still have thousands of Veterans of that war who are struggling with devastating chronic illnesses while the Department of Veterans Affairs continues to appoint Committees to “discuss” how best to deal with the problem. Nineteen years folks. I for one am disgusted with the never ending “discussions”. We have Claims Administrators in many of the Regional VA’s across the country who clearly do not understand Title 38 of the U.S. Code where presumptive service connection is authorized for a specific set of symptoms experienced by Gulf War Veterans. We have many lazy VSO’s across the country who instead of helping the Persian Gulf War Veteran apply for the more challenging (and accurate) ratings for their chronic autoimmune, neurological, and viral illnesses, the VSO’s instead convince the Veteran that the quickest way to get a disability rating and a check is to apply for PTSD; for a ground war that lasted 100 hours. I’m not at all suggesting PTSD is not applicable for the Persian Gulf War; I was there in the thick of it with the First Marine Division. I’m just suggesting that PTSD is being overused when it comes to Gulf War Veterans. With the scientific evidence that we now have, there should be far more Gulf War Veterans rated for chronic illnesses (Chronic Fatigue, Fibromyalgia, Neuro-Myalgias, Multiple Sclerosis, Lupus and other Autoimmune diseases) than there are those rated for PTSD. There is no doubt that we have a dysfunctional system that is weighed down with endless bureaucracy and in some cases, ineptitude. The only way to fix these problems is to first bring them out into the light of day for all to see. Mr. Duff’s article does just that. Like we used to do in the Marine Corps when it came to cleaning the barracks (we called it a “Field Day”). Step one, move all the furnishings outside into the light of day and clean them off. Step two, go back inside and scrub everything from the bulkheads down to the decks. The when everything is clean and spotless inside, move all the furnishings back in. I suggest that America demand a “Field Day” at the VA. Let’s clean house and start over. We’ll all feel much better when we’re done. Semper Fidelis, Dave Winnett, Captain, USMC (Ret.) (Mustang). If anyone at the Department of Veterans Affairs would like to debate me on this, give me a call. You have my number.
Dave,
thanks for reading and posting your very detailed comments. you are very right about PTSD being a ‘run home to mama’ diagnosis only because the VA understands nothing else.
good to see another Marine visiting.
semper fi
g
I think you hit the nail on the head on PTSD, while I think PTSD is revelant, I also think that the VSO’s take the easy road and tell veterans to apply for PTSD as it is easier to get, than compensation that is related to a physical problem. The VA is hiring thousands of doctors in the mental health field, and not taking care of other problems such as AO and Gulf War Illness. Most people don’t understand that the VA has reached such a number in employees, that they are not there to help veterans, but the veterans are there to justify the existence of the VA.
I agree not enough is done in a timely manner for the Nation’s veterans. The claim backlog is horrendous, but comparatively short compared to a generation ago. Also, the acceptance of combat related health disorders is also better than a generation ago. There is a long way to go, but a lot has changed in the VA system since the last generation of veterans got “fed up with how they were being treated” by the VA. It takes all veterans working together to make changes happen. Lip service from bureaucrats doesn’t. I think being lumped together as al “veteran service organizations: sleeping with the enemy” overlooks some organizations who are actively fighting for all the issues mentioned in the article and the reply. I remember what it was like when I came home from Vietnam, and believe me we have made tremendous inroads, but are by no means to where it should be.
Just an old grunt Marine’s two cents…
War is war, 100 hours or not. But that is not the true measure of the problem, is it?. PTSD only needs one nexus event to invade the psyche. One of the first cases of PTSD in the modern era was a head-on train collision in England near the turn of the century. Dozens were killed, hundreds injured. The survivors of the wreck began to develop and express, en masse, symptoms consistent with what we now call PTSD. How much “war” did these individuals see? If you want to go back yet farther in history, lets check out The Iliad by Homer, a book about the lives of veterans returning from war;
“Rage–Goddess, sing the rage of Peleus’ son Achilles,
Murderous, doomed, that cost the Achaeans countless losses,
hurling down to the House of Death so many souls,
great fighters’ souls. But made their bodies carrion,
feasts for dogs and birds,
and the will of Zeus was moving towards its end.
Begin, Muse, when the two first broke and clashed,
Agamemnon lord of men and brilliant Achilles.”
Also keep in mind today many cases of PTSD are diagnosed within the ranks of police and Emergency Medical Technicians. Scraping up road kill will bend your mind, I bet. Whats worse, the victims are not dehumanized “enemy combatants”, but members of your own community.
From a personal perspective, my unit war saw enough combat to earn a Presidential Unit Citation. And I guarantee you I saw more enemy KIA on the “Highway of Death” in a 48 hour period then most Viet Nam vets saw in an entire tour. Its difficult to describe how men die in armored combat. Tank crews half stuck in hatches, their faces screwed up into horrible masks of pain and fear. Bodies ripped into football sized chunks, some of them quite recognizable. A gunner sitting at his post, half his body shredded and scorched, the other half pristine and unmarked. An enemy observer lying in the sand, as if asleep, a single entry wound on his right breast. An enemy infantryman lying flat, his skull shattered but his brain sitting inches from the remains of his head.
Toss in our sister unit just a few klicks away being among the first friendly fire casualties of the war and its safe to say 3 days is enough to give you some “souvenirs”. To put it in stark terms, what do you tell the kid that gets his leg blown off by an IED his first day in Iraq? Sorry kid, one day aint enough to get PTSD! I think we should all take the time to understand the nature of the beast. It certainly helps us, and it may help our brother veterans at some point.
Glenn
Thank you so much. My husband nor his unit got a Presidential Award. He served with the U.S Army, 1st Air Cavalry, 11th Combat Aviation Group, F/8th. He arrived July 22, 1972. Everyone thought the war was winding down then. But the ARVN Offensive to retake Quang Tri had just begun. The battle lasted 81 days. The US dumped enough ordinance during this time to equal 6 Atom bombs like the ones dropped on Japan during WWII. During this time, only remnants of the 571st Medical Company remained in Military Region I. Jim was with 11th CAG. They flew many missions all over Quang Tri Province, and Quang Tri City in support of the ARVN troops. Jim ended up flying medevac missions at this time. Not only weren’t they suppose to fly medevacs they were not suppose to be engaged in combat. Yet, Jim’s Company F/8th, and sister Companies: F/9th, C/17th, and D Troop participated like this in the
so-called ‘end of the war’. When Jim arrived there were 69,000 troops in Vietnam. During this time troop drawdowns and Air Cavalry drawdowns continued. Jim flew over the “Highway of Horrors” many times and to this day, still has nightmares from his experiences in Vietnam. The Second Battle of Quang Tri” was still going strong and the “Highway of Horror” was still there… everyday they flew over it. The battle was not over until late October of 1972. During and after, Quang Nai Province and Bihn Dihn Province were still hot. Then his Company moved down to Chu Lai, then Bien Hoa and Tay Nihn. By this time there was only 16,000 troops left. I could go on. There was so much that happened until ceasefire and beyond. You are right, we all should take some time to understand the nature of the beast, That is (PTSD). For some it could never be a part of their reality and they can’t grasp it, unless it happened to them. He’s been in an on-going claim with the V.A. since 1995 to get treatment for his PTSD. Only last year, did he find the proof he needed on the Internet. We hope to be successful in our claim with the V.A. now.
Well Written Info Before PTSD Was Recognized:
READJUSTNMENT PROBLEMS AMONG VIETNAM VETERANS
The etiology of Combat-Related Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders
By Jim Goodwin, Psy. D.
Published by Disabled American Veterans
Page 6-7
“For both World War II and the Korean War, the incidence of neuropsychiatry disorder among combatants increased as the intensity of the wars increase. As these wars wore down, there was a corresponding decrease in these disorders until the incidence closely resembled their particular prewar periods.”
Page 7
However, the Vietnam experience proved different. As the war in Vietnam progressed in intensity, there was no corresponding increase in neuropsychiatry causalities among combatants. It was not until the early 1970’s, WHEN THE WAR WAS WINDING DOWN, that neuropsychiatric disorders began to increase. With the end of direct American troop involvement in Vietnam in 1973, the number of veterans presenting neuropsychiatric disorders began to increase tremendously (President Commission on mental Health, 1978).
______________________________________________________________________________________
*(NOTE: Why is this? Why would the Vietnam experience be different that as the war was ‘winding down’ in the early 1970’s that ‘neuropsychiatric disorders’ began to increase?)
1.) Youtube VIDEO: Please See Minutes: First three minutes & 6:00 and 8:00 “Fatal Politics: The Nixon Tapes, Vietnam & the Biggest…Landslide, Episode Five: Decent Interval II”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQ3LIqzR6-Q
2.) Youtube VIDEO: “Fatal Politics: The Nixon Tapes, Vietnam and the Biggest Republican Presidential Landslide, Episode One: Secret Timetable”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LT9WZqnz6Bk
3.) Youtube VIDEO: “Fatal Politics: The Nixon Tapes, Vietnam, and the Biggest Republican Presidential Landslide, Episode Two: End Date”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpNzz7XaLkQ
4.) Youtube VIDEO: “Fatal Politics: The Nixon Tapes, Vietnam, and the Biggest Republican Presidential Landslide, Episode Three: Decent Interval I, Part One”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tosr8XAJ4UQ
OK, for those of you who went off the deep end about my comments regarding the applicability of PTSD in the Persian Gulf War. Read again carefully from my original post:
“I’m not at all suggesting PTSD is not applicable for the Persian Gulf War; I was there in the thick of it with the First Marine Division. I’m just suggesting that PTSD is being overused when it comes to Gulf War Veterans.”
Thank you.
Dave Winnett
Dave Winnet,
Thank you.
I understood your letter. I did reread it. It’s just not many know about the “Highway of Horrors” or even “The Second Battle of Quang Tri”. It’s so frustrating, (imagine for my husband and others that were there), when everybody thinks that in 1972, the Vietnam War was winding down when in fact, it was the largest battle of the entire Vietnam War and my husband was there on the ground and low in the air. He and the men that he served with were in the largest battle of the entire war, (yes, larger than the Tet Offensive), and no one knows that they were there, alone. And an extra slap is when the V.A. says there is no record that he served in combat when in fact he was in combat, doing medevacs AND Special Forces duties.
You know what being in intense heavy combat is like. I’m sure you can appreciate how it would feel if you went through what you did, with those you served with, and no one knew it happened AND then have the V.A. say it didn’t either. It’s maddening. Going through hell as a kid and then being told it never happened.
That’s all. Someone else knows.
Glen called it a ‘war’. I did too for a time. It was a war within a war. It was pretty bad. But really, I imagine no combat is good for the human soul.
I understand a little about the Gulf War Veterans and how they are being messed over. I understand and understood your point. Thank you for clarifying so there is no misunderstanding for anyone.
We all need each other. Veterans need to unite and take action. I’ve been appreciating everyone’s help here. We all have something to add.
Semper Fi
It was just good to hear from someone else that was there that is actually willing to talk about it. It helps my husband know he was and is not alone. After the way the V.A. has treated my husband… he was starting to question his experience in Vietnam. That’s when I researched his tour with a vengeance. It was not easy… but I did it. I was shocked.
(It sounded like Glen was there just before my husband got there, when it all started. READ the BOOK, “BAT 21″…NOT the movie… which is a lie. True story, but it DID NOT happen during the beginning of the Tet Offensive, And many were involved and many died looking for that officer. Glen may of been there too a few months later when my husband got there.)
And I can imagine your disgust at PTSD being used when it is not really the problem, but the only way to get compensation. I will not even tell you what was proposed to us, my husband and I. I’ll just say… The Marine Corps was good to me and I will not further dishonor my husband’s service by telling a lie. So I understand the conversation between you and Duff.
Wasn’t going off the deep end.
Semper Fi
Youtube VIDEO: Please See Minutes: First three minutes & 6:00 and 8:00 “Fatal Politics: The Nixon Tapes, Vietnam & the Biggest…Landslide, Episode Five: Decent Interval II” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQ3LIqzR6-Q
THIS puts me over into the deep end. It was announced that the Combat Troops were on their way home in August 1972. My husband went over there July 1972, one month later. The battle was picking up again after the ARVN was retrained. It never slowed down.
My husband and the people that he served with then, their service was covered up and buried. And then he is told that there is no record of him being in combat. On top of that, there are hardly any records after May 1972. Really. HQ left in May 1972. They just rolled up and left a few CAGs there with the Air Force that did the heavy bombing and yes, some Marines, and said ’see ya!’ And Americans have so little knowledge of that time, that when Hollywood puts out a movie about something that happened then, they set it during the beginning of the Tet Offensive instead. It’s not just my husband they are doing this to. To dishonor these men’s service in this manner to cover Nixon’s and NOW Kissinger butt, THAT puts me over the deep end.
Mr. Duff’s article is poorly researched. The American Legion puts all sorts of pressure on Congress and the VA to “do the right thing” for veterans and their families.
The American Legion’s strong advocacy for veterans and servicemembers has helped to produce the following recent results:
Provided substantial input and advice on putting together the Post-9/11 GI Bill.
Stopped VA from outsourcing some of its GI Bill processing responsibilities to private contractors.
Stopped the White House from trying to bill veterans’ private insurance coverage for combat-related medical problems.
Criticized DHS and Janet Napolitano for characterizing veterans as prime recruiting candidates for politically extreme groups; got an apology from Napolitano.
Protested the release of detainee-abuse photos that create more hatred and risk toward our troops deployed overseas.
Protested unwanted and insensitive media coverage of families at Dover AFB receiving caskets with the remains of deceased servicemembers.
Lobbied for advance budgeting of all VA healthcare expenses…a full year in advance to accommodate better planning/spending (this is on the verge of becoming law).
Shall I continue? If you don’t believe me, contact the staff of Eric Shinseki, of Senator Daniel Akaka, of Rep. Bob Filner and ask them: “How often do you hear from The American Legion on veterans issues?”
I’m not sure why Mr. Duff chooses to ignore all the good that VSOs do, but accusing them of “sleeping with the enemy” is just bad journalism.
IT’S ABOUT TIME !! You hit the nail on the head with a big hammer Mr. Duff !! The so called American Legion should have its charter revoked by Congress, all their property sold, and the monies forwarded to the Veterans Benefits Administration. In upstate N.Y. i have witnessed the dishonorable acts by LEGION personnel. For years they sent NO money to Syracuse VA Hospital, when a motion is made to send $100 to vets hospitalized for Christmas, its voted DOWN, all the while there is $40K sitting in the coffers. This is NOT a veterans service organization, neither is the VFW. YES, there are some good Posts, but they are never heard from. Control of their MAGAZINES and the material put in said magazines is the largest problem facing educating veterans on issues. Well written article. Cast my vote to revoke their charters !!
If you see this article as a declaration of war, you also hit the nail on the head.
g
Hi. I just made a new facebook page – to be a place for us veterans and our loved ones to meet. It was pretty easy. I was surprised. I hope to see all of you there. Just set up a facebook account and do a friendship request for Annie Reynolds… (the one with a profile photo of a waving American Flag, in case there are a lot of Annie Reynolds.)
i am glad to learn that i’m wasteing my time and efforts as a service officer for the vietnam veterans of america.
Please dont think anyone is accusing you of not doing your best, or doing your job. I am right with you in helping my fellow veterans. Ive helped nearly a dozen veterans sort out their VA claims, and some of them have reached 100% as a result. That beaing said, I have half a mind to join all the major service org’s. Then I will write to the HQ of all of them, telling them that their “leadership” has failed and its up to the little guys at the bottom, like you, to pick up the slack and live up to the charter. You are the quiet hero trying to help his fellow disabled veterans, but we can all agree the service org’s have presided over the abysmal situation we all find ourselves in.
Jerry,
The V V A has not ..not quite yet…hit our shit list. However, you have to know it is moving that way and has to stop.
If you don’t understand everything in this article and have been working as a VSO, I would advise you to talk to more people.
g
Jerry, than you can pass on My “Thank You!” for the call out, in the press release from VVA, as to the gopher and their bellowing shills on the VA Booklet, to the rest of the leadership of the VVA who for the most part do do more pro-active then re-active measures, such as this!!
Claims 18 years old , How about two that are from 1969 and still not processed. As far as service reps, you have to watch them like a hawk. Onr group dropped my veterans court case on the last day, no time to get another rep. Then one group never processed my claim this caused me to loose two years of back benefits.
Let them work for you, but always check on them. And if nessary do it your self. But never give up.
Robert,
We hope the new rulings on ‘due process’ will start taking things apart at the VA combined with Shensiki’s rulings on PTSD stressor changes.
As of now, every claim that hits first stage denial or under rating should go to a lawyer.
g
I hate to differ with someone that I do not know their credentials in the VA system, however the advice by “Duffster” is incredibly inaccurate. Don’t waste your money on an attorney. Find a good service officer, who has been trained and they can walk you through the process, free of charge. I would recommend a DAV National Service Officer. A veteran should never have to pay to get their VA benefits, anyone that recommends lawyers before the CAVC level, usually has ulterior motives.
I have had interactions in the past 7 years, with SOs from the American Legion, DAV, PVA, they all told me I could NOT get my heart problems SC as a secondary issue to my already SC PTSD, I kept the appeals current, I finally had to go to a lawyer that listened to me, and used the report written by Joseph Boscarino http://mailer.fsu.edu/~cfigley/vets/documents/BoscarinoPTSDMortStudy.pdf as the basis for the 4 IMOs from board certified cardioligists, stating that my PTSD was more than likely either the cause or at a mimimum was aggravating factor in my Coronary Artery Disease and hypertension, the BVA Judge awarded my claim and SC the CAD and hypertension secondary to my PTSD.
The lawyer did it pro bono, but I would have not cared one bit if I had to pay them 20% of the award, 20% of something is better than 100% of nothing, if the SO does not believe in your case, how hard are they really going to worjk it, trying to help the veterans win a claim, like this? Not very hard, they would go thru the motions or in some cases refused to even file it.
I will take a lawyer from now on dealing with appeals, when you have an advocate that it does matter to, and has a piece of the pie so to speak they will go that extra mile for the veterans, as it affects their ability to get paid for their work.
Why shouldn’t veterans have the same rights to legal representation that SSD claimants have, and please don’t tell me that the VA is non-adversarial, I have been screamed at by a RO during a DRO hearing, they are adversarial, big time.
I have worked claims and had claims worked on by everyone from members of congress to clerks at the DAV.
Tops…DAV clerk.
There needs to be a reality check for service officers…something, perhaps, I should write on.
Bob Walsh, Battle Creek, Michigan attorney and veterans activist is our advisor on legal affairs. He is miles above the best service officer and has taught me alot.
With new changes in law, attorney’s are getting the best results.
Once your claim hits appeal, I suggest the lawyer route. Check, if possible, on statistics on this.
g
here in la-la land, chapman university law school graduate students are taking veterans claims, pro-bono. just an option if you are in the area. i claim no education at all. no vso affliation. not one i’ve “coached” has got less than 100%. it takes personal committment. all hours of the day and night. ya gotta give a shit. and keep current on the VA’s “tactics”. i may be coaching my last case. i’m wore out.
My C file in case your interested is 8 volumns thick or abought 2 feet thick and full of VA mistakes and illegal action such as the records on PTSD that wer stamped :NOT TO BE GIVEN TO THE VETERAN OR HIS SERVICE REPRESENATIVES. This was don efrom 1075 till 1997. Even though the medical side of the VA had reviewed my medical records and sadi that there wasn’t anything I couldn’t see, the stamped records in th C file were from my medical records. Double standards or illegall action. I say illegal actions in order to keep me from getting my claim awarded in my favor.
I’m trying to find any other veteran who has had this done to them, so far i have found no one, then it’s decriminastion. As for other mistakes in my C file they told me for 30 years that the spinal injury i was hospitalized fro in 1966 was a birth defect as they were looking at someone elses records not mine, I brought this out not any service reps. And the board of appeals had me re xrayed in April 1999 and proved that the Dec 66 xray they had been using againsrt me was imposssible to have been mine as I didn’t have any Spina bifida.
I haven’t gone to any VA doctors since a VA doctor who wasn’t mine had me put in a mental ward for 5 days to cover-up for another VA doctor, namely the C&P doctor here in Cleveland. The VA keeps trying to force me to go to their shrinks, but I won’t. I’d rather die a freeman than go to the VA for help. I’m only trying to clear-up my name that the VA has trashed for the last 40 years, to include the use of other government agencies to do this.
Then i can go ahead and die in peace.THATS ALL I HAVE LEFT THANKS TO THE VA..
You obviously have not done alot of research before writing your article. I can speak only for the Organization for which I am a life member, the DAV, but at the National level we have an active Legislative staff that is consistantly fighting for benefits. They are there, be it by providing written commentary, testimony at the hill, or speaking with the representatives of key staff members themselves. Just recently advanced appropriations was passed, via S. 423 & H.R. 1016. This is due to the work of the DAV and 8 other organizations that make up the Partnership for Veterans Healthcare Budget Reform. This has been a battle for the major organizations for years. If not for these service organizations, this piece of legislation would not exisit none the less have been passed.
You complain of the organizations ignoring the Vietnam veterans in the past. This was a grevious error (not one the DAV was a part of) however it is one of the past…we live in the present and concern ourselves with the future…join us, it will do you some good. Many of the organizations’ leaders are Vietnam veterans and I don’t think they would appreciate you speaking ill of their organizations That they are so proud of.
If you were to consult with the DAV’s legislative staff, you would also find that the claims backlog is a MAJOR concern for us and other organizations, and we are working with the VA and congress to find SOLUTIONS to the issues, instead of more complaints.
You also complain on what you find to be political stances. It does allow your liberal viewpoints to show through, which is what you complain the organizations do. I can only address what I know of the DAV, and that is that they are non-partisan.
You ask us to fire our leadership and connect to the “real world”. We elect our leaders, who is to say we want your “real world”?
Josh,
I always use DAV references when evaluating politicans. However, the DAV is hardly ‘mainstream’ compared to the VFW and AL.
The failings are in supporting the war to win due process and approaching the long history of endemic corruption at the VA s though it doesn’t exist.
Even the DAV has a legislative staff that is dense as hell.
Ask yourself this: Why push the VA to do anything or congress to give more money when the organization itself functions as a criminal conspriacy.
The VA problems should be described more as racketeering under the RICO statutes than funding or management problems.
No amount of talking or tossing money around can correct willful misconduct on a massive scale.
g
Wow, Duff. I can tell that your actual working knowledge of the VA is very limited. Whenever I encounter anyone that rolls out with the conspiracy theories suck as “…the organization itself functions as a criminal conspiracy.”, what can you say? It is people and words like your’s that provide our largest hurddle in the veteran’s community. You have shut off your brain and listen to nothing that doesn’t agree with your point of view.
We must work to fix the problems in the VBA and VHA. This will not be accomplished through senseless ramblings of individuals. This will only be done by standing shoulder to shoulder and speaking with one voice.
You speak of the “densenes” of the DAV’s legislative staff, however I challenge you to provide an actual example of a piece of legislation the DAV has testified for that was not in the veteran’s best interest or a piece we have oppossed that would have helped. Now this is asking you for facts not just your usual rants…back it up now.
As far as DAV not being mainstream, it is considered one of the “Big 3″. Congress considers us “mainstream”…so do we.
The VBA and VHA do need money “tossed” at them. Adequate funding on a timely basis has been sorely needed for some time, and now we will have it. With additional funding to the VBA, additional VSR’s and RVSR’s could be hired to decrease the claims backlog that is sucu a huge concern to us all.
My recommendation to you is to find out what these organizations have been fighting for and trying to get on your behalf, before you tell us how horrible we are.
Josh,
Sorry, but wasn’t Joe Violente caught lying to the House Committee on Veteran Affairs? (Larry Scott, VAWatchdog.org, 14 Feb 2007)
“The prepared testimony below comes from Joe Violante, National Legislative Director of the DAV.
It is not only misleading…it is an outright lie.
Veterans will NOT be forced to hire an attorney if this legislation stands as passed. They will just be given a choice.
The DAV, and especially Mr. Violante, should be ashamed of such tactics.”
Josh,
Several of our readers had their claims worked by me. I have a pretty good success rate as a VSO. As for experience, I have been working in and around government for many years, some directly with members of Congress.
I don’t just speak for myself. I speak for 2 dozen veterans organizations, our staff of veterans advocates, which includes members of congress, heads of decent service organizations, attorneys and dozens of activists, some who write or edit for this publication and many, more than you can guess, that we communicate with all day every day.
The VA has had suplusses every year. You don’t follow the court cases, the legislation or national issues.
I understand that. It is boring as hell having to actually know what you are talking about.
Consider my point, which may be aimed at you. Things are worse than before. If you bothered to listen to VA lawyers talk to Judge Kosinski and Reinhart, explaining why, with laws passed and all the funding they ask for, the dozens of problems I outline which were upheld by the court in the Veterans for Common Cause v. Peake lawsuit prove every word you say utterly false…….
Your organization is ineffective and not reality based. No appropriations bill has every mandated reform, only funded failure, as the courts have found.
Damnit, grow up. This is exactly what I am talking about.
g
As a retired Navy Mustang, former County VSO, and former National Service Director for a “Big Six” Veteran Service Organization I find some of Mr. Duff’s article true, if not entirely factual, and some of it patently Misleading.
Having testified before both the House and Senate Committees on VA, as well as numerous special commissions, I got sick and tired of listening to most of the VSO reps simply mouthing soft soap and crap. The Governmment Affairs Director at VVA, myself, and a former National Commander of the VSO whom I worked for were the only folks I’d ever heard take these committees to task.
Why is that, some of you want to know. Not to long ago the National Commander of DAV was also a high level VA employee. VA Central Office had hired so many Past Commanders-in-Chief of VFW we jokingly referred to it as where VFW PCinCs went to die!
Something else that I learned while working at Nat’l HQ for a Veteran Service Officer is dirty politics and unethical activities. Those men and women running for national elective office in a VSO could teach dirty politics to the Congress. At one point I was told not to fill two vacant service officer positions due to lack of funding, yet six members of an executive committee and their wives went to Europe for about 10 days on the organization’s tab. Service Officer pay is so low, that when I would get one who’d learn the job and really work for the vet, VA would offer him/her a hefty salary increase and hire them away.
VA, in my opinion, is managed better and no worse than any other government bureaucracy. The Veteran Service Organization membership, on the other hand, really need to replace every elected and many appointed officers and every organization committee member. Check your roster of Past National Commanders and what they do in the organization. You’ll find that they hold many of the key appointed positions (at 6 figure salaries) and control most of the important committees.
Jim,
Nothing in my article is less than 100%.
If you disagree with any of it, you have my email.
Hell, all of it is actually, now, proven in court. Take your experiences, good reading, and add thousands to them along with hard facts on VA performance.
I work with hard facts.
g
Jim,
From you, considering how your employment at AMVETS was terminated, speaking about unethical activities seems a bit odd. A little FYI, Brad Barton was an employee of the VA before becoming the DAV’s National Commander. Both the VA and the DAV have strict Conflict of Interest policies. Having been employed by the VA did not stop him from criticizing the VA and congress during his term. You have only to look at his testimony before congress and his remarks during our National convention. Commander Barton was by all accounts an effective commander and someone all disabled veterans can be proud of.
I understand your problems with VSO’s, considering your situation, but perhaps now it is you not telling the whole story?
Josh,
If you want the truth on my termination from AMVETS ask Rick at VVA for my e-mail address and contact me, I’ll tell you the entire truth.
As for Commander Barton, I don’t believe he did anything wrong. Nor do I believe that Gunner Kent, John Smart, or George Cramer have done anything wrong. However, it’s the perception. How can you do a great job as head of a VSO than go to work for your adversary? As for Commander Barton, how can you fairly administer programs for your employer if the VSO you also lead is fighting against those programs.
I like Joe Violante, however, the quote I used came from a public source, I didn’t make it up.
It is wrong to label all VSO’s as ineffective, as some do try to help. However, in my 7 years fighting the VA I have found VSO’s are like combat medics, they triage and try to save the ones that they think they can save and just let the others die. They have to fight the VA like tooth and nail to get the easy claims through, so you can forget the complicated or questionable ones that require a lot of extra effort. They have to kiss the VA Regional Office guys’ asses to get the easy ones done. That’s what happened in my case. The DAV VSO and the Vet Center rep said “you were in the Air Force, so you couldn’t have PTSD”. However 14 VA doctors and the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims disagreed with both, eventually, and I am now 70% with IU. I have very little faith in VSO’s, but it is the system, not the individual. VSO’s are overwhelmed and are running point without any cover. The one guy was right, I did get excellent support from the VFW VSO in DC, after I contacted his boss and said he wasn’t really communicating with me. Once I did that, he used his “personal power” with the BVA and got mine done quickly (would you believe two weeks out of the BVA). Unfortunately, the lawyers are pretty much in the “blind” about VA law and just want to wait and get their money, as with Social Security. I finally got my lawyer to withdraw after he would not push for CUE on my claim. That saved me 25% of my award and I got all my stuff done by myself by talking to other vets and reading forums and I pushed and prodded and called the VA attorney daily. I f the appeal doesn’t take two years, then the lawyers don’t stand to gain too much, so they are willing to wait and extend professional courtesies to the VA lawyer. I was told by a VARO Decision Review Officer that I could only represent one veteran independently in a life time. So, now I can’t even go to a DRO hearing to represent the vet. I have to go as a witness and they don’t even like that. The guy said, “you have been up here to much”….isn’t that just appalling for a high level VA employee to tell a vet, “you are helping vets too much and we are tired of seeing you here at the VARO with vets”.
Anyway, the VA system must change before VSO’s can have any chance to help vets effectively in the more difficult cases. Again, let’s don’t beat too hard on the VSO’s, as most of them care and are doing the best they can in a very unfriendly system.
Butch,
Its not that some people don’t help, its that the 2 biggest VSOs actually make things worse by preventing the DVA and Congress from answering to reality based groups and not gutless political suckups.
Reread that part, think about what you wrote and see where our real focus for action must be.
We are at war. 60years of excuses is long enough.
g
Gordon and Butch-
Hate to see the non-unity going on. Let’s all get on the same page and work together. I DO trust Edwin Crosby III and his opinions.
Gordon in response to your comment.
“We are at war. 60years of excuses is long enough.”
I can only say,
“Where do I sign up?”
Semper Fi
Please add the VVA to the shit list , After the VVA lied to me and I won my own case against the DVA criminal Acts against a Supreme Court order of nullification for a felony offset. Yea I won my case after four years of offset including my SS disability even after the SSA complyed with the court order. The general counsel Lied, The VA OIG tried to manufacture alter documents and my dumb congressmen who by the way is ex lawyer did not know what a court order nullity means. Dear Duff keep pushing to remove all Service organization from the good graces of the veterans. I am a Service for VVA I will be a Veterans Rights Advocate for now on.
Vets are contacting us about the VVA going "mainstream".
They handled my case in 1995 and screwed up everything they touched.
g
We get the ‘verbal spitting’ on us Veterans from the ‘whores’, and the schills that bellow for them, on the payroll of the Ins. and HC profiteers by the misrepresentation and lying about what’s on a VA pamphlet, as they themselves use same similar threats they’re accusing the VA of!!!
The RNC’s Health Care Survey
“”I just chatted with Raymond Denny, the 64-year-old La Center, Wash., man who received the RNC’s “2009 Future of American Health Survey,” which alleged that President Obama’s health reform plans might discriminate against Republicans. Here’s the survey question:……”"
Survey pages and question at link.
http://washingtonindependent.com/56844/obtained-the-rncs-health-care-survey
And what do most of us Veterans think and say about the ‘verbal spitting’:
Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) Health Care Reform Hysteria: ‘Death Book’ Scare Tactics Inexcusable
http://tinyurl.com/ksth94
Veterans Demand Apology from GOP and FOX for Lies About VA
http://tinyurl.com/nnf4nj
And we have this bit of wisdom as well:
Palliative Care is NOT “Death Panels”, Mr Limbaugh
http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/fit-bits/cancer/2009/08/palliative-care-is-not-death-panels-mr-limbaugh/
“”The Veterans Administration offers one of the best Palliative care programs in the country. While nurses are involved in this program it is supervised by physicians many of whom have passed examinations to become experts in end of life care.It is now widely recognized that many persons at the end of life fail to receive appropriate care to relieve their symptoms. Palliative care does not mean no curative care; it means an appropriate mixture of curative and symptomatic care…………..”"
It isn’t only the VSO’s, it’s the Countries Citizens who wave the flag and now buy the magnetic ribbons (so they don’t look as bad as they did towards us in their false support)
Nice "anger" thing. I could take lessons from you.
g
And as we do more then watching, by trying to stay ahead and push for, Pro-Active:
Obama seeks employees’ ideas on cutting VA backlogs
“” “We’re going to fund the best ideas and put them into action, all with a simple mission: Cut those backlogs, slash those wait times, deliver your benefits sooner. I know you’ve heard this for years, but the leadership and resources we’re providing this time means that we’re going to be able to do it,” Obama told the veterans.
Administration leaders told Federal Times they’re serious about following through on the suggestions of experienced civil servants. ………….”"
http://www.federaltimes.com/index.php?S=4253740
We do remember, and with this technology, archive!
Obama is wrong.
Shensiki is wrong.
Yes, they will cut backlogs. They have begun already.
They will refuse everyone and dump them into the endless appeal process.
Then, we will fight for years with fewer people there because the rest of those filing, as the court noted, will die.
g
Personally, I think that Gordon has this very well documented (not to mention being informed on the issue) and that Mr. Josh Sniegowski was fortunate to find a good service officer while the rest of us struggle to locate someone to fight on our behalf. I too have experieinced a terrible backlog in paper issues. The VA has been “processing” my paperwork now for two and a half years and I was told yesterday it would be another six months to finish. If they are lucky I may die by then. However, in light of the VA news concerning the “booklet” this week— that is probably their ultimate goal so they don’t have to pay my disability benefits. Plus, initially it took them one year just to locate my medical records from the Air Force. How convenient! More lost records—and the current administration wants to convert everyone to electronic records on a one payer system. Won’t that be just ducky ?
The VA does not function as a viable system. It needs a vast debugging and it needs it now. It doesn’t need committees and hearings. It needs competent business people hired from the outside that are used to performance reviews, challenges and complete overhauls——-not federal standards. In other words if you don’t do your job on a timely basis you get fired. No more being rewarded for seniority.
Now, that would be something new and different for the government wouldn’t it? Performance based reviews on a corporate business standard versus work performance reviews on a government standard!
Steve
they already have these things:
bonuses are given for destroying and altering documents
denying claims
prosecuting innocent veterans for fraud
lying to congress, veterans and the public
all are performance criteria rewarded by generous bonuses,
these and, of course, the usual
sex with supervisors
working for family members
working for political parties while on VA payroll.
g
After reading all of the above, I’m convinced now more than ever that if an individual Veteran has the administrative ability to fill out the VA forms and is able to document his or her medical condition via non-VA physicians, it’s best to avoid VSOs altogether. That is especially true with Gulf War Illnesses that so few seem to know anything about.
True, you might get lucky and get a good knowledgeable VSO (I wasn’t so lucky), but it seems you stand just as much of a chance of ending up with an incompetent, lazy, and uncaring slug as a VSO. That’s what happened to me, and a certain tractor-riding Veteran you saw in the news not long ago (I helped him resurrect his horribly managed DAV case).
Until the VSOs get their _ _ _ _ together on how best to handle Gulf War Illnesses I’ll take my chances solo, thanks anyway.
Dave Winnett
Captain, USMC (Ret.)
90% (40% of which is “Undiagnosed Illnesses Presumptive to the Persian Gulf War)
I hope you are 100% with Individual Unemployability.
g
Dave,…just retired on May 2nd as dir of a county veterans office. I took pride in my work over twenty years,…with the exception of playing in the sand in 90-91. I reluctantly agree with you that too many VSOs, especially the National veterans service officers are not trained enough nor do many of them have the background to effectively do what should be done. I served in two branches, the last in the Gulf war and did and still do extensive research on the Gulf War syndrome. The sad part of it is the VA doctors look at skin problems, for example, and simply state that is not an unexplained condition and from then on its down hill. I patroled in the smoke flume and was told by the RO that it was nothing and that it couldn’t have caused respiratory problems. I had three issues personally before the BVA, one was approved and two were remanded. It has been going on for five years and eight months. It is a constant work in progress for VSOs and they MUST keep studying every day. I have a BA in counseling and a MA in military history and every day that I was aiding and assisting veterans was a learning process regardless of my background. In my twenty years also I have yet to see a tie decision go to the benefit of the veteran. Glad you succeeded in parts of your illnesses.
As much as I resent the comments, I have to agree. I have been a member of the VFW for over 20 years and president for 9 years. I have seen many service officers come and go. Unfortunately some of them just like to “wear the hat”. One example: one service officer was suppose to be training all of our district and never did. He would say he had a meeting with a veteran in their home at 4:00 and at 5:00 he would still be sitting at the bar. Being married to a Vietnam Veteran who has been denied a disability for 20 years I know what it is to wait. But I have to say that our service officers and the DAV service officers are doing a much better job. Their training is much better and they are dedicated. The veterans that are helped are greatful and the ones that can’t be helped are bitter and therefor such and such an organization didn’t do anything for them.
We have had VFW DAV and VVA working on my husband’s claim. For the past 4 years Senator Patty Murray’s office has been working on it.
Are we bitter and angry? Hell yes. Are we blaming the organizations? Hell no. I am a big mouth old “broad” who will work until the day I die to help Veterans get what they deserve. If it means breaking up with the organizations that aren’t doing right so be it.
After I research the facts to the best of my ability, I don’t hesitate to e-mail our representatives including the president. I am probably on some kind of a “watch” list by now. But if I can get my point across, I will keep on doing it.
Thank all of you Veterans, welcome home and God Bless you and your families.
Vernay,
You know the drill. Everyone that gets close to DC is coopted into becoming obtuse.
I think Steve Avery has the right idea. Courts will not overrule a cabinet officer.
Congress and even the DVA itself have no control over anything. If the DOJ can’t move an inch in 6 months, how do we expect the DVA, 20 times larger, to correct abuses 20 times greater?
g
Remember the motto of the VA:
"Lie and deny – until YOU die!"
Every mother and father of children in America under the age of 16 should teach them to not even consider volunteering for the American military. Educating our children should be our number #1 priority.
Strict Term limits are needed to protect us from idiots like Teddy Kennedy.
We need a Fair Tax.
We need to fully fund the VA.
Go here:
http://www.rassio.com/songs/Nashville.php
That’s right, tell everyone not to enter the military. that’s the way to go. Then whatever freedoms and rights we have will be protected by what? Your VA benefits would be gone in the blink of an eye as we would be wiped from existance. That’s a plan. Tell all your children not to join the military, that way if they were looking for a way to put in some service and pay for future college education to lift them out of poverty, we can just keep them poor and support them. Tell your children that the military is evil and avoid it and it will cease to turn our kids into the men and women that will lead us in the future, that way we can have a whole generation who know nothing of sacrifice for a better cause. Yep, that’s the way to go.
Why the pictures of Bush? Why not take your knowledge and break it down to President-by-President to show that not one of them really gave a damn going back to the First Johnson. Your bitterness detracts from your brilliance; your vitriol from your message. Just read the responses above. The pain of veterans from all wars is obvious and your target should be the American people who have and will continue to allow that pain. I told you it wouldnt’ change under Obama, and it won’t unless Veterans are all part of his new Government Option. Then we really will be dumped since most of us are no longer a producing element and COST of care will be the determining factor vs availability of treatment. Remember that it is WE, the People who bear the full responsibility. WE join all those organizations, we elect those scum-bags, we buy into all the crap they say in speeches but we never loook to see what they are doing. And then we write nasty letters and articles TO EACH OTHER. We preach to the choir, but the choir is singing the same song. It will not change.
Bush appointed our current Court of Veterans Appeals that has turned down 98% of it’s cases and unavoidably looks alot like Mussolini without the character and charm.
g
How many of the 98% has Obama replaced? When you talk of the problems over the last 60 years, that includes a whole of presidents that you’ve not included in your article. The problems go back even further than that. You keep riding the Bush horse. There’s a NEW horse in town. Time to mount the leader of the pack. It won’t do any good, but at least you’ll be in the right time frame.
Slight typing error on my part. I meant to ask how many of the 98% Obama’s people have approved, and how many on the Board has Obama replaced? The change Obama promised is defined by EACH of us. Ergo, fahgeddabouidid. No better, no worse that Bush, Clinton, Bush, Reagan, Carter, et al.
Duff,
August 28, 2009
“Some go further, “sleeping with the enemy.”
Well, Duffster you have really gone and done it this time! Calling a “spade a spade” is a rare gift these days…one that you seem to possess in spades (no pun intended). Based on the many eloquent responses you have received, you have stuck the sharp end of the stick squarely into the hornets nest.
I continue to find you on target with your conclusions and identification of the problems faced by ALL veterans in this day and age. Myself, having been medically retired with 60% disabilities from combat injuries alone I “earned” in the RVN (wrong place wrong time deal) in early 1968 I am still at war with the corrupt VA system you describe. Although my damaged parts have certainly “degraded” in 41+ years, the ratings for my many physical issues remain unchanged. Go figure. The outsourced C&P system is FUBAR! The many complicit VA Drs. are not much better.
To say I have received little or no (or worse incompetent) help from various VSO’s would certainly be on track. The worse, so far, being the DAV, the “best” help being provided by a rather incompetent VA operative. I am now being “helped” by the VVA. It remains to be seen if that word “helped” proves true or not. I know that my next approach, if required, will be to use an attorney.
As far as the “service” organizations go, I do not waste my time there. I can get a drink in any bar if need be. My limited interaction with those groups is that they are often filled with old men, posturing “patriots,” who seek to increase their numbers and continue to support the unwise and wasteful commitment of young men to unnecessary and un-winnable wars in far off lands.
Keep up the good work,
Vet613
Your life parallels my own too much
You have my sympathy.
I have gone 4 years now with no VA medical care, no tests, no treatment…though 100% T and P.
…an attempt to survive
g
There is no legal duty for military service associated with citizenship in the USA.
As a result, those who, by law and custom, are unable and/or unwilling to serve in the US military, especially the combat arms (women and others), have the same citizenship rights as those who do have a legal obligation to serve by law and custom.
The vast political electoral majority in the USA consists of individuals and groups (women and others) who are unwilling and/or unable to serve in the US military (especially the combat arms).
The political, social, economic, military, and legal danger of the aforementioned is that this political electoral majority will unjustly abuse the political power that they have to abuse, denigrate,exploit, and take advantage of those who do have to serve.
The same has happened. Almost immediately upon becoming the electoral majority in the late 1960’s women and other groups used their political power to grant themselves preferrential treatment in employment, education, through the laws, and through the receipt of social services (even over veterans-combat veterans!). This is now called “affirmative action”, “feminism”, and “diversity.” These laws and others had the affect of discriminating against veterans, even combat veterans. These SAME groups at that time made it a practice to personally insult and discriminate against returning Vietnam veterans.
Our major Military Service Organizations, aware of the political power of the new electoral majority, conspired to further discrimination against veterans while promulgating ‘affirmative action” for these non-veterans.
How? Our veterans organizations supported federal laws which mandated that veterans identify themselves as such on employment application forms. At the same time, there was and is, no efficacious enforcement provisions in laws which have the purported purpose of both preventing discrimination against veterans and/or giving them preference in employment. Thus these laws, in affect, supported by the major veterans organization, have and still promulgate discrimination in employment against US veterans at the local, state, and Federal levels.
The aforementioned discriminatory acts against veterans by veterans organizations, civil rights organizations, and others reflects the fact, as stated above, that the electoral majority has the political power and interest to abuse, discriminate against, and exploit military veterans. They have done the same.
Ultimately this break down of the “social contract” will have extremely adverse consequences. on the American people and the American government.
I, personally, will never forgive the American people and the American government for the very oppressive, insulting, and discriminating manner for which other Vietnam Veterans and myself experienced upon returning to the USA from our military service in Vietnam.
“Wherever the real power in a Government lies, there is the danger of oppression. In our Governments, the real power lies in the majority of the Community, and the invasion of private rights is chiefly to be apprehended, not from the acts of Government contrary to the sense of its constituents, but from acts in which the Government is the mere instrument of the major number of the constituents. James Madison, President of the United States”
o Letter to Thomas Jefferson (1788-10-17)
Powerful statement.
OK, I am learning something.
g
Mr. Duff, I salute you sir.
Most of everything that’s been said about VSO’s is true. Josh is a little airy fairy, touting the DAV so much.
What is the botton line to get all service organizations to start publicly banging on the VA’ s desk demanding action?
It’s the good ol’ yankee dollar! Why not start a growing groundswell of people that 1. Don’t renew memberships, (I’m a life member ia a half-dozen) 2. When you get a donation request in the mail from a SO tell you will donate when the national commander grows some ball and stands up to the VA in truth. Service organizations live on a (BBQ) spit
anyway, it wont hurt them to “roll over once more.”
Can you imagine the honcho of a SO going ape-ship on the 6 o’clock news to the VA about all the problems and inadaqucies of the VA?
18 yrs a SO, I NEVER had a claim
Dave,
We have set up a legal aid website and are forming a non-profit. There are more than a few groups we can and do work with.
We have gotten a surprising amount done in the last 2 days. Is my job to open the door and we have had many people pick up on what was said.
Now we have to carry the message, which is not my message.
It’s our message.
g
Dave,
You indicate 18 years as a Service Officer and you NEVER had a claim? That would make you a pathetic Service Officer. But, what do I know? I’m just a “little airy fairy”. Yes I tout the DAV. Damn right I do. The NSO’s of the DAV work every day for veterans, and I mean actually work for vets, not just sit at their computers writing leftist articles claiming to help vets (Duff). The donations that DAV sends out for fund the individuals working on peoples claims that would otherwise be denied. The donations go to funding the DAV’s transportation program, that allows veterans get to their medical appointments. Yep, you are a stinking genius. By your way of thinking we will have literally hundreds of thousands of veterans unable to get treatment and unable to get assistance with their claims and appeals. GREAT IDEA, Dave. Well thought out! I bet you work as a rocket scientist or quantum physicist or some other profession that requires that level of genius you have.
I wonder, what have you done to help the vet’s cause? Have I seen you up on the Hill giving testimony on some pending vet’s bills? Have you been volunteering your time at your local VAMC? Just wondering. I imagine you are too busy solving the world’s problems for all that. Go away.
Although Duff’s ranting and raving is sort of entertaining for about 10 seconds, it would be nice if he used the time and energy to take action. He is like Congress, he knows all the problems, but does nothing but non-stop complaining about them and point fingers. Nothing substantial to fix things from either source. Oh well, we all need to be entertained.
butch,
i could get an assault rifle and a few tea bags and start crying in my beer or i could communicate with responsible and intelligent veterans using the leadership position i have been entrusted with.
then again, sometimes i get ahold of people like you.
always a fly in the soup.
g
Duff,
What leadership position have you been entrusted with? Head of the nut jobs? If you mean as “editor” and “columnist” for this “move-on.org” wanna-be site, that isn’t something to brag about. Most folks come here for entertainment value. Given you have a few commenters that will kiss your butt for everything you write, but most think you a joke and left wing nut, and definately NOT a “leader” of any veteran’s movement or group, at least not a rational one.
Enough ranting, raving and complaining. I am going to share a number to a VA organization that has the power to get your claim resolved, if the VARO or BVA has mishandled your claim.
202-273-5674
I got the number from another vet. I called and once I convinced the agent that my case had been mishandled (6 years worth), he took ownership and handled it from there. In two days he called back and said my claim had been rated by the VARO. Even my Congressman’s local aid was surprised how quickly it happened. These people are dedicated and have the “horsepower” to make things happen, if they are convinced your claim has been mishandled. Now, they won’t just get involved with any and every claim, so you have to have had serious issues with the VARO or BVA. Please do not abuse them and cut this life-line off for veterans that really need their involvement. I would suggest you not call if your claim is less than 6 months old or not out of the initial VARO review stage.
THIS NUMBER IS FOR THE VA’S DC OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS AND CASE MANAGEMENT. THESE PEOPLE CAN AND WILL HELP YOU, IF YOU HAVE A VALID COMPLAINT.
God’s speed and good luck……………………………….
Even I have contacted these folks on claims and have been totally stonewalled.
If you had a good experience, I am glad to hear it.
However, I know that this is not the norm.
We are also told to use the IRIS system.
Then I found it red flagged your case for burying.
and so it goes
g
Ole Duff, it is either your way or the highway. You are the “Poster Child” for the if it is not invented here it is not good philosophy If you had posted the number to the helpful VA organization it would have been the best thing since sex. Since someone else posted it, you immediately discredit it with another one of your bad experiences with the VA. I think your “leadership” position is deteriorating to the point people just see your rants as a liberal “Rush Limbaugh”, smile and move on to important issues. You remind me of a lot of First Lieutenants that showed up in Nam right out of OCS (Oklahoma Cook School). They too, thought they had all the answers and everybody was suppose follow them without question. Sound familiar guys??????
Your article is fine to the point of pointing at Bush. One do you remember 9/11? Two, do you remember from at least 1998 through 2003 Clinton, Kerry and democrats ALL swore up and down that Iraq had WMD’s? Do you remember that? Well people you should or of of you look to Bush to blame all the democrats and liberals failures own?
Is that it?
Well, it worn out..and even the democrats are saying that..so stop with the B.S. about Bush or YOU BETTER look into every damn President we have had since the 1st one…Even your Obama man is screwing up left and right..so now what, blame that on Bush also? Bullshit..go get a life if you can.
Dennis,
Again, you are making no sense.
g
That Dennis guy was so mad at Duff for banging Bush he was studdering in his typing…….lol
.
Butch
Leave Dennis alone. He just graduated from highschool and needs a job.
g
Hey, Duff: Instead of firing a shotgun and splattering buckshot all over the place, why not tell us what the ONE thing you need to see done this year? Then maybe we can all send an e-mail to Obama on the 1st and 15th of every month demanding it be done. Just give us the ONE thing and the recommended words of the e-mail. Why do we waste time and energy bashing each other and ccomplishing diddly squat. Let’s take the hills one at a time. Maybe we’ll all live long enough to actually feel like we’ve made a change for those who will follow. What’s Number ONE? Write us an artile about that. And then remind us on the 31st adn 14th of every month to e-mail Obama. Isn’t this a better way to go? 50,000 or more e-mails hitting the White House twice a month with the same message? And letting the news services know it’s being done.
Max
We are actively working on more than a couple of projects, from the GWI hearings to the Vet Park in LA to the Keith Roberts case and more.
Some of this leaves little time for writing.
There are no pro or anti Obama issues left, only veteran and military issues and actual performance.
We are getting some…some positive responses from Shensiki and there is very clear evidence that Bush appointees in the DVA need to be fired…..as they are responsible for many of the problems we are finding. We know exactly who they are, when they were appointed and what their politics are.
I may be sitting out front but Denise, Rob, Bob, Bobby (too many of those) Mark, Amy, Tom and others carry the weight.
g
Okay. Here’s another idea: Put together a list of 100 Veterans with cases pending mor than 5 years. Name, VA facility involved, etc.
E-mail that to President Obama on the 1st and 15th of every month with the question: When will YOUR VA resolve these problems? Send a copy to FOX (you know, the bad guys in your life). That will spread the word until solmething gets done. As one name is removed from the list, add another. Ad infinitum. I’m surd you can get 100 ++++ names just
for the asking.
Pretty much you have hit the nail on the head. It didn’t use to be that way watching my father being treated (most times good and sometimes bad for ‘battle fatigue’ and diabetes-brought on by insulin shock therapy). Overall it did use to be better than it is now, or maybe since i was a kid, I didn’t know. I too am fighting the VA, have been for 15 years off and on and finally got a lawyer. I keep trying to use the VA I but am frustrated by the care every time. Luckily I can use the TRI-CARE system cause I’m early retired. Oh yeah, used to be a VSO till I got overwhelmed, broke and disgusted, am familiar with WARMS, 38 CFR and past court cases. Don’t mind steering other Vets to VAWATCHDOG.Org to start their own claims cause like you said, all Vet’s orgs are a waste of time. Hmmmm maybe that ‘field day of the VA is a good idea cause maybe when they do they’ll find all those missing claims folders.
Go to Googel.com and type in. “Terry higgins. how the VA gets away with it.”
This will anwer allot of questons on your minds.
terry
Terry,
great article
Subject: HOW THE VA GETS AWAY WITH IT
Date: Friday, January 24, 2003 9:21 PM
Written by: Terry Higgins
Email: va_rebel2001@yahoo.com.
UNAUTHORIZED AUTHORITY
HOW THE VA GETS AWAY WITH IT
WHAT VETS CAN DO ABOUT IT
"WHEN LEGISLATURE UNDERTAKES TO PROSCRIBE THE EXERCISE OF CITIZENS CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS. IT ACTS LAWLESSLY AND THE CITIZEN CAN TAKE MATTERS INTO HIS OWN HANDS AND PROCEED ON THE BASIS THAT SUCH A LAW IS NO LAW AT ALL." JUSTICE WILLIAM O. DOUGLAS
On the wall at St. Petersburg Florida VA Regional Office (VARO). The plaque on the wall serves as a reminder to all veterans. It states: 1933 congress passed the Economy Act. In that act was the removal of judicial review for all veterans. VARO goes on to state the ban on judicial review for veterans still exists today.
Part of this strategy for the 1930’s ban on judicial review was to take away WW1 vets disability compensation. This could not be accomplished with the courts and lawyers over seeing what they were about to do. Once the courts lost their viewing authority. A ad hock committee was created for the purpose of thinning the disability ranks in a way the judges would never allow to happen.
How does this act affect veterans today? Is the arbitrary denial of veteran’s compensation benefits still going on today? Can a veteran whose life is in danger because of the Economy Act, place themselves without their government approval, back under the protection and rule of law?
According to a GAO report 7,845,000 Gulf war vets submitted claims. Only 392 were approved. Half of those 392 were given 0% compensation rating. That’s about a 4% claim approval.
Take away rule of law, accountability, make compliance with internal policies voluntary, and then shield the VA by prohibiting the veteran from hiring an attorney or reporting to the courts their grievances. This is the 1933 Economy Act. Social scientists have found this very same power structure to be dysfunctional in the least and a breeding ground for driving men insane. One exception to the law is: The VA keeps its lawyers and is permitted to sue the veteran in the same Federal courts the veteran is banned from. How convenient. This above reality has been an incubator for lawlessness and social injustice with in the VA. It nullifies a veterans education, social skills, and sanity. It has resulted in documented service connected veterans committing suicide, becoming homeless, and families destroyed. The 70 years congress has implemented this constitutional change, it has created an Army of dead, disenfranchised, angry, psychologically damaged, humiliated, and trust violated veterans. Allowing an atmosphere with in the VA permitting VA lawyers to falsify, destroy, and take home vets medical records so the claim could be denied. The lawyers were fined and sent to jail after admitting they denied the claims because they needed the extra cash for processing the extra claims. It was easier for them to deny and remand claims then grant. Now 700,000 vets are on appeal taking on average 6 to 10 years to process a claim. All the VA has to do is keep up the good work and you will have perpetual adjudication with no merits of a claim ruled on, just the incompetent by choice errors by the VA being recycled for the entire life of the veteran.
According to the National Veterans Organization Inc. A VA study called Compensation and pension performance summary states "the average time to process an original claim for compensation is 139 days. If that claim is not adjudicated in the veterans favor and he appeals the decision to the board of Veteran Appeals, it takes an average of 533 days for the claim to be heard by the BVA. According to this report, an average of 38.4 % of all claims submitted to the BVA are remanded back to the regional office for further development or action. The same report reveals that it takes an average of 496 days for that same claim to be dealt with once it has been returned to the regional office. This means that on average it takes a total of 1,160 days for a veteran to receive a final decision before he can appeal his claim to the court of veterans appeals. If the veteran appeals the decision to the court. He can expect to wait another 3 to 5 years to get the final decision from the court".
According to the 6th judicial conference held by the Court of Veterans claims. 99% of the CVC remands are for VA error.
Thanks to Congress’s ban on attorneys for veterans at the VA level. And the fact that vets can’t go before a court until the VA announces it’s finished with what it does to our veterans. Vets claims are so skewed from what the vet’s intent for a claim was. VA has had over 3 years of isolation from outside influences to apply its administrative tricks to prepare the veterans claim for the court. There’s very little the court can do to help when the claim comes to them.
Congress does not have the money to pay out all the legitimate veterans’ claims. Even though we have won every battle and war presented before us. Our enemies foreign and domestic have cause a lot of causalities. Congress and American people are not prepared to pay the true cost of the wars they engage us in. This VA system is set up to frustrate, misdirect, absorb the vet’s energy so that at the end of the 6 to 10 years of claims handling by the VA, the vet is so frustrated, hurt, angry, dismayed, confused, they can’t take any more and drop their claims. At this point the VA saves a lot of money through default.
The amount of claims over all approved or denied appears to be a topsecret number held by the VA. I have made numerous phone calls to VA, Congress, and Regional Office. When you ask them about figures of claims approval, they will not return your phone call.
Mr. Arthur N. Bernklau, Veterans for Constitutional Law, personally went to the Library of Congress to answer the question of how many claims did the VA approve v. denials. Mr. Bernklau used the VA COLS records and found from 1970 to 1992 the VA only approved 4% of veteran’s claims. Mr. Bernklau also stated using the VA COLS records was a very complex procedure and took days to obtain the information he needed.
Social, economic, and political policy for the last 70 years has striped veterans of their constitutionally protected right to the courts, allowing the VA to do what ever it wants and there is nothing the veteran can do about it. I’ve been told many times veterans are protected by Veteran Service Officer (VSO) and a new Court of Veterans Appeals, created because the VA refused to obey its own regulations. Chief Judge Neibeker for the Court stated. "There is a disconnect between the Court and the Regional Office. Adjudicators obey what their managers tell them not what the Court says. "The VA is above the law and dose not follow court orders." Unfortunately when congress created this court. Congress put the court into an advisory position only. In reality it’s not a real court because the courts recommendations have no enforcement authority. It’s still a voluntary! for the VA to obey or ignore the court.
The motive behind this Kafka style of government is so congress can keep a cap on claims.
For those of us who believe there is an artificial cap on approving VA claims for payment to the veteran, all congress and the VA has to do is stop the smoke and mirrors of announcing: We have hired more adjudicators. We have completed 18.000 claims. We are implementing blue ribbon panel recommendations. And answer 3 simple questions.
1. For each year from 1934 to 2001, how many claims for disability compensation were submitted by the veteran?
2. For each year from 1934 to 2001, how many disability claims were approved? How many denied?
3. For each year from 1934 to 2001, what was the rating decisions for each approved disability claim?
Now be careful if you get an answer to the above 3 questions. The bureaucrats love to fudge on this question. VA employees will boldly step forward and pat themselves on the back and make statements to the effect: We have a 100% completion rate, or we have processed 85% of the claims before us. The words completion and processed is no substitute for the words approved or denied. A 100% completion of claims without disclosing what the denial rate, is useless information.
An honest answer to the above 3 questions would resolve whether or not the VA was told to put an artificial cap on our claims… Therefore I believe these figures will never be honestly disclosed by congress or the VA…
TAKING BACK THE COURTS
THROUGH CIVIL OBEDIENCE TO THE LAW
Chief Judge for the Court of veterans Claims made the following quote on what VA adjudicators told him their opinion was regarding the court and the law. "I don’t care what the court says the law is." (VA adjudicator response to Chief Judge Neibeker.)
It is still voluntary if the VA complies with the law or not. Congress having placed the authority of the veterans court in an advisory/recommendation arrangement. The VA can and does ignore court orders…. Congress has for the last 70 years always provided the VA with a way out of each law it passes. By keeping vets out of courts and no lawyers allowed, Congress can pass any law it wants to look good in front of the veterans, allowing VA lawyers and adjudicators to replace the law with personal opinions and customs of what they believe should be the practice of the VA. "I am concerned when I see court decisions like Gardner v. Brown and Davenport v. Brown that determines that VA regulations does not conform to law and merely reflects the way VA has been doing business. It makes me wonder how many other inconsistencies are lurking out there and what the VA proposes to do about them." (Congressman Lane Evans)
Our forefathers were right not to trust and leave the constitution only in the hands of Congress, judges, and individual bureaucracy’s…. No veteran has ever forced the issue to be before a jury. You may ask how do we get a jury trial with the above guard dogs blocking the doors. Go over their heads!.
Congress shall make no law prohibiting the right of the people to petition the government for redress of graveness (Bill of Rights).
VETERANS MUST BE WILLING TO BECOME US CITIZENS AGAIN
It is our birthright to have access to a jury for this issue. If not, veterans with the documented history of abuse, fraud, deaths, then who? Our constitution was written for this very same problem and it protects us from this form of government from even being created in this United States. How does one get a jury trial when congress does not want jurors to review clandestine VA actions.
Walk in on a federal jury in progress, Tell them your a veteran, your life is in danger, you need their protection and lay before them any documented evidence of your endangerment. At this point the Judge is ordering you to be arrested. Now you will be under the law. You have a right to a jury trial and legal representation.. Placing the government in a position of defending an unconstitutional law arguing the VA clandestine activities and veterans endangerment is above the law and the jury should stay out of it.
Veterans if the VA has placed you in a position where you feel you have to end it, you are homeless, or your family is being injured. Don’t waste your life. Protect your life and family. Use the only option available to you. Turn yourself into a jury for protection.
There is a reason the Government wants us isolated from the jury. No respectable US citizen, when brought before them the evidence of what’s really going on, would up hold it. For this scam to work, 2 rules must be strictly adhered to.
1. Veterans are not allowed to tell.
2. Veterans must follow rule no 1.
"We are responsible for our own servitude, by our refusal to resist." Etremine De La Broetie 1584. Any Rosa Parks out there?
The ability for the VA to inflict the pain and suffering we are experiencing is directly related to our ability to accept this behavior from the VA and our fear of taking on for ourselves the responsibility of full American citizenship.
The Declaration of independence starts with. "We hold these truths to be self-evident. . . ." If someday I must stand before a jury, I submit the below opening statement that my right to be before them for my safety is self-evident.
Ladies and gentleman of the jury, you took an oath to up hold the law. Today your going to have to decide between two laws that are in direct contradiction of each other. There is the 1933 Economy Act passed by congress during the depression. This act took out veterans access to the courts. What congress knew it could not accomplish by allowing veterans to continue on with their constitutional right to the courts. Congress abridged veteran’s right to courts by departmentalizing veterans into the Department of Veterans Affairs. What congress knew it could not accomplish allowing continued judicial oversight, it did through a VA tribunal upon which due to social, economic, political pressures. Within the year of its creation, thousands of WW1 disabled vets lost their court ordered compensation through this VA department.
Now we have the other law that is in direct conflict with the 1933 Economy Act. It’s called the constitution of the United States. The constitutions states, Congress shall pass no laws that abridge a citizen’s right to the constitution. The citizens right to judicial review prior to 1933 was practiced and protected by the constitution. I submit to you today. It still is. However it is through acts of congress that disabled veterans now have no choice but to approach the jury on our own without congressional approval. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, this is American citizenship and constitutional law in its most rawest forum. The Bill of rights states it’s the citizens right to alter or abolish the destructive government policies, even the right to revolution if necessary.
Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I’m not asking for a revolution here, or even the right to alter or destroy government polices. All I’m asking is for you to uphold and restore to the veteran the constitution itself which was raped in 1933. Give veterans back the right to redress their grievances in a real court of law that has enforcement authority free from undo influences with the authority to enforce its rulings.
The people who are profiting from veterans abuse are the ones who wrote the rules taking away veterans rights to report and stop the abuse.
Departmentalizing people as a substitute for their constitution and its protections is a very dangerous precedent , and not authorized by the constitution. . What would happen if a Department of Murderers, Rapists, and Thieves was created? All your rights would be suspended and your life would lie in the hands of bureaucrats who have access to lawyers but you are not allowed to have a lawyer and its voluntary if they follow the memorandums that guide their operation.. Today you must choose which law you will uphold, the U.S. Constitution or the 1933 Economy Act.
"He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws, giving his assent to their acts of pretend legislation—by depriving us in many cases of the benefits of trial by jury, —abolishing our most valuable laws and altering fundamentally the forums of our government." (Declaration of Independence.)
BAD FAITH DENIALS
The cat and mouse game of claims denials whether in the VA system or insurance industry has been going on for hundreds of years. The VA has hired hundreds of attorneys to advise them of what their rights are and how to keep claims down, all the while these lawyers will argue in a court of law keeping vets out of courts and from hiring their own attorneys. Adjudication has become quite a science. None the less, all the tricks the VA pulls on veterans to deny or delay claims has all been done before. The thievery of our benefits by unscrupulous insurance companies and adjudicators is so common that the courts and legislatures have found among the tricks, common methods of bad faith claims denials and have listed them in statue and court rulings. What I’m listing now is from civilian courts regarding civilian insurance claims. However if you take out any of your VA claims denials for the last 60 years, I bet you will see some of the below unlawful methods used to deny your claim. Furthermore if you go to the Court of veterans appeals and read the last 13 years of rulings you will see repeatedly each and every one of these tricks being used by the VA year after year..
FL Stat: 626.9541 UNFAIR METHODS OF COMPETION AND UNFAIR OR DECEPTIVE ACTS OR PRACTICES.
Unfair claim settlement practices—
3. Committing or performing with such frequency as to indicate a general business practice any of the following:
4. Failing to adopt and implement standards for the proper investigation of claims.
5. Misrepresenting pertinent facts of insurance policy provisions relating to coverage’s at issue
6. Failing to acknowledge and act promptly upon communications with respect to claims.
7. Denying claims without conducting reasonable investigations based upon available information
8. Failing to affirm or deny full or partial coverage of claims.
9. Failing to promptly provide a reasonable explanation in writing to the insured to the basis in the insurance policy, in relation to the facts or applicable law for denial of a claim.
10. Failing to promptly notify the insured of any additional information necessary for the processing of a claim or,
11. Failing to clearly explain the nature of the requested information and the reason why such information is necessary.
12. Failure to maintain complaint handling procedures.
Now where the civilian authorities have outlawed the above with penalties, Veterans have The National Adjutant: Arthur H. Wilson of the Disabled American Veterans stating in the July/August 2001 of their magazine: Mr. Wilson called the VA adjudication process the "Ping-Pong Bureaucracy." He made this statement because of the years and years a claim is bounced back and forth without any of the merits of the claim being ruled on. The VA adjudication process has also been called the hamster wheel.
This is a very sick abusive situation congress has thrown veterans into. There was an experiment done. It was called the Stanford Prison experiment. Prepared by Dr Zimbardo on the University of Stanford grounds in 1971. Using volunteer students from the collage, the experiment gave one group of student power and authority over another group of students and the lesser group had no rights or recourse. This experiment was so psychologically destructive to those who had no rights that when the results of this experiment came out. Laws were passed prohibiting any further use of humans in these kind of experiments. In a more toned down way of sharing what absolute power does. Some schools and collages have handed out arm bands and told the blue bands are superior. In every case, those with power abused that power, causing great suffering. Brown v. Board of education reversed 100 years of segregation in the south because of the harm little black children were faced with when forced to survive in a similar power structure.
What’s that old saying? "Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely."
Without rule of law and enforcement authority, you get all to the above crazy making scenarios and the VA knows exactly how to use this against the veteran. How many of you have received the most outrageous VA denials and they always come in your mailbox on a Friday afternoon at the start of a holiday weekend? That little trick is to psychologically make you pay a price for submitting a claim in the first place. That burden adds up if it takes 20 30 40 years before the VA approves you claim. Unless Veterans are willing to exercise their American rights, we will continue to be subjects to this fraud and abuse.
Written by: Terry Higgins
Email: va_rebel2001@yahoo.com.
By The Blue Max on 2009-08-29 12:09:29
Okay. Here’s another idea: Put together a list of 100 Veterans with cases pending mor than 5 years. Name, VA facility involved, etc. E-mail that to President Obama on the 1st and 15th of every month with the question: When will YOUR VA resolve these problems? Send a copy to FOX (you know, the bad guys in your life). That will spread the word until solmething gets done. As one name is removed from the list, add another. Ad infinitum. I’m surd you can get 100 ++++ names just for the asking.
For 8 years, Fox News had veterans stories sent to them and never featured a one. You are thinking that, since Fox is racist and Obama is black, they will feature the stories.
Have you considered that we don’t want to deal with Fox?
Who cares? Anyone who would see or hear anything on Fox would be too stupid do anything or simply not care.
Waste of time.
New suggestion needed.
g
Of course you don’t like FOX. WE all know which side of the street you’re on BUT THAT’S NOT RELEVANT. The idea is to send the list of 100 to President Obama every month and replenish the list as results come in. Send a copy each time to GLENN BECK. Let him rant and rave about it on FOX, After all, no small part of his nearly 3,000,000 viewers is made up of veterans. There is the “fire in the belly” veterans need to move things. You might even watch him for a few days in a row. Remember it was Beck who wanted Congress to IMPEACH BUSH for failure to protect our borders. The Democrats, of course, lacked the guts to do that, but if they had, wouldn’t you be singing Beck’s praises?
Max, can’t you tell by now, Ole Duff, don’t want viable suggestions. If he got something to really work, he wouldn’t have a forum to vent his frustrations, rant, rave, complain and tell everybody how many vets he has helped. Basically, if this thing ever gets fixed, Duff will have to get a new place to play. So, I would suggest not wasting your time giving Duff suggestions. It just provides him a forum to discredit what you suggest. I don’t have the answer, but it is not Duff, I am sure of that.
The only reason I can come up with for why the VA and Social Security have pushed recent veterans to the front of the line is because they are more likely to get bad press fro neglecting the younger troops.
I hold no ill will toward ANY veteran, regardless of service era.
It just frosts my cojones that older veterans’ claims are being delayed due to more politics.
Meanwhile, politicians pay lip service to our sacrifices when “certain” holidays roll around.
RAISE SOME HELL!
You seem to be saying that putting 20 year old vets on lifelong mental disability when you have 60 year old PTSD sufferers who have been thru many times the combat is unfair?
g
I am a Marine, (1985- 1987) and I am now finishing up on my husband’s new claim that he had originally started in 1995.
My husband was a crewchief/doorgunner on a Huey in Vietnam during the Easter Offensive and seeing the way that he has been treated by this government is heart-breaking.
We are working now with a American Legion rep. and I really don’t know who to truly trust.
What increases my frustration is that going through my husband’s medical records… I have found that when in 1997 when he nearly died by the Rx the V.A. doctor gave him and my husband questioned… I’ve found that it was covered up by the dr. before my husband barely got out the door. My husband has been weaker ever since and has heart problems that he has never had before. Of course too he has diabetes that is progressing as well, Agent Orange.
There is nothing I know more to do than to keep fighting… but it sure is lonely and frustrating.
Semper Fi
Annie,
Call this number, 202-273-5674, tomorrow after 8:30 am EST, and ask to speak to a Mr. Herbert Thomas. If your case is as you said, he will help you, as he has me and other vets here in NC who have had big time problems with our VA Regional Office (VARO). If he is not there, then any agent there should be able to help you. I just gave you his name, because he really helped me.
Unfortunately, many Service Officers are not properly trained to handle complex cases. In most cases they are so overwhelmed with claims, they spend all their time trying to get the easy claims through. Even the well documented claims take months and sometimes years to get through in the broken VA claims system.
The number I gave you is the the VA’s DC Communications and Case Management Office. They can contact the VARO directly and get things done, if they feel your claim has been mishandled. They have clout with the VARO for some reason. If they don’t help you at this number, please let me know. I feel they will help you. Good luck….Butch
Dear Butch,
I have proof of gross mishandling of my husband’s case in 1995. (I have a copy of his initial and only C&P PTSD exam and it is terrible what they did to my husband in that exam and the irresponsibility that exam was handled with.)
I have proof of a mishandling of his case by the V.A. in 2006. My husband submitted his testimony again, this time – through a mental health professional and days after it was submitted, he was denied – saying the material was too vague and immaterial to substantiate. I used that mental health professional’s same report that was submitted in 2006 and in twenty minutes, I found evidence on the Internet that substantiated three of my husband’s reported incidents in 2006. In one incident, it took four different reports to come up with every fact that my husband submitted to the V.A. in 2006… three weeks exactly to the date within the time frame he said, in the exact location and everything exactly as he said… it seems as if my husband and the other soldier he was with then may be the only eye-witnesses of this incident.
We opened this claim in May. Our V.A. rep. has been working hard to put the 90 plus pages I have of my own report in the military’s own words of the thirteen incidents that I had found – into ‘V.A. Speak’… I think he is done and we need to review it. It has not been submitted yet.
(Despite all of the investigative work that I had done and my husband’s work with remembering things he had tried to forget forever, if it was not for the Grace of God that we had been able to get proof that he was in combat, all of my work would be for naught. I breaks my heart for the other veterans that were there at that time in such heavy combat and are being told that there is no proof that they served in combat. I cannot rest with this issue. Leave no man behind.)
So my question is Butch… is NOW the time to call that number? I don’t want to mess up the ‘process’. Still too, I really don’t know who to trust.
Thank you for your input, it means a lot to me.
(Why are you so hard on Duff? What do you think about Veterans for Common Sense? Veterans really do need to unite, that is where our power lies. So how? Really. I mean it. Let us unite and be a force to be heard and reckoned with.)
Thanks,
Annie
Oh, and yes, he did file and was denied in July 1996 too.
I don’t know how to get a hold of your original C&P Exam… it’s suppose to be difficult. I found a copy of his Initial C&P for PTSD in his old paperwork, (along with a medal that was never mentioned on his DD2-14, Army Commendation, no V device however.) Anyways, they use that Initial C&P Exam against the veteran over and over again if they can… In 1995, my husband had unaddressed combat type PTSD and was looking for help ‘to sort things out’. He was stuck in a room with an intern for 45 minutes asking him “What was your stressor in Vietnam?” The intern managed not to report one fact that could be easily substantiated then. The intern distorted every other statement to make my husband sound like an outright looney liar. And then blamed my husband’s relationship with his father before Vietnam and all the failed marriage, jobs and businesses after Vietnam… adding ‘his traumatic incidents in Vietnam’ being a small part of the many causes of his ‘issues’ The whole process and being denied and told there is no proof that he served in combat further traumatized him.
Oh yeah, and at least as far back as 1999, the V.A. has diagnosed him with chronic PTSD, combat type… but we could never get it service connected.. because we could not prove that he was in combat. “Your MOS says that you were a helicopter repairman. There is no record that you served in combat.” ALMOST ALL of the helicopter repairmen were civilians when he got there.
This torques me so much.
This is how my country treats the people that served without question and with with honor? Dishonor them and their service? I cannot standby and tolerate this.
Annie, call the number and see if they are willing to get involved at this point. If they are not convinced you have given the VA a shot at resolving the claim, they will take care of it.
I am so hard on Duff, because we have a guy like him here locally who rants and raves, but never gets anything accomplished and never gives any credit for the VA doing anything. You saw how quickly Duff discredited the VA’s Office of communications and Case Management based on them “stonewalling”, according to him. I don’t doubt they stonewalled him, because of his attitude. They have been nothing but considerate, concerned and helpful to me when I call, and once I got their number, I called them, a lot. Now they take you through your paces to make sure you didn’t file your claim yesterday and trying to escalate it today. I think that is reasonable. However, once Herb reviewed my case, I could tell he was less than happy with the Winston Salem, NC VARO. He pounced on their butts and got my claim rated in two days. I asked him how he did that when Congressman Coble could not even get anything done. He said, “it was the power of the office”. So, they have the clout, if they are satisfied there has been mishandling by the VARO. I had to call them again on my dependency for my wife, as they were dragging their feet. he got it done the same day. If it were not for his intervention, I would still be waiting on my rating. The VARO jerked the Congressman’s aid around like a puppet and seemed to get some enjoyment out of it, but they didn’t mess with this guy, whatsoever. They just spit my rating out. Of course, I can not guarantee they will help you, as I don’t have all the facts, but it is worth the cost of a call to see. They do have the clout, if your case meets their escalation criteria.
Anyway, it is up to you. You have the number. If you call and don’t get action, then I am totally wrong about them and we will know I was just lucky. If you call and get something done, then it was worth the dime. If you don’t call, we will never know and Duff will keep ranting about how bad things are. It is bad, but the VA is changing. I use the analogy the rudder is turned but the big boat is a little slow to respond.
I was heavily involved with VCS for awhile, but they have become so political, I think they have lost site of the goal somehow. They too want to spend a lot of ink condemning people. Now the law suit that Gordy Espamer is working on is landing breaking. However, duff hasn’t told you that behind the scenes Shinseki is getting ready to revamp the regulations to basically make PTSD presumptive, like Agent Orange. The vet will have to have a PTSD diagnosis and have been in a combat area during a period of war, which Vietnam meets that criteria. It has been a long time coming, but I think you will see that within the next few months. The lauguage was in a Veterans’ Benefits Bill passed in October, 2008, but the Republican Causus demanded it be taken out completely, because of cost. Go figure. I used to be a republican until that happened. You didn’t read too much about that in Duff’s rantings….
Anyway, it is up to you. You can keep entertaining yourself with Duff’s rantings and keep chunking his fire with negative feedback or you can call and try to get something done. Dealers choice……
By the way Annie, my public contact e-mail is captkirknc@yahoo.com. No I was not a captain. I was enlisted. My name has kirk in it and my secretary years ago started calling me capt kirk and it stuck. E-mail me if you have any personal questions so we don’t have to air personal stuff on the forum.
BTW anybody else is free to e-mail me. I try to stay positive about the VA and have had some good and bad experiences with them. I have found you make your on luck and you never give up. Took me 7 years, but I got ‘r’ done, mostly by myself through talking to other vets, reading CAVC decisions and listening to CAVC oral arguments. I had a Lawyer, but had them withdraw as they just wanted to file a brief and wait. I filed numerous motions and the court finally granted them and tore the VA a new, you know what. However, when it was remanded back to the VARO and supposedly expedited, they wanted to drag their feet. They didn’t like their decision being reversed, as the service connection was awarded by the BVA after the court admonished them big time. That is when I got the Office of Comm and Case Mgt involved and they did their thing.
‘
Let’s work on getting change, but let’s be fair. Not every VA person or every VSO is an asshole looking to screw you.
Dear Butch,
Thank you so much, I really appreciate it. I believe I know the criteria. AND it’s already been documented for my husband and turned into the V.A. in 2006. Right on, glad to hear the news… that’s so cool. I will contact you as I will contact Terry. Like I had posted earlier, I DO trust Edwin Crosby III. Mr. Crosby is behind Gordon Duff in this issue. I believe that ALL of you and more here have so much to offer. O.K. Gordon rubs you wrong. If we all can come together, Veterans, it would be a force to be reckoned with. Gordon is one person. He needs others on board. Let’s figure it out and do it. I don’t know if it’s the Marine in me, but, with what I have seen and know and the sorrow it brings my soul, when Gordon Duff declares war on this mess, I’m signing up. I look forward to all of us working together. I know a little about the First Gulf War and the cover-up, it sickens me. My husband is getting older and he’s probably one of the youngest Vietnam Veterans, I have little patience, I want action now. Let’s do it. Looking forward to talking to you soon. Most of all, I’m looking forward to unity with all Veterans. We need each other.
Annie, Duff in one breath is against war and in the next breath,he declares war on the VA. There’s where we differ. I am not joining any group that just wants to grip and complain and take little action. So let’s don’t worry about Duff. he will be ok on his own.
Dear Veterans
Getting a medical opnion stating that your disablity is linked to service and it causes you to be unemployabel. That is worth its weight in gold. the VSO’s and VA fight very hard to keep veterans from obtaining that kind of statement. In fact for decades the VA had specific laws prohibiting its Dr’s from making such conclusions. You may have to get an independant medical opnion. You dont need a VSO to get that for you. ITs your responciblity to see your claim is complete when it gets before the VA.
Any of you want to know more about the nuts and bolts of how to do this. just write me here and ill be glad to share.
terry Higgins
Terry-
Thank you.
Annie
i got my “award” from ssdi as IU while i was still 70% ptsd. something about having almost 150 legitimate tax paying jobs after my return from viet nam. “sir, you seem to have trouble keeping a job”. no shit. anyway, once i got that award letter from SS, the VA had little choice but to give in. there are many avenues that can be utilized for your claim. if the current approach isn’t working, regroup.
Barrie-
I thought it, but damn… you are so right! I’ll get right on that.
Terry and Gordon, you guys rock. Thank you.
Though not everyone realizes it and uses it wisely, having a voice that can be heard is a responsibility and a privilege… and a position of leadership. Thank you Gordon. Keep rocking.
Everyone, it takes the voice of many to be effectively heard.
It can be done.
Dear Terry,
Can you provide a single shred of proof that the VSO’s (and even the VA for that matter) “fight very hard to keep veterans from obtaining” a private nexus opinion (a medical opinion)? Yes, you may go out and get a medical opinion on your own. Do you know what requirements are needed for a valid nexus letter? Who will review that letter and make sure it answers the appropriate questions for you? Who will advise you on what more you may need in a letter? How about a VSO? Folks, I have heard and read many people talk about going into the claim process with the “do-it-yourself” method, and it is stupid. Yes you might get granted. But the VA has many complicated twists and turns in its claim and appeals process. A DAV NSO goes through a 16 month training program before they move from trainee to associate. this is more training in the VA process than ANY attorney has. DAV NSO’s continue to train (and test) for their entire career. Training never ends, it can’t when dealing with CAVC, etc..
So if you can’t back up your statements with fact, don’t make them. VSO’s do not discourage ANYONE from getting a medical opinion, nor do they keep it a secret. You, like your buddy Duff, are just another tinfoil hat wearer.
I ONCE SUGGESTED THAT I THINK THE VETERANS ORGANIZATION SHOULD ORGANIZED MASS PROTEST ON VETERAN DAY TO LET THE PUBLIC KNOW HOW THE VETERANS IS TREATED BY THE VA, HOWEVER I WAS TOLD THAT THE VETERANS ORGANIZATION DO NOT PROTEST.
Herman,
The Veterans’ organizations are better at puckering than protesting, if you get my drift….
Dear Duffster
I commend you for having a free speach web site for veterans. This is the only one I know of.
I wrote for Hadit.com for 4 years and pro vA type and even a VA employee came on and convinced the owner to boot myself out and others. every site I went to was full of VA types that would instantly paint you with the brush of “VA bashing”.
This type of free speach that is being allowed would never happen on Hadit.com. This is a breath of fresh air after 3 years of deportaton off the other veterans web sites.
Do you know what kind of veiwership you have and how man;y read your website a day or month what ever is easyer for you to figure?.
Terry Higgins
Sleeping with the enemy is when a U.S. Marine 100% disabled can lose his rights and no one not even the VFW or American Legion care
Where does a U.S. citizen go when the system fails.
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NH Politican must read (Peter Macdonald)
Date: 2009-08-31, 9:34AM EDT
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The truth will come out
NH Government elected. 8-31-09
Peter Macdonald 465 Packers falls rd Lee NH 03824 603-659-6217
Do you now see how important the opinion of the people being printed in the newspapers is? NH’s elite politicians feel that they do not have to listen to the people any more. Shea-Porter has limited seating Town Hall style meetings where the participants have to be searched for weapons first. It is like I have been saying these same facts (plus more) outrageous crimes by Shea-Porter and the other elected officials and the newspapers censor them. The editors can claim that libelous statements are what are keeping the facts silent this is defined censorship. The Town of Alton asked each of our elected officials Gregg, Sheehan, Shea-Porter and Hodes to a Town Hall style meeting this coming weekend. They all refused. The Democratic and Republican parties have such control on which individual we are allowed to vote for. It is a free election but our only choices are the party loyal puppets. Can the editors now claim censorship is an ethical right for their private business? Public communication must be unbiased no matter who owns it.
Everyone wanted to ignore the biased articles in the paper when I ran this past election for state office. My response to such articles was censored. NH State Senator Amanda Merrill got elected. She is a nice person but has done nothing since taking office. She may be better qualified than I but it should have been the voter’s choice. You are correct this is a small part of the big picture but control is what is diminishing our rights as a nation. Can the Liberian party or NH underground have any chance if it is the newspapers and the Dem or Rep parities that dictate what we can do and say? My letters and statements are mocked and ridiculed but I place them in writing continuously. The truth is so powerful the editors are afraid to let it be printed. Ask why if NH governor Lynch can force me to pay money to speak with him this was not in the newspapers. Ask why if the Governor took my money and we never met why the newspapers did not report it. It is called Biased news. The people across the U.S. want to hear my words because I speak the unbiased truth with out reservations for which they will hurt. Shea-Porter had me physically removed from the American Legion before she would speak. I am a member she is not. Should the people be allowed to tell of these wrongs in unedited opinion letters? Can freedom of speech be at the editor’s direction?
I have violated no laws. NH politicians and judges have put me in jail to stop my opinion. The State Police, local Police and sheriff harass my friends and family to stop me. These trusted individuals are violating the law and Constitution to stop free speech and the ethical bragging editors censor the pubic from the truth. I have asked many times for a public meeting with the governor and others. I ran for elected office. The government saw fit to stop my medical care for Combat related military disabilities. They publicly claim that my head injury needs medication but where do I go. My medical condition has forced me to attempt suicide many times since returning to the world (U.S.). The VFW and American Legion support the politicians over the veteran in need.
All U.S. Military fight for freedom to come back to a place where our freedom is limited depending on which political pet project is pending. I am a no-body in the big picture but the opinion of the people cannot be censored.
Peter Macdonald Sgt USMC Semper Fi
Location: Peter Macdonald
it’s NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
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Dear Donald
Im glad you did not commit sucide. As your life goes on it will become sweeter.
I herd on one of the news programs that a few congressman in 2000 passed the bill that basically allowed gambling on the stock market gong up or down This was sliped into the budget bill at midninght after everyone went home and was passed by an unsuspecting congress. 9 years latter the banks and insurance industries who insured these bets. lost billions if not trillons of dollars when the economey tanked due to sub prime mess
Now why is this relivent. Veterans have lost big time because these last min bills. Rep Soney Montgomery did a last min stuffing and now we have the Veterans court of appeals which has no enforcement authority or teeth to make the VA obey its orders.
Instead of acess to Fed courts acrosss the country. All Veterans claims are log jamed to a million backlog claims and the VA keeps it that way by its sillly rulings.
Until this pratice is stoped. I fear what will become of the health care bill and veterans future laws.
To stop this kind of pratices. citiszens should demand the names of those who do this. If your congressman or the president wont release there names. They should be voted out
Terry Higgins
having been “suicidal”, having suicidal “ideations” (i have paperwork), the guy that “got thru” to me told me, simply, ” i was killing an innocent man”. give that one some thought. just don’t go homicidal on me.
Gentlemen and Annie: I admire your spirit and fully appreciate your anger. Let’s keep the dialogue going. We might get lucky and someone will hear what you are saying. Thank you for all that you do, especially Duff. Semper Fi.
I just made a new facebook page – to be a place for us veterans and our loved ones to meet. It was pretty easy. I was surprised. I hope to see all of you there. Just set up a facebook account and do a friendship request for Annie Reynolds… (the one with a profile photo of a waving American Flag, in case there are a lot of Annie Reynolds.)
I would Encourage Every Interested Reader & thoughtful Veteran to visit http://www.Facebook.com/Peter.Jesella
to learn more, see 40 of 400 photo encounters since 9/11.
Outline:->Foolish Veteran’s 30-year search for Representative & Supportive Governance from bureaucracy: political, media, academic, educational & business communities.
Priority-replace Selective Service with voluntary Youth Service, based on House bill from 1979, to establish a National Youth Service System, which I flipped to mean a Participatory Youth Service System, of voluntary “contracted service” both military and community service, by using enhanced registration {including females & at age 17), next year encourage debate over the meaning & actions related to participatory democracy, constructive citizenship, Service-Learning, contracted service, at 18 indicate yes, no, or maybe {until age 23?}. Maybe allows for further consideration, maturity, more education (post college Peace Corps, etc), technical training, finding the right fitting service program).
In the Air Force in 1973 I experienced the edges of the Yom Kipper War through the massive military airlift, our increasing threats of nuclear war to the Soviet Union, gasoline line, and public anger over not getting “our” oil. Came away with strong concern over future U.S. war in the Persian Gulf, need like the 1930’s Civilian Conservation Corps for a Youth Energy Efficiency Corps. Since 1979, and this House bill, I have been making my case to “people of influence”, with lots of thank you notes, and since 9/11 lots of photo encounters. It is time for this 9/11 anniversory to start the debate again over replacing the old worn out, 20 year old, Selective Service System with something designed for the challenges of the 21st Century National [economic-individual] Security needs of the United States. California is burning, help started a different more thoughtful kind of fire, across this nation, and in the halls of Congress.
-> Hear me President Obama, Vice-President Biden & Players in Washington D.C. such as the United States Congress.
http://www.Facebook.com/Peter.Jesella
Duff,
You darn sure drove it home this time! Damn good article!
With run down, poorly equipped, poorly staffed facilities, run away spending for “bonuses”, “personal trips” it’s no wonder vets feel beat down, neglected, ignored, and shunned.
Veteran Service Organizations have had decades to do what their mission statements say, but have they? Hell NO!
They collect millions of dollars in memberships, donations, and oh yes money from lobbyists, the for the most part do not support veterans in need, support any veteran bills to improve services, facilities, and quality of life.
Earlier this year the American Legion and VFW stood before President Obama to say oh no you can’t bill private insurance carriers for non-combat related illnesses, but why? Only because the insurance lobbyists DONATED to their organizations to stand up for them so they could keep their lofty profits in house and continue to pay huge bonuses to their staff.
NO OTHER REASON were they there!
Where were the American Legion, VFW, VVA, etc., when the news broke about destruction of medical documents for claims, or when the scandal broke out of possible contamination of our veterans with poorly cleaned and maintained endoscope equipment?
Where were these wonderful organizations when the claims and appeals exceeded the 1/2 million mark?
Absolutely NO where to be found except sitting in their offices collecting nice fat salaries, and doing not a damn thing that’s where!
VSO’s (Veteran Service Officers) now this is a whole new game! Yes we do have a few, and I do mean a few who are truly good at their jobs, willing to bend over backwards and help the vets who come to file a claim, and will do the leg work, research, what ever it takes to get the claim completed properly and approved. And when it’s denied, will fight for the vet to get it approved on the next go round.
But again this is a very limited few!
For the most part VSO’s will take the easy way out, file a PTSD claim and chances are it will be granted for 10, 20, 30%, but what about all the Korean and Viet Nam vets still who either can’t get a claim approved, or prove where they were due to “black ops” or “CIA” involvement and those files won’t be declassified until 2013.
Is this just another continuation of the silent and unwritten motto of the VA “Deny, deny, until they die?” I think so!
Now we’re coming up on 20 years since the Gulf War, and Gulf War Illness, and yet the VA and Congress have failed to step up to the plate and address these vets as they did 40 years ago with Viet Nam.
In early 2007 the VA stated they had hired 2,000 people to train as claims processors and it would take two years to train them properly, well the 2 years has come and gone, yet the number of claims and appeals still continues to climb approximately 50,000 per month, where are these people and what the hell are they doing?
Yes we did get a massive win when the budget was pass and the VA got the biggest increase ever, however 51% was marked as “discretionary” spending. Why not fund all VAMC’s properly, update all facilities, purchase brand new top of the line equipment, hire well educated and licensed personnel? Is it our veterans are not worth it to them, they’d much rather pay out bonuses to those who have not earned even their salary? I imagine so!
Things in the VA system will never ever improve until veterans nationwide decide they’ve had enough, will stop relying on the nationally chartered service organizations and begin to take the matters into their own hands!
Call, write, fax, what ever it takes to your Senators and Congressmen! Join advocacy groups who actually know the problems and are willing to walk the walk and talk the talk to all 535 members of Congress.
Imagine if only 25% of the nations veterans actually did this, the impact it would have, and how members of Congress would actually pay attention and become more active at solutions?
There is POWER IN NUMBERS, and WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE, but only when we all get off the VFW bar stools and stop complaining to an audience who doesn’t give a crap and actually complain to those who matter most CONGRESS!
We also have the power to vote these people right out of office, WE put them there, WE can sure as hell take them out!
Jim Davis
President
Veterans-For-Change
JDAVIS92840@SBCGLOBAL.NET
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/VETERANS-FOR-CHANGE/
So I guess your VSO is better than the other VSO’s? Or Well that’s them, not us? Or our VSO will do things how you say…just join and see? For the “president” of a “VSO” you are a hipocrite.
Hey Butch,
Please don’t lump all of us who work thru service organizations as puckering and yes I get your drift.
There are some of us who are very dedicated to helping our Veterans.
My husband has fought the VA for 20 years and finally got a rating of 0%.
I am 69 and he is 59. I am still trying to work to keep our home from foreclosure as he had to retire due to ill health. Unfortunately he is a Blue Water Navy Veteran.
His case has been mishandled forever. He is going to call that number tomorrow morning.
I agree with Annie that we all need to work together. But how can we do that when reading the postings on here and seeing the war of words between everyone?
By the way, the VA said he had melanoma because he showered to much. And his severe PTSD was probably caused by an unhappy childhood. It would be laughable if we weren’t crying.
Venay, they tried to say that about my husband, PTSD “due to his relationship with his father before the war” and “in fact that’s why he joined the Army when he was 17″…so they say. They concluded that he had ‘adjustment issues’ before he arrived in Vietnam. I just finished a statement of how he was a Spec 4 Before he turned 18 years-old and received all EXCELLENT productivity and conduct marks, or what ever the Army calls theirs -before, during and after Vietnam. I wrote how he even received letters of commendation from commanding officers after Vietnam. If he had such adjustment issues before Vietnam… HOW did that happen? Never mind the fact that the V.A. has consistently diagnosed him with chronic PTSD, combat type since 10 years ago. I am sorry to hear about what they have put your husband through and still are. It sickens me. We do need to come together.
P.S. I just made a new facebook page – to be a place for us veterans and our loved ones to meet. It was pretty easy. I was surprised. I hope to see all of you there. Just set up a facebook account and do a friendship request for Annie Reynolds… (the one with a profile photo of a waving American Flag, in case there are a lot of Annie Reynolds.)
Dear Veterans
Man if this site and others exisited 30 yaears ago I would welcome the ideas written by all members where I can side by side review and choose what is important to me.
As far as making choices when there is a war with words. This is easy to answer. ASK QUESTONS!
Terry Higgins
Hi. I just made a new facebook page – to be a place for us veterans and our loved ones to meet. It was pretty easy. I was surprised. I hope to see all of you there. Just set up a facebook account and do a friendship request for Annie Reynolds… (the one with a profile photo of a waving American Flag, in case there are a lot of Annie Reynolds.)
For the most part, I am reserved from writing about politics, or engage in pointless debates that are counter-productive; less on topics I care to discuss: PTSD awareness to discourage the media from over-exaggerating the negatives of veterans’ social reintegration.
For one, I don’t understand politics much and politicians seem to have agendas usually not portrayed by their well executed speeches. Granted there are a few politicians I sincerely respect: the late Senator Kennedy, honorable Senator Lugar, Mr. Obama, not for his ground breaking election but for his uncommon up-brining…
Then today, I saw a post on the “burnpit” , invoking the ‘angry monkey’ on a blog claiming organizations such as The American Legion, VFW, as having “advised the [Department of Veterans Affairs] and Congress, led us [veterans], every step of the way, to the total failure and utter disaster we have now.”
You go on to claim that these organizations “became a home for political extremists or dimwits addicted more grandstanding than the hard work required by informed veterans advocacy…”
Well, I am a member of both organizations; thereby I assume that I am a “political extremist” and a “dimwit”…
And apparently have wasted my time in the past because what I thought was my need to honor friends who never made it back from Iraq by helping organizations such as TAL, and VFW, is now considered as “grandstanding”, less “hard work”…
His words really made me think a bit… have I wasted my time in building a grandstand for the Legion? Seeing that I work to bring The American Legion online to the New Media and Social Network environment, to bridge the gaps between generations of dedicated veterans and the newest wave of heroes and sheroes defending and carrying on the traditions of this great nation???
To be sensible, I have to admit that I have seen some in-fighting amongst these organizations for the less than honorable purposes. To be entirely honest with my purposes, I do say there are small populations of leadership in all established organizations that are leaders for the sake of narcissistic means to an end of selfish nature… but to broadly claim all members of such organizations are “political extremists” and “dimwits” is just personally insulting… I know of many honorable men and women, dedicated to the support of our troops, sacrificed their own welfare to bring a sense of peace to the band of brothers and sisters I care for…
There is Sunny from California, once a homeless veteran, now devoted to the Heroes to Hometowns program, giving every last penny he manages to procure to the wounded… there are the legion Riders who recently raised $620,000 for the Legacy Scholarship Fund… there are many more I met in the last year, whom I came to respect a great deal… and they do make me feel ashamed that I am paid for my work at The American Legion… which is why I am considering doing school work full time pursuing my passion for international human rights and volunteering for the Legion as so many of these dedicated people are doing…
But before I make that decision, Mr. Duff, I want to simply point out your fallacy, that generalizing such harsh criticisms to a body of accomplishments (in fact the Legion authored the original GI Bill which brought this nation many benefits) may offend the people who are dedicated to a cause of honorable intentions, albeit tarnished by the few who belong to the organization in less than honorable ways…
-a combat medic…
Dear Veterans
I use to belong to the DAV. The DAV founder was arrested and put in jail just for holding meetings with other disabled vets around 1930’s. A good man than.
I have had all 3 DAV, VFW, AL rperesent me for my claims in the VA. I filed my claim in 1976. Got my first check in 2001. The VA told the DAV rep not to give me a C&P and he and the other reps went along with it for decades.
I fineally went on my own up to BVA argueing that a C&P that had never been performed. Was in and of it self new and material evidence. BVA agreed and today I’m now 100% and abel to take care of my kids.
Veterans orginizatons are very hazordus to ones claims and our familys.
Veterans orginizatons are reaping what they sew.
Terry Higgins
Terry,
I hate to show your ignorance, but I must. You state that the VA told the DAV not to give you a C&P…BS. I call you a bold face liar. First off, the DAV has nothing to do with scheduling C&P exams. It is entirely done by the VA. The DAV can request one the VA can honor or ignore the request. If you didn’t get a C&P it had nothing to do with any SO. It was the VA and the VA alone. Telling folks any different is plain lying and misrepresentation to TRY and support your contention. Take off your tinfoil hat and start living the truth.
Testing I just wrote a letter to Josh and it was compleatly errased by whet i been told is softwear glichs in the program . Sending this through to see if I can now get through
TerryTesting I just wrote a letter to Josh and it was compleatly errased by whet i been told is softwear glichs in the program . Sending this through to see if I can now get through
Trying to copy and paste. so far that is not wroking out for me
Terry
Dear Jhosh
Any VSO that obeys a VA decission that obstructs a vets claim. That VSO is as guilty as the VA employee who gave that order.
IF the VSO’s are not willing to fight for our claims as history has shown over and over again. Veterans claims are denied.
IN my case a medical opnion to connect the medical dots to the evidencve and then link that to service was so nessesary. the VA and VSO’s knew what they were doing to my claim when no one was even willing to ask for a C&P
Only when I went it alone up to the BVA. Did the BVA lawyer rule it was a denial of my due process rights not to have a C&P, The VSO’s by not challenging the VA’s decision not to let me have a C&P. Denied my my due process rigthts for 22 years. IF the VSO’s dont do there jobs and speak up for the vet by challenging VA denials of our due process rights. Who will? By the DAV and AL not asking for a C&P. They were willing participants in allwoing my C&P denial to go unchallneged.
I have been 100% service connected since 2001 and have had 8 years of taking care of my family no thanks to any of the vSO’s
Terry
dear Josh
A post script to the above responce to your note to me.
The VSO’s failed there duty directly by not appealing the VA’s C&P denial. Just following blindly anything the VA tells them, Really subjects the vet to a VA mole type representiaton of there claim instead of a real power of attorny who would instantly fight against the VA in this case..
Thats where the VSO’s faild and I beleave added and abbeded the VA’s 22 years of denying me a C&P
Terry,
A shame you actually know so little of the claim process. But, you don’t allow that ignorance to keep you from spouting off. VSO’s don’t file appeals without a request from the veteran or discussing it with the veteran first. It is NOT the job of a VSO to appeal a decision on your behalf, the ultimate responsibility falls on you! Did you take action on that? Did you ask your VSO about the decision? Or did you think you could just turn in some paperwork and you could have someone else do everything for you? Take some personal responsibility, you hack. If a VSO finds fault in a Rating decision or SOC, SSOC…etc, they will take that decision to the rating specialist, DRO…etc and talk to them about changing it, but they by no means can force the VA to do ANYTHING, including the scheduling of a C&P exam. The VSO’s do so many things with individual claims that the individuals who filed them have no clue about, such as discussing changing ratings, trying to persuade a RSVR to make a rating go a certain way. These things happen on a daily basis and an individual representing themselves does not have that access.
Bottom line, Terry, please grow up.
Dear Josh
I had asked the American Legion to represent me on the grounds that a C&P that was never performed was in and of itselrf new and material evidence. The American Legion said the VA decision was finial unless there was new and material evidence sumitted to re open a claim. It was clear the VSO’s were not going to challenge the VA on the C&P issue and if I were to win my case I had to go it alone. I did go it alone and won at the BVA level and won the right for C&P and recived my 100% there after
We vets have our testimonys and can use this fourm to put words to what the VA and VSO’s really do to vets.
Josh. Are you a VSO?
Terry
Terry,
I hate to tell you, but the fact that a C&P wasn’t performed was not N&M evidence, nor could it be considered basis for a CUE. The failure of the VARO to properly execute their “Duty to Assist”, while an appealable within the allowed appeal period CANNOT in and of itself reopen a claim or be used to file a CUE. Now if at the time of your original rating decision you had medical evidence of record, that would be considered sufficient for rating purposes, and the VA ignored such evidence that is a different picture. I am a VSO Terry, and if makes me sick to hear people whine about how a VSO screwed them over when in reality they did not communicate with their rep or did not provide the evidence that their rep’s tell them to get. We can only work with what our clients provide. Are there some bad VSO’s out there, you bet. But by a long shot most are hard working dedicated individuals trying to actually help their fellow veterans. It is real easy to sit back a do nothing bu b!tch, or write baseless articles, but to get off your a$$ and do something every day is different.
Dear Veterans
My dissatisfacton with the VSO program was nurtured by the VSO’s themselfs. Just look at the tittle of this web site. “Sleeping with the enemy” VSO’s have no oversite and have not been investigated to see there efectivness.
The best advivce I can give for this situaton is to get a lawyer after the first VA denial. My lawyer has pratice VA law for over a decade I belive. Joe Moore 877-838-2889. Joe got me $25K ahd then $99K,,,,,
I hired Joe Moore after I refused to sign a VSO’s appeal to a VA low ball rating of 30%. the VSO wanted to rate me at 50%. Boy am I glad I left that VSO and got Joe. I have had over a $1.400K a month added payment by the VA due to Joe. VSO’s can be very harmful to your wallet.
Terry
Terry,
I am still waiting for you to provide a shred of PROOF to back up your baseless accusations. But I guess that is the benefit of being a nutjob, you can just spout off and who cares if it is true or not.
Dear Josh
Your name calling proves to me you have a high level of frustraton because you cant intellectully persuade the readers im wrong.
Dave Ryan DAV is the only SO i remember the name. I doubt if any SO remembver s me or the circustances of your discussions.
I do feel confident that others here can see the truth in my writtings.
Now that vets can go public on there experences. This is something that the pro VA folks hate reading
Terry
Dear Veterans
Back on my soap box. hehehehhe.
Be carefull of all paper documents you send to the VSO’s Even though they have you sign a power of attorney. VSO’s do not act like attorneys. Documents you send to the VASO will be sent to the vARO without you first talking to them about documents you feeel should be held back. A real lawyer will triage all documents before sending any to the other side.
VSO’s will recomend you appeal within the RO’s after they made there first denial its called a DRO hearing. Go to VA watchdog .com on there search engine and type NOVA. Then go down to the third story. You will find what a waste of time it is to go to the RO for any thing. By law you have to send your claim in to a RO. However once they rule. YOu can appeal directly to the BVA and skip years of delay and frustraton.
Ill write more on the VA and and how they manipulate veterans during the denial process.
I have had 50% deleaton of my writtings on here so I do littel writting as I can. Hope this gets through
Terry
Terry,
Just wondering what your expertise on the subject on VA claims is? Is it based on the fact that you filed one? Wow, I have cooked dinner, but does that make me a gourmet chef? I drive my POV, does that qualify me to drive NASCAR? The problem with individuals with no real training or using “their research” is that they more often than not give bad advice and become a “barracks” lawyer. You all knew the guys…they knew everything you needed to do and how to do it. When asked how they knew, their cousin did it, they heard about it, but not one bit of training or fact based knowledge. So Terry I ask, did you receive some training, or are you just another barracks lawyer venting?
Dear Josh.
You really hate veterans shareing there personal exdpereances with the VA and VSO’s to other veterans, which exposes whats really going on.
As far as my personal qualificatons. I lived the VA claims process for my adult life of which im now 54 years old, am 100% sercice connected and working getting my 16 years back pay that they are trying to steal from me.
I live near a law school that has all 20 volumes of Veterans Court rulings and the VBM. The VBM was written to train lawyers, VSO’s lay people on VA law. I am just a lay person with VBM training and 33 years experence on how the VA operates and does veterans.
In the veterans claim community where the government just last year authorized vets right to have a lawyer and 800.000 man backlog. For veterans this has turned into a community of a internet prison camp so to speak. We are subjected to sever financil violance with familys suffering. We turn to each other as we would if in a POW camp for help to excape this VA corrupton. Veterans helping each other weather in the military or out.. Veterans have done magnificant things for each other. I’m sorry if I dont meet your approval. But I’m here for the disabled veteran and the VA through its behavior has left a huge vacume which vets like me try to fill
Terry Higgins
testing
I have a 50% error rate and it errases my messages. just testing.
Terry
Dear Duff and veterans
Im loosing half of my written messages to this site. It wont let me copy or paste.
Im ending my writting here until the softwear problem that i was told was the problem, when that is fixed and were not errased any more. I will continue where I left off.
Except for errasing our messages which we spend time crafting. This is a good web site.
Best regards
Terry
VSO’s will not tell you to skip the VARO’s DRO appeal process but I will tell you the DRO is a huge waste of time. You can read the NOVA report on VAWatchdog.com search engine to see how screwed up the DRO process is. I want to share that the DRO process can take 1 to 2 years to go through and end up with a photo copy of your prior denial or the DRO changes the issues and ignors the core issues you want them to rule on.
I belive the VA delibertly make its rulings to look so stupid to the veterans that the vet feels they can show the errors and win there case and therefore they appeal back to the VA that screwed them in the first place. Then years latter they see the time they wasted. Vets if you get a ruling that makes you angry, reads unprofessonal and easy to beat. Just move on and go to BVA. Those rulings are nothing but sucker bait.
I would like to add. The VA gets paid twice if you appeal to the DRO>
Terry
i need someone or an organization that can help me get my disability claim approved by the VA. I’ve been diagnosed with PTSD and hypertention. My e-mail address is rplmal @yahoo.com PLEASE HELP.
I live in San Antonio Tx.I have been diagnosed with PTSD and Hypertention.The VA has denied my claim 2 or 3 times. Is there anybody or organition that can help me get my claim approved? My e-mail address is rplmal @yahoo.com