In 1969, I received my letter of condolences from the President of the United States. I had been drafted into the Armed Services of the United States, like thousands of others before and after me. Exactly which branch of service I would serve in was yet unknown, for I had 90 days to change it all and become an enlistee instead of a draftee. Well I chose the US Army, its Corpse of Engineers as a Welder. I was already Naval certified and ASME Certified by my employer, so why not stick with it, right.
Well I got into the Army, even the Corpse of Engineers, but as a bricklayer. Go figure the military, right! Well that was not the worse of it to come. In 1970 I was sent to Vietnam, spent the first 3 glorious months in a transit unit. For those that never served, this is where you go when you leave a unit and return to the states. Seems that more people where leaving Vietnam, than coming into it in 1970. After serving the rest of that year with a construction battalion in Dong Hao, I was sent home and while going through processing in Ft Lewis Washington, discovered I was going to Germany to serve the last 10 months 21 days I had to do in the Military. Oh NO, that was not for me, I was not going to get shanghide into a 24 month Tour of Duty Station by being extended. They still do that you know. So I extended myself and returned to Nam. Finally coming home in April 1972, having survived several mortar attacks, two gun battles and 1 saper attack that sent my bunk through the wall of our barracks by several feet and tossed me outside as well. Two rounds of treatment for the same STD, and a fear of going to sleep.
I was diagnosed finally in 1980 with PTSD, after first being found to have Hypertension in 1977, drank way to much than needed, no kidding, it was easiest way to get some sleep. Just pass out, plot, boom forget your alive for two to three hours. That was the same year they found a suspicious hole or gap in my lower spine. L-4 to L6. Was this compensatable, no we don't know what it is and you where born with it. WHAT?.
I did not file a claim for my PTSD, because the Social Worker said he did it for me. So I file for the Hypertension and this hole in my back. Guess what the VA wants to know and responds about.
Where did you suffer the trauma for your PTSD. What major battles did you fight in, what awards did you recieve, what citations for service action did you recieve. My response, you have my records look it up. Claim denied, but if you have any pertanent information you may send it in and we will reconsider our actions. What sort of BS is this. VA BS is what it is. As for the other two claims, nada zippo not a word, except my hypertension is family related and hereditary. WHAT IS THIS BS AGAIN.
I have been conducting a 28 year war with the VA, submitting any and every bit of information I can find about the link of Hypertension to PTSD, my back to going through that wall and being tossed out of the building. As why I should have been awarded disablity for my Hypertension due to the PTSD. Response has always been, `We all ready have this information and it is not new! WHAT, AGAIN?
In 2000, I was diagnosed with Congenital Heart Disease, cause, prolonged mistreatment for Hypertension. I began anew to fight for what is or should be rightfully mine, recognition for a service incurred ailment. NO.
In 2001, I break a heel from a fall, two months later I am admitted to the hospital for an apparent stroke. No stroke, but symptons subside enough to send me home. The next weekend I am back in the ER, same symptoms, same tests and after a weekend of bed rest same results and sent home. This happens again but they do not keep me. I am sent home with not knowing what is wrong with me. In less than 1 month I am not able to chew food, drink liquids and have to turn my head completely over onto my shoulder to see one object. I am scared and ready to explode.
In late November of 2001, I see an Ophthalmogist because I am nearly cross eyed now from the double vission. In 15 minutes I am diagnosed and in the hospital recieving treatment for a rare neurological disorder known as Myasthenia Gravis. It affects the head, eyes nose, throat and lung muscles. It can spread to other organs if left untreated, leading to death. 1in 100,000 people can get it, it is a live virus that lives in the person and can spring forth at any time. Mainly from a fracture or break in the bone. It is also connected to Yellow Fever Vaccine and the AMA, CDC as well the VA and Military Medical Communitee, who by the way has the worlds largest case studies on the disease ever compiled.
I go to my VA rep and file once more for disablity compensation, for this and the others. In 2003 I am given Social Security for Disablity from MG, PTSD, CHF(Congestive heart failure=CHD)and my back which is now racked with gapps from C3-C5 and in T3-T6 as well as the original L3-L5. Can anyone guess what the VA said. CLAIMS DENIED, too old of claim, not within one year of discharge, Birth defects are not covered and Hypertension is hereditary.
In 2006 I recieved an award finally for PTSD, at 10%, yes 10%, but I would have gotten more, like 30% if I was not working! WHAT IN H-E-L-L DO I HAVE TO DO, DIE! What is it about the VA that makes it so easily for wounded vets to recieve compensation and for others not or none.
I think it is inbread hostilities towards those that are not maimed in battle, as if we did not as noblely serve our nation. Like the so called `coward' in the movie `Patton'. Shell shock is a cowards way out! I did not want out, I served and did my duty. I came home alive, but not well. My first marriage ended in divorce because she said I hit her while I was sleeping and cursed at her in a strange language. That I was a drunk, who drank to much for her religous beliefs to handle, and the accident I had 14 days after coming home, left me unable to ever work. My second is torn and battered, but still together after 33 years of night swings and hits to the head. Week end drunks that lasted until Tuesday, and the lost jobs because of it. Or the jail time. But this was not good enough for the VA.
When I informed them that out of the approximate 3.5 million servicemen and women who served in Vietnam from 1963-75, they had over 180 claims for disablity filed between 1993-date for MG, they where astounded. For according to theirs and the AMA's statistics only 35-36 personnel would have been affected by Myasthenia Gravis. But still they claim the one year rule applies and it was not new information. Yes, it is not new and you would havve a rule like this, if you knew ahead of time that it is a disease your men will catch and you do not want to pay them for it.
Our service people in Iraq, have been recieving medication for the prevention of MG, in taking Mestinon tablets or capsules. i currently take 560 mg of Mestinon and 200 mg of a immune suppressant medication to hault the effects of my MG. I have no defense against the flu or a cold or pneumonia, or any other contagious disease. Why should I not be compensated for my disease and some guy, who does not watch his weight, or diet or type of food intake and is 1 in 6 of all Americans born with Diabetis, being given the maximum ammount for a hereditary disease.
Well enough about me and my claims. Who out there has ever been over paid by the government, `AFTER YOU CALLED AND WROTE TO THEM NOT TO PAY YOU ANYMORE!' Well, it has happened to more veterans than most of you know about. In some cases the Veteran is able to explain the error and is granted a repreve because they can not repay the debt. Others just repay it and shrug their shoulders, a few have even repaid it in full because they saved that money and knew the day would come and they would have to pay it back.
But why should they have to repay a debt, created by the VA because they did not do as asked of them and is only pure benefit to them and their department. One fellow, on NSC disability, called the VA the day he recieved his award letter from SS for disability and asked them to stop paying him at the end of that month so he would not have an overpayment. He apparently had this problem before and chose not to do it again.
Well he is then told by the VA Pension Center, to put the request in writing and attach a copy of his award letter from SS showing them exactly when his SSD `HAD' actually began. Is this not calling the messanger a liar or what? Well he did as told and guess what, he kept on getting checks, even after he called a second time. Still for five more months he recieved checks. Then he got a letter demanding he repay it immediately, he could pay by CASH, CHECK, MONEY ORDER OR CREDIT CARD! When he went to explain his problem, he only recieved more letters of pay it or we will contact the SS Admin. and take it out of your checks, which they did for 3.5 months. Just explain to me how this is right.
Dealing with the VA is worse than being in combat, they are suppose to be on our side and they contrive to make matters worse than better. And why, because they have no one to atone too for it. Big deal if we kill you by starvation or place you into rehab or a hospital or nursing home. You cannot sue us because we are the government. Has anyone ever asked the IQ level of a VA worker. Most are under educated poor, whites and blacks, dependants of service lifers that wanted their children, about as much as they want the mother of them.
Many more are from the ghettos of society, ill bred, ill raised and barely able to put a sentence together.
I have watched these clerks gab for hours as Veterans and Medical personnel wait and wait for them to be done chattering to their `girl friend'. In the real world they would not have made it to the first break time.
The VA administrators and boards aggrevate the doctors medical techs and nurses who treat these brave men and women for the ailments they have, by not doing what is right for them. I have witnessed three, yes three physcologist quit because the VA mistreated the diagnosis they rendered, the veteran and then them.
This may be why doctors and health care providers are leaving the services and the VA in massive droves. Not because of dollars but because of poor treatment and the lack of careing for those that kept them free from harm.