SolInvictus

You guys and gals on hadit are so real, and I love you all for it. This site is like a daily dose of life renewing medicine for a vet- even after %100+.

Mos1833, I don't know that I know enough to add much that will ease the disappointment you must be feeling at this outcome, but I just wanted to say that I imagined myself in your shoes, waiting day in and day out, praying, hoping, dreaming, of a dream that would've made the future look that much brighter, and life a little easier. I tried to picture all those countless days and the numbness one experiences when waiting on a system as emotionless as the va. Then I reached the day you got that deadend result, and my heart broke for you. My experience was mercifully less painful than yours with the system, but I'm human enough to feel for you and know how at sea you must feel when you face the fact that a dream might be dying a slow and agonizing death. I feel for you brother, and hope you catch a break somewhere along the line. No one deserves to watch hope fade, even if it is unavoidable in life.

That's right J, sounds like DoD is fishing for some convenient excuses to keep them from doing what they would rather not do in the first place. I mean I'm sure there are some retirees that require oxygen tanks etc. but just bcos they can't fly hasn't barred all retirees from flying right? They make lots of room for minors and infants of the first 3 categories who probably require just as much supervision as your average 100% er, perhaps even more, but it is understood that DoD isn't responsible therefore the children's parents aren't barred from taking them. All they would have to do is say your welcome but we're not responsible, and either the vet brings his able spouse for support or eliminates himself, thus making room for vets who can. All these excuses mean in effect is that we found a few vets who can't hack it so we'll use them to discriminate against an entire class of vets, then pretend we did it to prevent discrimination. But meghp0405 is right, they are good at coming up with excuses, just not very good ones.

This is one of those things where protecting the rights of others helps protect your own. I can understand the fear of retirees since they struggle to get seats as it is, I should know this because I have tried flying with my wife and experienced the misery of watching the large families of the other categories hop on till the fights filled up leaving us behind. Still, I would lobby for all vets to experience this benefit at least once, even though I understand what a jam that would cause. The pride of taking a spouse on to experience the privilege granted the nations defenders is something we must all share regardless of rank. And even though I know it'll probably never happen, the idea of creating a well where the general and the private can drink as equals from our grateful nations cup is a privilege we must strive to protect for all vets. I think if we do away with this class business and limit it to just spouses there would be plenty of space freed up for all hands. The way it is now, certain classes get to bring entire clans, which naturally excludes the rest. I say if you served you're welcome with your spouse, and first come first served, excepting of course the urgent national defense requirements. But then again I'm no general, what have I to lose in a deal like that right )))

Thank God almighty another soul is saved, hope life gets a lot less complicated for you from here on out buddy, congrats.

My hero. I'm truly sorry this life isn't as fair as it should be to wise and considerate souls like you, perhaps the moral arc of the universe will bend justly in your favor wherever it is we're all journeying to. I hope your wife heals soon because she must be an agel to have understood a man of your caliber for so long. And because all things truly righteous endure and triumph in the fullness of time. Thanks for being a friend.

And you're right, the wrongs I feel exist never justify suicide bombing etc, I just wanted to express the pain and the price folks like you and me have to pay to satiate the greed of the powerful. They are grinding you and I under their heels just as much as they do the weak in all those foreign countries. Just wanted to say that we didn't sacrifice so much for rights and freedom overseas, just to endure abuse and injustice at home.

Rich, thank you so much for sharing your deepest pain and the cost you and yours have Bourne for the love of our great nation. I am in total agreement with you and I think you deserve more sympathy for the wrongs you've suffered than I because I at least have the advantage of youth and time to find healing and the answers I seek, time for things to change for the better. I think perhaps my anger came accross as justifying our common enemies and making them morally equivalent to our great country. I want to clarify that for a minute because I haven't lost faith at all in the land and people I bled for and I keep that faith with you the way your family has for all these generations. My anger is directed squarely at the leaders and greedy politicians who permit, for all the riches and wealth of our great land, patriots like you and your family to suffer and lose all you've built as if there wasn't enough wealth to prevent such pain. My point is that your suffering is unnecessary, neither is my frustration. The patriotic tax paying American citizens that make up the backbone of our economy have paid enough and set aside more than is necessary to compensate the veterans that secure our nation, the fault isn't with them, nor is it with the veteran. So who but the elite and their cronies that are enriching themselves at the expense of the rest of us, are to blame. And just because they've gotten away with it doesn't mean we must bear the injustice in silence. Our nation is strong enough for us to open our eyes to the truth around us and honestly shine daylight on the wrongs, for it is only through this and the rattling of our chains that we can hope to remedy this injustice. Maybe not for you and I, but at least make sure our children and theirs won't have to suffer a similar fate. Brother, I want you to bear your pain, as I'm certain we all must, but I refuse to condemn you to bear it in silence. The corrupt elite that take advantage of proud American patriots must know that we are wise to their schemes, and won't bear it in silence, even if there isn't much else we can do. Sorry for the long rant brother but I love you and your dedication to our great land, and because I love you I must agitate and express your pain, until the wrongs done you are put aright.

Thanks Kelly, and awesome news trailblazer, the va must've had a great Christmas or something cos they're really trying to prove something to us here on hadit. I hope they don't stop cos we still got quite a few of our members waiting in line. Hope there's more happy tidings coming soon.

Thanks buddy, thanks for your service too, semper Fi

Thanks J and Carlie, I intend to do just that, check up on the bennies, get out of town to some cheap country for a while and spend wisely. That's the only good thing I can say about the long va fight, you finish it older or at least wiser in the knowledge that what we gain cheaply, we esteem lightly. The converse is of course true with the va and I aim to treat it for what it is, a rare break of a lifetime.

Just wanna say thanks to all the elders and brothers and sisters here on hadit for educating a proud marine on how to navigate the minefield of va law and how to beat the system with my pride and sanity intact. I won my fight today, above and beyond all expectations. Didn't get envelope yet but congressman called to be first to take credit for the success. He said I won on all fronts 100% P&T. From AB8 etc I can see automatic smc s and k as well. I knew what to look for because you guys armed me with the sharpest weapon, knowledge of my opponent. I'm exhausted, but I knew enough to know that my family here deserved a word of gratitude, especially those of us still mired in the fight, I'll stay and help out, pay forward so to speak, the way others before me have done. Until everyone comes home. Thanks fam.

Hang in there buddy, mine moved a bit too and I know the key is to look on the positive side, hard as that maybe sometimes. Wish you all the best.

My total claim time for this RO has been 560 days and counting..the appeal 385 days..I just got to pending decision review jan 10, 2013 a full two weeks ago even though they keep claiming their average from that stage to notification is 5 days. I have used senator Graham's office and all else I could think of, and that hasn't moved the meter since September, 2012. These people are absolutely atrocious and calloused beyond belief in the way they treat vet claims. They really have taught me how to hate the system/ government and all that it stands for. Something three combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan plus getting my eyes blown out couldn't do. The politicians and the entire government have no honor and their greed knows no bounds. I understand well now the hate that drove those suicide bombers to indiscriminately kill just to show the limits they would go to throw off our brand of democracy. If they can treat the warriors and young men and women who shed their blood to preserve the republic with such dishonor, it is easy to imagine what they must've done to the proud men of those war torn countries to drive them to such depths of madness. This nation could be such a blessing to the human race, were we not controlled by such a soulless system.

You really are housebound, precisely what the smc s is intended to compensate so you are right to push for them to correct that denial. Sounds like they're letting the technical requirements get in the way of assisting a vet in real need. Hope I didn't come accross as discouraging you from fighting buddy. You need help and they do make mistakes so keep reminding them. You definitely deserve better and I hope you win.