Victor Ray

Dr. Varney was absolutely 100% spot on and absolutely correct, but the VA doctors naturally dismissed his research and findings. His research has the only acceptable findings, making the others look like child's play. Why? Why is the truth becoming public fought so hard? If Secretary Shulkin read my records, he would fire the rating officers.

PTSD Service Connection dies with the veteran, but physical service connected conditions will be proven to be passed down to our off spring. We are so kept in the dark.

PTSD is still largely misunderstood, even by many doctors. Malaria or encephalitis can leave a person with symptoms of PTSD and so can the antimalarial drugs. I became permanently damaged in Vietnam, and the Army recognized this and issued a permanent profile P-3 after 3 weeks of hospitalization and just before being medivac'd out of country. I remained ill and continuously got worse all the time I was on duty, and the Army was aware of this all along, and lied about my treatment records, saying they had been lost, but they weren't. They are still withheld and always will be because more than likely I was part of an experiment. I went into a coma right after being discharged, from months of migraine headaches, fevers, eye aches, pharyngitis and testing positive for group A Streptococcus, Upper Respiratory Infections, an enlarged painful sensitive prostate and it felt like worms in my eyeballs for several years afterwards. I developed dozens of abdominal tumors, dead brain matter, cancers, blood coagulation problems, but the VA said I never complained while in the service. Who in their right mind can not understand that what they see in writing is nothing but complaints? Between incompetence and corruption, PTSD will remain misunderstood at the expense of the vet. Sorry about the rant, but 46 years later and I am still waiting for vindication. Secretary David Shulkin doesn't respond to emails and probably don't even read them. Good luck to all of you.

Treysnonna, Thank you for the information and I hope I am still here in 1400 days, but that's not likely. I am hoping that because of the length of my wait since my first filing(1983), and the VA lying about my illnesses and diagnosis', that it might go faster. Oh, it's not PC to say they lied, they misled me. I actually should have been medically retired in 1971 due to permanent defects, non deployability, never stabilizing, never recovering, never getting diagnosed. I hope your husband survived and received all the benefits he was entitled to, without having to appeal any further. It seems we all get teased little by little then die, and I'm not in a hurry to die, but I am in a hurry to see vindication while I am breathing. Encephalitis is being treated as PTSD, and that is not right. Encephalitis is passed down to the offspring. I hope you all are ok. Good luck. Victor Ray

Trays Nonna, How did and when did your husband get a docket number? Just curious because I filed in January 2016, but never got a docket number. Thanks Victor Ray

Paul. thats all way over my head. I was told a DRO could do the same as the BVA, but much sooner. It's like when you first file. A VSO may not even submit your claim like the St Louis DAV office did me, and DAV seems to order what benefits you receive. The VA may issue the benefit, but DAV seems to control what the VA issues. Back to the point, a lawyer will hav much more interest and work much harder for you to get the Maximum benefit you are entitled to, THE FIRST TIME, where VSOs get all their money when they sign you up, and forget you exist after that. Then it takes a couple years to get you a little increase, then you hire an attorney. Now you have years wasted and are just now hiring someone that actually knows the rules. I don't have any faith in the BVA, or myself to know how badly the VA screwed me, I just know they gave been doing it intentionally for 46 years, and an attorney can probably prove it. I should have hired one in the beginning, but I believed in the system, and could not believe anyone in their right mind couldn't see the obvious, but then again, I didn't understand how the gov. works. I'm learning. Thanks for explaining though. Victor Ray

That should put me at about 5 months away, give or take. Thank you i am bowing out of this thread. Again, I may have accidentally hijacked another vets quest? If so, please excuse us ignorant internet navigators. Sorry Brother. Good Luck! Victor Ray

How long did you wait allansc for the hearing? You are right. These examiners and raters are just roadblocks, and have the mentality of a cheating spouse. They love their mate in their own way, but won't stop the love affairs with others either. They don't consider the damage those affairs have on their spouse, because no one holds them accountable. The DROs may be the only accountable source of the VA. Did you wait years for your DRO? Victor Ray

Buck. my VARO is St. Louis, but after being in the NWQ for months just sitting there, my claim went to Atlanta GA, it for a good while, it then went to Nebraska for a while, then went to Texas for a short time, where they maintain I never complained, never had an illness, disease or injury, or any kind of treatment or diagnosis while in the service. After that decision, I called the lady I have been working with and she sais she was putting me back in the system for reconsideration. i have requested my claims be expedited, but I am not homeless, will no lose my home, am not broke financially, and doctors have no told me I am terminally ill yet, so it is wait and wait. How long has others had to wait for their DRO on an average? Victor Ray

allansc I am waiting on a DRO now, since Jan 2016, 14 months now. It was suppose to be an average wait of 310 days, but that went by 3-4 months ago. Thank you. Victor Ray

Buck. There is something to this, so please hear me out. Maybe the VA knows I am right in my claim and is just giving me a little at a time, but this has happened in my first claim, that was filed after my 1983 denial. I was awarded 30% PTSD and 10%IHD. I called and complained at the low ball award when it should have been 100% back to 1971. They said they would reopen my claims "for reconsideration". I didn't do anything but wait, and it took about 7 months, but it was increased to 30 and 30 which was 50%. Maybe after 45 years of getting screwed, and the VA not spending 1 cent for any medicine, medical care with doctors and hospitals and me paying thousands and thousands in premiums for service related illness and injuries, someone may be finally listening now that life is just about over. No one believes I had a chloroquine reaction for a month initially and all the following illnesses, especially t being documented by the Army. I had 24 tumors removed from the intestines, that were not hereditary. I qualified for testing for just $100 because I had so many, and I guess a record, and they were environmentally acquired, not hereditary. That alone should make the VA go hmmmm. I know they have done their own investigation for records, whether they admit it or not. I know I am on a certain list, and have been told so. Maybe I am special, lol. No, no way. I am abused and ignored if anything, but I think there is reconsiderations, but may only apply when the VA knows the veteran is right. Victor Ray

Buck. I was told not to appeal that last decision because she (VA employee) was putting me in for reconsideration. That made sense, but I don't know? I have a year from Jan 2017, if I am still here, and I will get an attorney before then, depending on the reconsideration. Victor Ray

L, allansc, and Buck. Claire McCaskills office did nothing, but I was sent to her by Richard Blumenthal Ranking Member, but it was a waste of time, and they could not get my records either. The VFW and DAV could not get them, so the FOIA Requests are useless. They are paper jokes. I have been waiting on a face to face DRO since Jan 16 2016, with no date in sight. victor ray

I found out the hard way, that everything said here is correct. I thought it was mainly me, but I see that it is the corrupt administration having the view that every illness, disease, or injury that is not the direct result of a projectile piercing the body, disabling some or all of the body from close to normal function, is not a disability at all. Illness, disease, and injuries are due to carelessness, lack of hygiene, or wreckless behavior,mane all were avoidable in the VAs eyes. I think I have more than enough hard black and white evidence on paper, documented by the governments own medical officers and doctors in Command of the largest Army hospital we had overseas testifying that I had acquired permanent defects restricting my ability to perform from now on and forever, and yet totally denied. YES, my records have intentionally been withheld. I was being deceived before even getting honorably discharged, and I am sure the Army and VA knew at least in the 60s that Agent Orange was making us sick, especially us in the Delta, because it was affecting entire military operations. I believe any judge that is not corrupt to the bone would agree with my my claims, and that the Army/VA covered up my exposure, nearly dying 2 months after ETS from migraines I had been complaining about for months and months. They are still hiding those records, and gave me no mention of medical records when I got out. It took 45 years to get them.

Buck. I have another 20 requests I have made in my own form of written letter and FOIA Requests. I am just posting a few for now. I have been put in for reconsideration, and cancelled the attorney appt., hoping in this last consideration it gets to someone that can read and understand. This is the last chance for the VA to come clean, and the next step is make some real noise. I did write the Secretary, and may write a parer explanation with some documents enclosed. I will be back later, and thank you very much. Victor Ray withholding foia.pdf records at VA.pdf request DAV redacted.pdf withholding foia.pdf

Berta. Thank you, but I actually cancelled that appointment. It is downtown and in the VFW Headquarters, so I got paranoid because I don't trust any one even remotely associated with VSOs. I may advertise for an attorney in the news paper, I don't know, but I need a super lawyer, the best. I want this to go as public as possible and reach as many agencies as possible, and maybe Secretary Shulkin may get wind of it, and expose the St. Louis Mo, Kansas City Mo, Atlanta GA, and Waco Texas raters for falsely stating the facts, and the VA for hiding my evidence for 45 years, when I may have been helped and treated, if I had been monitored. The VA knew my history of hospitalization in Vietnam, and I believe the VA intentionally withheld my treatment records basicaly all my life after Vietnam. i will get an attirney though because the VA has demonstrated time after time they have no intention of making anything right about any of the lies it put on paper in this last decision from Texas. Honesty is something that has to be forced on them because they are not here to do the honest or right thing. Raters are in the destroy lives business, and i hope every one of them pay. Sorry for not following through yet, but I will, and if the Secretary dont want to hear, i will go elsewhere. He works for the VA, not me, so i dont know. Thanks again Berta. Victor Ray

8up4life. i have no faith in them either. I believe some of us were Guine Pigs, and never suppose to live this long, and never accounted on having us apply for benefits. They denied us proper treatment after being released from the hospitals, denied us service connection when we found out what was killing us and making us ill, and "hid our own medical records from us" to keep any public doctors or medical people from knowing about dioxin exposure, ingestion, or consumption. We were experimented on, and there is no other reason for hiding our medical records all our lives. They picked through mine taking out incriminating evidence, and have made getting any of them almost impossible. They are part of the BVA aren't they? Besides, I don't have years to wait and they know it. I don't believe or have any faith in any one at the VA or the dirty VSOs. They are the scum of this system, ranking just below the raters in honesty. The St Louis DAV are the real slime, and the more they screw the vets the higher up the VAs payroll they go. Thank you though 8up. I appreciate the advice, and I would go to the BVA if I could but I am lost, have been lied to by those that were supposed to help me, and my record evidence means nothing.

Buck. thank you for the great advice as always. All of you, Ms Berta, Asknod, Gastone, Broncovet, and everyone else that pitched in. It is all greatly appreciated. I will read the M21-series and have read some, but DAV in St. Louis told me the days of Vietnam Veterans claims having priority are gone, and the doctors have not said I am terminal, but I haven't asked either. Dreading that day, but I will see if I fall under the rules. DAV in Kansas City said there was no duty to assist in 1983 (my initial claim). I have specifically asked for pay vouchers, morning reports, travel orders, unit assignments, but didn't get anywhere, but it gets one address after another. I need to write some others like the finance dept. i was issued the RVN Service Medal, and DD214 does show service in country, but I think I was caught up in the AO Exposure cover up. They looked at my P-3 profile "only", and made the decision before receiving my treatment records, but they said I had urticaria, rashes, papular rashes, swelling, large weals, lesions, eruptions, bone pain, abdominal cramping, heart rate 60-90, swollen arms, ankles, leg pain, mosquito bites, flexural Atopic Dermatitis, and it got worse and worse with every defect listed under the "P" in "PULHES" on DA3349, but did nut use the word "CHLORACNE", so I was denied. The 1983 fee based examiner for the VA also determined "atopic dermatitis", the same as on May 26, 1971 at the 24th Evacuation Hospital, Long Binh, Vietnam. The VA has always hidden my records. Always! They have them. They just won't let me have a copy. They say they may harm someone else, they have not been located, they may be going to release them after my DRO, which is well past a year now, but that is a maybe. They may have them and may release them. I don't believe they should be holding them either, but those FOIA Requests are about as useless as most of the regulations that are so craftily written. They are impressive to hear, but the VA has reduced them to meaningless rhetoric. The UCMJ and CFR are all laws used against the veteran, and the vet does not win a tie. It gets remanded, reopened, or some other "re" until we die and survivors are lost. They do what they damn well please, and I have no faith in such a corrupt system, it's corrupt leaders, corrupt rating officers, corrupt examiners, corrupt employees. The whole system is corrupt to the core, and everything that they put out is meaningless and hopelessly deceiving. I am glad you all are here to help veterans, because the VA isnt. They are untrustworthy, deceitful, and responsible for the phony backlog. Nothing they say is believable because they change lies daily. I am just rambling on now, but I know the VA is lying about knowing dioxin alters DNA just like it knew dioxin is was killing us 50 years ago, bit chose to let us die and hid our treatment records in hopes of speeding up the process so we couldn't collect any benefit for damage from their experiments they did on us, the chemicals they used, or any other desire they have to use us Guinea Pigs for. I am sorry for feeling so bitter, and I won't comment anymore, at least when I am upset. I guess I have been in shock the last 46 years, not being able to understand how people do what they do and not be bothered. It seems that lying comes very easy to the VA, and is the most desired trait of all. Thanks for being here though, and giving some people hope. It is all some vets have, and all the VA is going to give too. Victor Ray

Berta. if you are talking to me, which I think you are, I finally have most of my records, but the VA said they were withholding some also, and would not release them. All those from Japan, and about 7 months following my hospital stay there. I was issued the Vietnam Service Medal , but i don't think they are now questioning my Vietnam service. They "do"concede agent orange exposure, and service connected me for IHD at 30% and 50% for PTSD, but ignore all the documents and evidence showing the nexus from service conditions and current conditions. So far, they have intentionally avoided making eye contact with the information on the documents. They take them and lay them on the desk without viewing them. That way they can say they never saw this or that, like little kids would do, using a play on words. Childish bull and political correctness. No, they did not view the documents in my presence, but are they accessible by the examiners? I am going to make about 20 copies of the documented evidence and send them to various agencies, government individuals, and news agencies for review and opinions, along with the VAs reasons for denials, and let them know I am looking for the best representation possible. I believe this is a malicious "INTENTIONAL CUE", with zero regard for my well being. The medical board proceedings are missing also, and that was held right there on base, so they were intentionally destroyed or withheld to make everything as impossible and hard as they could. Thank you Berta, for great information. Victor Ray

Berta and Buck. i certainly appreciate the help you all give freely un unselfishly all the time. This is a welcome sight compared to others where they talk down to you and act as though they are themselves raters, which some of them are. i have written Secretary Shulkin, and hope he got it at David.Shulkin@va.gov, and told him the VA has said they will not release certain documents per Chapter 5 and Chapter 6 of FOIA. It "does" show service in Vietnam on my DD214, and apparently my records were never lost in the first place. DOD or the VA called me a couple years ago and asked me why I wanted those records point blank and a matter of factly, but he had a very unique voice I would recognize years later. I said because there was medical information and other evidence that I may need in the future. I though it was odd that they would call and ask why I wanted them. The NARA is where I did finally get the treatment records from, but I got some from all sources, the VA, NPRC, real sporadic. They said they had them, then they didn't, then they were returned back to them, and it is all suspicious. I never received any pay records, morning reports, but I finally got the inpatient treatment records showing physically being there and treated, contrary to what the VA says. I am supposedly put in for a reconsideration, but I will still see the Attorney tomorrow. Depending on the outcome with the VA in the next week ot two, I will know what I need to do. I will keep you posted and will use your advice. You guys have been great thank you Buck, and thank you Berta. Victor Ray

Buck. Thank you for the encouraging words of patience, and it seems I have pretty much done about the same as you. I started trying to get my records before I was discharged. After the Army said they wer lost and it was time for me to get out, I had no proof of being in Vietnam, Japan, or being even being hospitalized in country. They didn't give me anything except traveling orders home and a DD214. The VFW and myself requested all my C-File, 201 file, and all medical records in 1983. I never got any. I started requesting again in 2012, 5 years ago. I finally got some about 10 months ago after 20+ FOIA Requests. I have the requests going back to February 1972, but just got some of them last spring. Why did it take 45 years and dozens of requests? I got a letter from the VA saying they would not release the records from June 1971 to January 1972, and they would show the migraine headaches, which is now a 13x5mm hypodensity in the brain white matter, and have had at least 2 strokes that are documented. I am 100% blocked in my left carotid artery too, and I believe there is evidence in those records. I was told I was part of an experiment, but blew it off, but now I wonder. i am at lifes end now, and every day I weak up is a thrill. I will not live years, and am past due for a hard cardiac event, but hope to have a year ot possibly two. I have hope, but not much. I lost faith in the system when I was denied in 1983, when I couldnt get a single document. They were covering up Agent Orange Residuals even then, and the last three years of hope and looking for that day my life would change are about done. I go talk to a lawyer Tuesday, and am going to ask him for the moon, and the solar system, because they have purposely made this a long and unnecessarily devastating event, withholding medical evidence maliciously causing an early death, suffering, and anything he can get for my family after I am gone. My kids, grand kids and their kids too. I am like you and have ""HADIT"". Thanks Buck Victor Ray

DAV did that in July 2014. I called Ebenefits to check my claim status the middle of Nov. and It wasn't even in the system yet. It wasn't even scanned into the system yet. Everything about DAV sucked from day 1 followed by lies and deception. DAV is the dirty arm of the VA, and are here to make sure you get as little benefit as possible. They are here to screw you over and are the scum of the VSO phonies. Six digit salaries, bonuses, bonuses, bonuses, and in bed with the VBA. The whole VA is completely corrupt, and are licensed to lie as much as it wants to make sure you die before getting the truth or honest treatment. It disgusts me. Sorry for the bad attitude, but the VA has destroyed too many lives intentionally, and the idiots in Texas have to be totally illeterate, or have had the evidence destroyed, and they never saw it. St. Louis is corrupt, Atlanta GA is corrupt, Kansas City totally corrupt, Nebraska corrupt. This whole benefit system is totally corrupt, just the way it is designed to be. victor

Buck. That's exactly what I am getting at. If they do this to every veteran, which they pretty much do from what I see, vets are continuously getting screwed over. There is no penalty for the VA doing anything it wants, screwing anyone it wants for as long as it wants. Every veteran should skip any VSO and go straight to an attorney from active duty. VSOs are worthless. The veteran gets screwed 100% of the time. They may accept the outcome, and may even be happy with it, but they are getting screwed anyway you look at. That's the VAs thank you. Pretty much a big F. U., and it is 100% intentional, telling me I never complained, was never treated, never diagnosed, with any illness, disease, or injury, when I was hospitalized in Vietnam for a month, and then say there is no record of, when I have them really makes me sick that there is such pure corruption in every VA facility in the United States, and in every department of Justice in every office in the government, especially the Veterans Benefit Administration, the Veterans Health Administration. Filth runs the VA. Victor Ray

Buck. Todays dollars will buy much more than it will 5 years from now, plus interest. I filed in 1983 which was supposed to go back to April 1972 or June 1971 when I was evacuated out of Vietnam. If I win, and they went back 46 years at 100%, would they pay in today's 100% dollars? $3000 for each month or $800, or what ever it was then? Would they pay 46 years of interest too? That sat on my records for 45 years with me receiving $0 C & P and not paying one cent for medicine, hospitalization or doctors visits, or any medical care or insurance premiums at all. I think they saved a lot, and when they only SC you say 10% for hearing, and denied IHD even though you were in Vietnam, they save again, because the 4 bypasses performed were paid for by the employer and personal insurance and the vet himself. David Shulkin said a vet had been waiting over 30 years for a decision because he keeps submitting pieces of evidence and they keep starting him over from the beginning, which is bull. How long do they go without receiving evidence before they make a decision? Can they not rate the claim for what it is up to the point they received more evidence? A person that never served at all gets his claim looked at exactly like he is a highly decorated Vietnam Veteran, according to DAV. I think it is the most pitiful design and any high school student could improve it. Mine went to four states over 8/9 month period when in the NWQ. They are always looking for a loop hole to deny you benefits, and we do not get the benefit of doubt, IMHO... Victor Ray

I think too that sometimes they are told to just give the vet a little increase in rating and make him file a NOD. Several times like that and they are dead and we saved a bunch of money and work. When the facts get to the right person without being destroyed, magically, a correct decision is made. Victor Ray