allan

<H1 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">From my counter part in New Zealand on herbicide issues</H1> All claims here are treated the same with no limitations placed on them, so long as you were in theatre and can have the claim recognized as attributable to your service. Original assessment is performed by your own family GP; his/her recommendations are forwarded to Veterans Affairs who arrange a visit to an appropriate specialist. The specialist ascertains the degree of disability etc and either arranges treatment or recommends the percentage of pension to be paid to the individual, dating back to the original application with your GP. The process is normally resolved within about six months. Once in receipt of a pension, this can be reviewed at any time if the condition deteriorates. Once a person has reached 70% disablement, the spouse automatically becomes eligible for a "surviving spouses pension" which is about $300 more than the National Superannuation per month and a grant towards funeral costs. Things have certainly improved here since the Government has accepted that they have been wrong for the past 40 years. We are getting a public apology broadcast live from Parliament on Wednesday 28th May at 2.00 pm on Sky channel 90. Process and medical issues covered = Comprehensive Medical Assessment Shows Hypertension as well as AL Amyloidosis associated. http://www.2ndbattalion94thartillery.com/Chas/Kiwi1.pdf Forms and such = http://www.2ndbattalion94thartillery.com/Chas/Kiwi2.pdf Kelley

Three links you might find interesting. Apparently, VA has stepped in it again with an uncovered e-mail stating a recommendation not to find PTSD but an "Adjustment Disorder" instead. Peake has stated the person doing the e-mail does not speak for the VA. Therefore, did this individual direct his doctors on his own or did he have instructions to do so from higher up. I will guarantee you; we will never know unless someone comes forward as a whistle blower. Link with copy of e-mail is: http://www.vetvoice.com//showDiary.do;jsessionid=597D9F3832CE555962427E691EFAE9CD?diaryId=1254 I would just bet Congressmen Filner, Walz, and Hall are just livid with this development. If not they should be! _____________________________________________ <H1 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </H1><H1 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Sound familiar to you Nam Vets:</H1> The White House Bureau of the Budget put out a memo to all the agencies of government in essence not to find a correlation between Agent Orange and health affects. Stating that it would be most unfortunate for two reasons: A) The cost of supporting the Veterans. B) The court liability to which corporations would be exposed. _________________________________________________________ <H2 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">In addition, one of my Aussie counter parts sent me the following link documenting a 10-fold increase in cancer in an area where herbicide testing was done. </H2> “Ms Williams found three boxes of files in the archives, with one file, marked "considered sensitive'', showing the chemicals 2,4-D, Diquat, Tordon and diemthyl sulphoxide (DMSO) were sprayed on the rainforest. "It was considered sensitive because they were mixing together all the bad chemicals, which just made them worse,'' she said. "They cause all the cancers.'' The contents of the missing file were marked "too disturbing to ever be released'',.. A fourth box was missing. http://www.websitetoolbox.com/tool/post/gunners/vpost?id=2716202 Now if these cancer sites do not match the limited cancer sites our VA/IOM connection has concocted, as only their specific sites are associated with herbicides; then obviously this 10-fold increase never happened, at least associated to the listed toxic chemicals and they better look elsewhere for the cause of the 10 fold increase. ______________________________________________________________ I posted a link that is an article primarily written by a lawyer regarding neurotoxic damages with my comments on how it applies to the DOD Herbicide Era Veterans 1962-1975. http://www.2ndbattalion94thartillery.com/Chas/neurotoxicityVietnamVeterans.htm I will be leaving Wednesday AM early and not have access to a computer for at least a week..so were you can please hold e-mails till the following Wednesday. Kelley

When I showed up to view the c-file, there was only a few pages. They said thats all they use as a working claims file. The rest of the file wasn't availeble. I traveled three hundred miles for nothing.

We may be in this war for 100 yrs if some have their way. So to start things out right, this administration wants to throw their vets into the streets and refuse to compensate, reconize or treat them for PTSD? Briliant! They better pray blood isnt shed on their side over this.

If King Bush signs it, nothing will go to reducing the backlog. It will likely be absorbed into the dept and no one will ever see it make a difference. "The $50 million increase would apply to the general administration account for the Veterans Benefits Administration, which processes benefits claims. The money is earmarked for pilot programs to find ways to cut the average waiting time for a ruling on a claim, currently six months for initial claims."

Ricky, I think a Vet has to submit any USC, CFR or M-Manual procedure and current Court of Appeals case sites that applies with their NOD's. It's good to remind them they have laws and regulations they should follow.

Hello VMO, for an IMO(Independent Medical Opinion) there is only an examination of your records. The last IMO the BVA used to deny my claim, came from the east coast. I live on the west coast. For an IME, (Independent Medical Examination) a physical examination and an examination of records is performed. The VA will always, always try to misrepresent the meaning of the law in their denials, SOC's. These are the bricks the long road of remands are paved with. ..............................................................................

I missed it. Will go back and listen to Berta's & Mikes shows now that I can get it.

Ricky, it can put you in a dark hole, if you allow it. Don't end up being one of the suicides, the ratings officers stick under their belts and call it "BONUS".

one of the best in the FEDERAL SECTOR? LOL........... One of the best reports FEDERAL money can buy is more like it. Your tax money at work, spreading only the best fertilizer across the country. Just like those huge, stupid signs we're force to look at while waiting for our Dr's appointment. If the VA was that good, we would all be bragging about it. The VA health care system has come close to killing me on several occasions and in my opinion, one of the reasons Sen. McCain vows to see caps on malpractice suits, when he takes office.

Smoking Status and Occupational Exposure Affects Oxidative DNA Injury in Boilermakers Exposed to Metal Fume and Residual Oil Fly Ash http://cebp.aacrjournals.org/cgi/content/full/13/3/454

Hello Quint7, Dr Bash has a home phone, business phone, fax number. I never had any problem reaching him. I do know he's therough in his work and that takes time. It's seems like it took a couple months for my IMO. Allan

VA Ordered to Pay Retroactive Benefits to Agent Orange Victims http://www.onlinelawyersource.com/news/va-...ive-benefi.html July 25th, 2007 "Appeals Court Says VA Must Comply with 1991 Consent Decree" The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals recently ordered the Department of Veterans Affairs to pay retroactive benefits to Vietnam War veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange. The VA had fought for 16 years against paying benefits retroactively to veterans who had claimed that their leukemia was caused by the toxic herbicide.VA Refused to Pay Retroactive BenefitsAlthough the VA agreed in 2003 to provide benefits to the vets diagnosed with CLL (chronic lymphocytic leukemia) caused by Agent Orange, the VA didn't then review previous claims from vets with CLL, and it declined to pay them retroactive benefits.Court Chastises the VA in RulingJudge Stephen Reinhardt, writing the appeals court decision, chastised the VA over its longstanding opposition to paying the benefits, stating, "We would hope that this litigation will now end, that our government will now respect the legal obligations it undertook in the consent decree some 16 years ago, that obstructionist bureaucratic opposition will now cease, and that our veterans will finally receive the benefits to which they are morally and legally entitled."The opinion went on to say "The performance of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs has contributed substantially to our sense of national shame."It is not yet known how many veterans will be affected by the court's decision, or how much the VA would be paying out in benefits, or whether the VA will appeal the latest decision.Other Agent Orange-Based Disabilities PossibleAn attorney with the National Veterans Legal Services Program, Richard Spataro, noted that the appeals court ruling might finally halt the years of legal battles with the VA — if the VA doesn't appeal the case to the Supreme Court. Spataro also pointed out that if other disabilities or illnesses among vets are found to have been caused by Agent Orange, the recent decision will bar the VA from denying retroactive benefits for those vets, too.(Source: findlaw.com)Have adverse effects of Agent Orange or another toxic chemical harmed you or a loved one? Contact a lawyer with the skills and experience necessary to provide the legal representation you need. AGENT ORANGE SYMPTOMShttp://www.onlinelawyersource.com/agent_orange/symptoms.html <H1 id=blurb_1_title>Agent Orange Symptoms </H1>Symptoms of Agent Orange can fail to appear until years after exposure. Many Vietnam veterans and families have just started to be noticeably affected by symptoms of Agent Orange despite the lapse in time. This is due to the fact that many symptoms of Agent Orange take time to develop but the results can be extremely deadly and serious when symptoms do occur. The Veterans Affairs has linked symptoms of Agent Orange to result in instances of cancer, diabetes, Hodgkin’s disease, spinal bifidia, multiple myeloma, as well as many other effects. The announcement made, following the June 9, 2003 Supreme Court vote, has allowed Vietnam veterans and their families suffering from the symptoms of Agent Orange, that were not included in the 1985 Agent Orange settlement fund, to take legal action against manufacturers. Since only 50,000 of the 2.4 million people exposed to Agent Orange received money from the $180 million settlement fund, a high number of people are estimated to potentially have suffered symptoms of Agent Orange but have yet to receive justice. morthomer@sbcglobal.net wrote: .hmmessage P { PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px } BODY.hmmessage { FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma } You probably had this already but just in case you did not im sending it to you also if this does not affect you then send to anyone that you may know that this can be useful for. ----- Original Message ----- From: Virginia Brooks To: vareforms1@bright.net Sent: Tuesday, May 13, 2008 10:47 PMSubject: Agent Orange Breaking News. Now, Agent Orange lawsuits have been allowed Great information, please send to any veterans you may know...Thanks Virginia Brooks www.newfrontiercoalition.com .ExternalClass .EC_hmmessage P {padding:0px;} .ExternalClass body.EC_hmmessage {font-size:10pt;font-family:Tahoma;} <H3 id=EC_blurb_13_title>Agent Orange</H3>Agent Orange Claims Diseases Effects Exposure Health Effects Info Lawsuit Lung Cancer Melanoma Memory Loss Parkinsonism Symptoms Veterans Vietnam Contact a Lawyer Find a Lawyer in Your State more_legal_areas agent_orange Find a Lawyer by State Alaska Alabama Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware D.C. Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Puerto Rico Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Need Help? Osteonecrosis and Fosamax Hernia Patch Recall Ortho Evra Lawyer Ortho Evra Side Effects Nuvaring Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis Paxil Birth Defects Find a Lawyer Near YouSubmit your Agent Orange claim details for a free, no obligation case review. Get Started: more_legal_areas agent_orange Find a Lawyer by State Alaska Alabama Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware D.C. Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Puerto Rico Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming <H1 id=EC_blurb_1_title>Agent Orange </H1>Agent Orange was used heavily during the Vietnam War, exposing around 2.4 million U.S. veterans and families to the extremely toxic herbicide. The effects of Agent Orange have been linked to prostate and respiratory cancers, multiple myeloma, Hodgkin’s disease, spinal bifidia in babies exposed to Agent Orange, diabetes, in addition to many other Agent Orange effects according to the Veteran Affairs. An April 2003 Columbia University study re-examined military records of the Vietnam War and found over half of the 1.84 million gallons of herbicides sprayed from 1961-1971 was Agent Orange. Back in 1979, after the first Agent Orange class action was filed, a 1985 out of court settlement resulted in a $180 million fund for Agent Orange victims, which included 2.4 million veterans that the Agent Orange class action was supposed to include. Many people were either not made aware of the Agent Orange settlement or did not qualify to receive any of the Agent Orange settlement due to illnesses developing after 1994, the cut off date to receive Agent Orange settlement funds. The impact of Agent Orange surpasses estimations and many people have suffered Agent Orange’s deadly effects without receiving justice. Now, Agent Orange lawsuits have been allowed. In a deadlocked Supreme Court vote, the law states that an automatic affirmation of the lower court’s ruling must occur, allowing Agent Orange legal action to occur. <H3 id=EC_blurb_6_title>Agent Orange Breaking News</H3> "Appeals Court Says VA Must Comply with 1991 Consent Decree" The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals recently ordered the Department of Veterans Affairs to pay retroactive benefits to Vietnam War veterans who were exposed to » Read More "New Zealand government apologizes to Vietnam veterans for Agent Orange" After following a report from Parliament''s health select committee released in October, New Zealand''s government has apologized to Vietnam veterans for their exposure to Agent Orange and other defoliants from more than 30 years ago. The ... » Read More "Study Links Agent Orange and Cancer Risk" The Air Force recently conducted a study that found an increased risk of prostate cancer and melanoma in Air Force veterans of the Vietnam War who were exposed to the chemical defoliant Agent Orange. The study found a cancer incidence that was 1.46 to ... » Read More <H4 id=EC_blurb_7_title>Related Resources</H4>Agent Orange - Information about Agent Orange and the health of our Vietnam Veterans <H4 id=EC_blurb_8_title>Other Areas of Law</H4> [*]Agent Orange | [*]Pressure Treated Wood | [*]Aviation Law | [*]Bad Faith Insurance | [*]Bail Bonds | [*]Bankruptcy | [*]Benzene | [*]Bosentan | [*]Butadiene | [*]Cerebral Palsy | [*]Consumer Fraud | [*]Contract Law | [*]Creosote | [*]Defective Hip Implants | [*]Dioxin | [*]Disability Discrimination | [*]Discrimination | [*]ERISA | [*]FELA | [*]Fluoride Bone Cancer | [*]Lead Exposure | [*]Manganese | [*]Maritime Law | [*]Mesothelioma | [*]Other Practice Areas | [*]Nursing Home Abuse | [*]Pesticide Safety | [*]PPH | [*]Qui Tam | [*]Racial Discrimination | [*]Security Clearance Denial | [*]Sexual Discrimination | [*]Silicosis | [*]Social Security Disability | [*]Stock Fraud | [*]SUV Rollover | [*]Tardive Dyskinesia | [*]Toxic Substance | [*]Toxic Mold | [*]Variable Annuities | [*]Vinyl Chloride | [*]Welding Rod | [*]Whistleblower Law | [*]Wood Dust Exposure | [*]Workers Compensation Lawyer | Thomas W. Trefts Director of The Unified Veterans Coalition http://xsorbit27.com/users5/unifiedveteran...ition/index.php

From: Michael A. Harris [mailto:mekong152@charter.net] Sent: Tuesday, May 13, 2008 1:35 AM Subject: *** Surviving Veterans Resolve *** --- Wednesday --- May 14th --- 6:30 to 8:00 PM Eastern Time TOPIC: Mistreatment of Veterans by the VA and the high Veteran Suicide rate WHERE: http://www.stardustent.com/svr.htm

DAV request for help Claims Modernization Act of 2008 (H.R. 5892). DAV request for help on Veterans Disability Claims Modernization Act of 2008 (H.R. 5892). http://www.2ndbattalion94thartillery.com/Chas/DAVrequestforhelp.htm Kelley

Agent Orange - Myelodysplastic Syndromes & the Vietnam Era Veterans Please pass on-Vietnam Vets; Korean Vets Les Ryan vetrepdude@msn.com Subject: RE: Myelodysplastic Syndromes & the Vietnam Veteran - THIS IS URGENT AND HIGH PRIORITY - please get this out to every veteran/org you can. Link with comments posted at: http://www.2ndbattalion94thartillery.com/Chas/ALoffspring.htm Kelley ]

fwd from: Tom Trefts Attention All UVC Members Just got this heads up from Backwoods Vet Al ColeHalliburton Video Clip : First Hand Reports Of Widespread Contaminated Water Given To Our Troops Regards,Tom & Caren Trefts, Al Cole,Shaun Orris, JJ Jenson, Rick, Mort The unifiedveteranscoalition Team. Al Cole <airborneal@centurytel.net> wrote: From: "Al Cole" <airborneal@centurytel.net> To: "Paul Jensen" <jjjensen@up.net> Subject: Fw: Haliburton Date: Sun, 11 May 2008 23:02:30 -0500 -----PLEASE WATCH THISBACKWOODS VETS AL Interesting stuff! Short 3 Min. vidio that just might open your eyes Thomas W. Trefts Director of The Unified Veterans Coalition http://xsorbit27.com/users5/unifiedveteran...ition/index.php

fwd from: Mike Harris Hello All, I will be hosting the upcoming SVR Internet Radio Show: WHEN: Wednesday May 14th from 6:30 to 8:00 PM Eastern Time GUESTS: * First 30 minutes - Mr. Paul Sullivan - Executive Director of "Veterans for Common Sense" - * Last 30 minutes - Mr. Sid Wolinsky - Attorney and co-founder of "Disability Rights Advocates" - http://www.dralegal.org/ Both individuals are active in a major class action lawsuit against the Veterans Administration for mistreatment of our Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. Plaintiffs in the suit are "Veterans for Common Sense" and "Veterans United for Truth". Here is a May 11, 2008 article that explains the situation: http://tinyurl.com/6aodwr I may have another speaker for the middle portion of the show, but if not then we will simply continue our discussion on the topic. TOPIC: Mistreatment of Veterans by the VA and the high Veteran Suicide rate WHERE: http://www.stardustent.com/svr.htm Thanks for your continued support. If one veteran or family member receives something from the shows then it is all worth the effort. Warm Regards,Mike Harris Personal: http://www.riverinesailor.com Webmaster: http://www.mrfa.org Webmaster: http://www.pointman101.org

If it isn't the People, Congress, or DVA/NSO's using any tatic to devide us, theres the constant, never ending tricare battle. I encourage you and support your right to express your feelings. On the otherhand. This post is not about tricare or you. In my opinion your way out of line and completely desirespectful to those who served under such harsh conditions. You obviously don't mind being disrespectful to those who served our country and retired by your post. Do you honestly think your post helps your cause? This bill helps whats left of these vets. It will never, never erase the suffering the Vet and family went through. TRICARE? What the hell does it have to do with it?????????????? Maybe we need a forum named, "to hell with everyone but us, TRICARE". Than you could post there by your self, all day long. These Vets and their families will never get what they deserve. The least YOU could do is give them the respect they deserve, so their serviving families can feel equal to tricare benefits. Good one maddog. You be proud now.

Souldeliverer, It's good to hear your being cared for. That's one. Are you 100% SC? Vets who are less than 100% SC, Pension, may not recieve the care you did. Allan

fwd from: Colonel Dan Be careful taking Prozac, Paxil, etc.. talk to your Dr. seriously... and be careful stopping cold turkey How many of the veterans and service members who have committed suicide were taking Prozac or a similar drugs.. worth a close look... How many were seeing a Psychiatrist .. or a Psychologist.... was the Psychiatrist Dr treating/counseling or just prescribing drugs, as most of them just do. Is Prozac the trigger for suicide? Dr David Healy, a psychiatrist at the University of Wales College of Medicine, believes hundreds in Britain have committed suicide while on Prozac. ... www.antidepressantsfacts.com/1999-09-29-Lilly-block-research.htm CNN.com - Papers indicate firm knew possible Prozac suicide risk ... An internal document purportedly from Eli Lilly and Co. made public Monday appears to show that the drug maker had data more than 15 years ago showing that ... www.cnn.com/2005/HEALTH/01/03/prozac.documents/index.html Prescription for Suicide? TIME MAGAZINE According to Dr. Martin Teicher, a senior Harvard researcher at McLean Hospital who was first to publish case reports linking suicide and Prozac, ... www.ahrp.org/infomail/04/02/06.php -In the early 1990s, Dr. Breggin suggested there were problems with research methodology in the research of SSRI antidepressants. As early as 1991 in Talking Back to Prozac he warned that Prozac was causing violence, suicide and mania, and he elaborated on this theme in many subsequent books and articles in regard to all of the newer antidepressants. In 2005, the FDA began requiring black box warnings on SSRIs, warning of an association between SSRI use and suicidal behavior in children.[11], and later extended it to young adults. New general warnngs were added along with the aforementioned black box warnings. These confirmed many of the other adverse effects first emphasized by Dr. Breggin in Toxic Psychiatry with specific mentions by the FDA of drug-induced "hostility," "irritability," and "mania"[citation needed]. In 2006, the FDA expanded the warnings to include adults taking Paxil (which is associated with a higher risk of suicidal behavior as compared to placebo[12]). These policy actions were taken approximately 15 years after Dr. Breggin first wrote about the subject. "Keep on, Keepin' on" Dan Cedusky, Champaign IL "Colonel Dan" See my web site at: http://www.angelfire.com/il2/VeteranIssues/

Yes, Josephine is telling the truth. I have Dr's statements that are altered in many SOC's by raters. Anytime the same statement by the Dr was mentioned in multiple issues, it was intentionally misqoated until the meaning of the statement was lost.

A great loss to all Veterans. Clark came here for many years helping vets. Allan

Feb-05, I sent Dr Bash my SMR's, C-File etc and he wrote an IMO. The AMC ignored it by saying, he did't have the entire C-file before him when he made the opinion. In their Jan-08 denial, the AMC claims there is no record in my C-file, of me "ever" requesting a copy of the c-file. They also claim they never recieved any of the evidence Dr Bash requested I send returned reciept. These people claim ,the authinticity of the records I sent with Dr Bash's IMO (SMR's, C-file), can not be confirmed. So, they denied the claim saying they can't find the records that was sent, but if they could they know they're not authinic enough to consider. I sent them eight or ten of the request for copy of C-file records starting in 1975. My requests for claim records were completly ignored for over 22 years. My claims file is full of unanswered requests for all my records and any fool that opened the folder would see that. A simple error? Maybe, but highly unlikely in the game of DELAY DELAY DELAY until your dead.

VA Regional Offices Overstepping Legal Boundaries Sunday, March 30, 2008 There are more than some disconnects As the article notes, some Haas cases will suffer disconnects because of denials. Others are being illegally held by VA Regional Offices under the Ribaudo stay of Haas. On Wednesday, March 26th, 2008, I had a conversation with an attorney who is taking over as Executive Director of NOVA. After briefly explaining my claim, I was advised to file a pro se request for extraordinary relief through a writ of Mandamus. This had also been advised by another veteran’s legal organization. As an Air Force retiree, I filed a claim which involves diseases that are presumptive due to exposure to AO while twice traveling through Vietnam (boots on the ground), and direct causation due to exposure to herbicides while at U-Tapao RTNAB and Korat RTAFB, Thailand proven through the authorization to use herbicides in Thailand (USMACTHAI/JUSMAGTHAI Memorandum: Mission Policy on Base Defense), my duties as a Military Working Dog Handler patrolling on the perimeters of the aforementioned bases, and the use of herbicides specified in reports (Project CHECO Report: Base Defense in Thailand). In addition, my DD Form 214 specifies the award of the Vietnam Service Medal, the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal and the AF Outstanding Unit Award w/Valor. In the accompanying letter of correction from HQ AFPC/DPPPR, dated July 27, 2007, the letter states, “ We also verified your entitlement to the AFOUA w/2 OLC (1 silver oak leaf cluster and 1 bronze oak leaf cluster), while assigned to the 35 FS, 354 TFW & 355 TFW. In addition, we also verified 2 Bronze Service Stars (2BSS) to the Vietnam Service Medal (VSM), Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm (RVNGC w/P), while serving in Vietnam, and the Korea Defense Service Medal, while serving in Korea.” While listening to the SVR show on Wednesday night, I had a brief conversation with another advocate that indicated that I needed to insure I had exhausted all administrative remedies before filing the above writ. On Thursday morning at 10:37 a.m. CST, March 27, 2008, I called the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Legal Counsel. I was transferred to another office, and put in contact with Ethan C. Kallet, Esq., the staff attorney on the DVA’s Federal Circuit appeal of the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims Haas decision. I stated my case, asking him what recourse he could recommend. He rendered the same determination that the other two attorneys had. My case was not one that should have been stayed by the Regional Office, and he seemed quite upset that Regional Offices were being too stringent on determining which cases to stay, and that he was going to contact someone at the Waco Regional Office concerning the situation. He recommended I should request a meeting with the Veterans Service Center Manager to present my case. While not expecting immediate results, I called Mr. Lloyd Coffman, Veterans Outreach Director at the Waco Regional Office that afternoon at 1:39 p.m. CST. I got the same runaround as usual. He indicated that the Service Center Manager didn’t meet with veterans, that there were at least ten people between him and me. Despite the recommendation of the OGC counsel, Mr. Coffman also said there was nothing he could do to help; the Regional Offices had been told to stay all AO cases “outside of Vietnam”. He suggested I meet personally with my VFW Service Officer to explain to me why my case was being held, which to me meant that there appears to be an accept “whatever they tell you“ attitude by the VFW. Based on this incident, and the conversation with OGC, it seems evident that the Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Benefit Administration, Disability and Pension Office, and their Regional Offices, Claim Adjudicators, and Service Representatives are ignoring the advice of their attorneys and are holding or denying cases not covered in the CAVC’s stay. Additionally, with the cancer and diabetes findings in Veterans of Ranch Hand reevaluated by Dr. Michalek and Dr. Pavuk M., the fact of the matter is that the IOM findings based on the original Ranch Hand Study are erroneous, and that there are possibly hundreds of thousands of cases of denials, claims un-filed, or not re-filed because the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs got the answers they originally wanted. Posted by Kurt Priessman, MSgt, USAF (Ret) at 10:25 p.m. Personal comments: Our house and senate members’ inability to get to the bottom of these issues is perplexing. The fact that their taxpayer paid for Gold Standard missed a two-fold increase in all cancers certainly should give them reason to question what has gone on the last 40 years. I thought the oversight hearing in 2000 would have prompted at least some questions of "what in the world is going on." Now it seems that VA is illegally sitting on some cases that should be adjudicated immediately, as directed by someone with Veterans Affairs itself. Just adding to the numbers in back log that our Congress says, at least on face value, must be addressed. Yet, they, our Congress (House and Senate), continue to do little if anything to demand a fair and impartial assessment assuming government process integrity... when there is none. The actions or lack of actions does not exhibit their stated philosophy of “We Support Our Veterans.” Maybe they are "just that afraid" of the Presidents and/or political parties we have had for forty plus years who have also just let this go on and on and on.......and on. Kelley http://www.2ndbattalion94thartillery.com/Chas/VAoverstep.htm