68mustang

Don't forget about Applebee's Veterans Day free dinner and Golden Corral free vet dinner on a different day. 68mustang

Thanks mags1023. 68mustang

Thank you all for the congrats. 68mustang

Not official yet,but it should be rated at total of 40%. Nice since I started at no ratings at all. 68mustang

I started my VA claims back in 1990. I was denied several times, but have kept chugging along filing more claims. Finally in 2005 a claim for tinnitus was approved with virtually the same evidence that I had previously used in other claims. It seems regulations on tinnitus had changed in my favor. One more claim was approved, but at a lower rating than what I felt it should have been rated at. I filed an NOD and before the year was up I received a call from the RO asking if I wanted another C&P exam for what I had put the NOD in for. I said yes as long as I could continue the NOD should the C&P exam not help to get my rating increased. I received a call today that my NOD for an increase has been approved. And like everyone else says I'll believe it when I see it in writing and the retro that goes with it. Let me just say that when I joined hadit I was not very informed on how the VA worked. After posting on the forums I received directions on how to proceed with my claims. I did have VSOs, but what helped was the input I got on hadit and using that input on the paperwork I filed with my claims. This is to thank all the members who offered their input and to say I could not have done it without you. I sincerely mean that. This will not be the end of my quest, but rather a continuation of it. The more I learn on these forums I find that I do have more VA claims issues that need resolving. Again thanks for members being there when I needed the help. I hope that many more members receive that phone call or letter telling them their claims have been approved. It may take some time, but NEVER GIVE UP and KEEP UP THE GOOD FIGHT! 68mustang

Too bad they did not have all this back during the Vietnam Era. 68mustang

That was a total lack of common sense on the part of the C&P examiner.

I just kept pressing "0" and was told it was not a valid selection. After the third try I was transferred to a benefits counselor. However I could not be helped "at this time" according to a recording. The past week for me has been tough to get on E-Benefits and now this. 68mustang

You're welcome Berta. Hopefully one of these days Blue Water vets will get the proof needed to show that they were exposed to agent orange. Too bad the government can't conduct water distilling tests by using the same type of ships and distilling plants as were used in the Vietnam War. The government could distilled multiple batches of water contaminated with agent orange. Then on the final batch bottle the water and give it to our Congressmen, Senators, Veterans Affairs officials, and U.S. Navy officials to drink. I wonder how many would be willing to drink it to prove the Blue Water vets wrong? 68mustang

I feel that I must point out my above original quote. I inquired as to whether anyone knew whether the Keppler was involved in any testing. Rereading my posts on this thread I do not believe I mentioned being exposed to agent orange. Maybe I should have elaborated as to what testing, such as "Shad" testing. I did state that I went aboard the ship after it returned from Vietnam. I did not mean to give the impression that because of that I was exposed to agent orange. A day later after posting the above inquiry I posted another inquiry with the following web site. It is about testimony by a retired officer who points out that Navy ships in waters off Vietnam may have taken in water to be distilled for potable water and that agent orange residue may have stayed in the distillation tanks. If agent residue did stay in the tanks there is no way of finding out, since most of the ships are long gone. http://democrats.veterans.house.gov/hearings/Testimony.aspx?TID=72838&Newsid=571&Name=%20Reserve%20Officers%20Association%20%20of%20the%20United%20States I talked to a fellow shipmate the other day about when the ship was in Vietnam. He got service connected for illnesses related to agent orange exposure because he and others went ashore to get repair materials for the gun mount. Yesterday I went to see my VSO and while waiting there I met three Vietnam veterans. All three had stories about their agent orange illnesses and how the VA has dragged along with their claims. I told them about hadit and how I have learned so much from it and told them to look hadit up. BTW thanks for the replies and no I never saw the President referred to.LOL 68mustang

Thank you Berta for the info. I served on a ship in 1967 that had recently returned from Vietnam Keppler (DD 765) and I have checked the listings of ships in Vietnam. I know that the ship was in Operation Sea Dragon in 1967, but I have yet to see it listed. I have seen other ships that were there at the same time listed. The Keppler took a direct hit to one of its gun mounts so it must have been near the shoreline. As for being chastised about the plumes of Agent Orange. It is ironic that our government can accept that pollution can happen to creeks and rivers and that pollution can travel all the way to open seas. Yet cannot accept that Agent Orange could have gotten in the open seas in Vietnam through water runoff from land and by rivers into which Agent Orange was sprayed. Thank again for the info. 68mustang

Found this on the web about the possibility that potable water used by U.S. Navy warships during the Vietnam War could have been contaminated with Agent Orange. I believe the testimony took place during 2008. 68mustang http://democrats.veterans.house.gov/hearings/Testimony.aspx?TID=72838&Newsid=571&Name=%20Reserve%20Officers%20Association%20%20of%20the%20United%20States

Thanks Carlie. 68mustang

Thank you all for the responses. The ship took a direct hit on one of it five inch gun mounts. I went aboard it when it returned from Vietnam. 68mustang

Does anyone know if the U.S.S. Keppler (DD 765) was in any type of testing program during the years 1967-1969? Such as testing the use of certain chemicals. Thanks. 68mustang

jbasser thanks for the clarification. 68mustang

Can anyone please explain about the free $10,000 Life Insurance policy as stated in an older post? Is the first $10,000 free to all disable vets who are service connected at any percentage? Or is it free according to their income levels or degree of disability? Thanks for clarifying it for me and others who may have the same questions. 68mustang

I know that if drank too much caffeine whether it be coffee or soft drinks sometimes it would cause me to have an onset of anxiety. 68mustang

Hang in there Carlie. You are there for us and we're there for you. I know it is hard to not let it get to us and it always seems like it's the VA's intent to rattle us. Don't let them win. Concentrate on what it is you need to accomplish at your hearing and get it done. Turn the tables on them and rattle them for a change. 68mustang

The following web site has some info on "Agent Orange and its use". Don't know how accurate it is so please take note. Thanks http://www.utvet.com/agentorange2.html

Thanks for the input. I am going to put in for the C&P exam since I now know what to expect at a C&P exam. I can say that I have learned a lot on hadit. Thanks for hadit being here to help veterans who may need help and encouragement to continue the fight for their VA benefits. 68mustang

I got a call today from the hearing officer on my NOD. The hearing officer asked if I wanted to get another C&P exam in lieu of having to go through the process of a hearing for an increase on my claim. Seems that there are many claims waiting for appeal. If my new C&P exam warrants a higher rating then that would eliminate waiting for a hearing.I checked with my VSO and he said to go ahead and let the VA schedule another C&P exam and if the VA does not allow a higher rating then we could again proceed with the NOD. I told the VA to go ahead and schedule the C&P exam. I hope that this works out in my favor and eliminate the longer waiting period for a hearing. I am 10% for depression and hope to get it increased. Anyone have input on this? 68mustang

Thanks to all. 68mustang

Thank you all for your responses. I'll keep in mind pursing the legal issue on the civilian side. 68mustang

Thanks J for the response. I am going to keep it monitored and I am going to seek out a lawyer to see if I can pursue it on the civilian side. 68mustang