SouthernBelle

Larry, I'm so proud to know you! Congratulations, and I know you'll do wonderful work. I wish I had your gumption! (Maybe I'll find it buried deep inside me somewhere) I'd love to do what you do. You should post a how-to guide.

Veteran For Life, great tips, I have tons of documentation, and it really does help. Also, having a great doctor, who's actually on your side. Congrats, you deserve it!

Congrats! Stick around, share your story!

Congrats, Jessie!

Well, Bob, as a matter of fact I haven't gotten a new washer yet, but it is in the plans! Will be money well spent! I can't wait! I did get a new mixer, though! Haven't been able to bake like I usually do since my twenty year old hand me down mixer finally groaned out its last cake! I am sure looking forward toBaking again when I get healed back up!

Well, Bob, it was my BlackBerry pearl that fell off the car! And Pete, I did upgrade to the blackberry storm touchscreen! So far, so good although it takes some getting used to I like it!

I still hurt so bad! Thanks, Purple, and everybody, for not making me feel quite so stupid about leaving a phone on the car. It could have been worse! I just want to feel better, they had to switch pain pills because I ran out of them, and now I'm on one that doesn't seem to work quite as well. Probably good, though..... maybe :P

Well, most people just leave coffee, or a briefcase, I have always said go big or get back on the porch!

Thanks everybody. It will be spent very wisely. I'm penny pincher. J, haven't gotten any paperwork at all yet. Pete, I had insurance for ten years and never once used it, cancelled it last year! Figures, on the up side it was time for my new every two from Verizon so it cost me nothing to replace and even upgrade my phone. Ended up a good deal. Thanks again everybody. I am going back to sleep now. All I really can do right now anyways! Still miss yall!

I am still in recovery from surgery, but am on the mend! The hubby can get back in the bed now without me screaming in agony! We got a huge deposit from SS and p called to ask why. We got one year backpay and will receive monthly benefits now! Still very medicated and not even sure if I make sense. Had to let you know though. I love all of yall and can't wait to be beTter. Had to get new phone too. Forgot mine on top of car and it fell off going about 55 mph. Got BlackBerry Storm love it takes getting used though

Alright everyone, prepare for this video by gathering the following: Your tissues and your family. This happened in my old home town, and I thought it should be seen; I personally cried my eyes out. When my son asked me why I was crying, I told him that a SuperHero died, and this is them bringing him home. Every soldier, passed, present and future, is a SuperHero to me. Please don't forget that there are still soldiers fighting a war. We may fight the war with the VA, but there are others fighting a whole other beast. The folks in this video made me proud, and that's not a place I'm usually proud of. (They're not usually what one could call "military friendly") http://e.blip.tv/scripts/...andlink&enablejs=true

This was on our local news tonight. This is a good story. There is a story and video. http://www.wtoc.com/Global/story.asp?S=10758110

Hey everybody, I'm so sorry I haven't been around much. I've stolen a few minutes this morning to see how all of you are holding up. We met with an IL counselor yesterday afternoon. He seems to think that my husband can get some wood working tools to improve his quality of life. They're also talking about getting a second GPS, because we have two vehicles, and only one GPS, and he has spatial disorientation. Anyways, the counselor asked me for a quick list of things that would make wood working easier on my husband. (He currently uses chisels and hammers) Anyways, how long are we looking at here? And what can I expect? The counselor said that this type of thing would have to go to Washington DC, because they want to get a workshop built (one that can be moved, because we don't own this house) and several thousand dollars worth of routers, lathes, saws, shakers, and a laptop that connects to the router. Anyways, I wanted to update everyone, and see how everyone is doing, if you can tell, I'm a little scatter brained today, I have been for weeks.... life is crazy right now. Absolutely certifiable. Fourth of July, I'm taking the day off to hang out with my family, and NOT the crazy ones.... anyways, thanks for any help you can give, I'll try really really hard to get some time on here. I've been keeping up on my phone lately, so I'm not totally out of the loop, it is just a pain to post on the phone. I hope yall aren't mad at me for not being around as much, I'm just running and running lately. Families are crazy. :(

We haven't gotten ours yet. I'm getting irritated. It is the 18th! But, like yall said, June ain't over yet!

Oh Berta, that makes my heart sing! You deserve it! Keep fighting until they give you the justice you deserve!

TestVet, You're BRILLIANT. I just needed to let you know. You're brilliant. You busted your butt, with a broken heart and all, and won. You need to tell everybody who'll listen your story. Tell the world, and get your wife a nice set of furniture. You'll both love it. And hey, Big Lots has VERY NICE furniture for dirt cheap. I got an entire living room set (microfiber suade and everything!) for $850, WITH delivery. Sofa, chair and a half, and ottomon. We could have gotten a loveseat as well, but the house wasn't big enough, and I liked the chair and a half. We could all three sit there, and feel close, but not squished.

Congrats, you deserve it!

Rental, if you hadn't been so honest with me about our claim, I probably would have rolled over and taken the crap from the VA, but you, YOU, my friend, said, Belle, YOU need to get this, do that, and this piece of evidence won't be enough, go get more, and I did, because you were straight with me, and told me what I needed, as well as what I needed to hear. Sometimes, a Belle just needs to hear something positive, and you did that; and sometimes, a Belle needs straight talk, and you did that, too. I was just trying to pay it forward!

Congrats, buddy! You deserve it! I am so happy for you and yours!! It makes my heart sing! And it was no big deal, just trying to help another vet!

Tbird, I looked into that website. It looks like it would be very helpful. Your idea about defining the point of the video is excellent. I hope we have enough people to allow me to do a weekly video! I'm sure there are enough stories to do a daily, but I just don't think that's possible right now. I've spent the last two days looking for a background. I found something that I think will work, without washing out my face too much. It is a light beige flat sheet. I'm going to do some test shots tonight, and see how it looks, if it isn't great, then I'll go back to the Goodwill and look for more sheets! I hope I don't have to, though! I can't WAIT to actually have the video up!

I did consider using my husband's claim, but to be honest, that is still a little raw for me. I am still very angry about it, and I wouldn't want to have too much anger in the video.

I like your last paragraph. I'll work that in!

The part about giving the VA an "F" is an opinion, take it with a grain of salt. This isn't supposed to be a "newscast" it is supposed to be informative, and tell a story about a Veteran. We can say that we "know" this isn't an isolated incident because we have figures that back it up, stories from Veterans, stories on the news, forum topics, all to back it up. Just look around here at Hadit. The VA systematically ignores, denies, or lowballs ratings. We KNOW this, because they actually violate Title 38 to deny, ignore, or lowball ratings. They break the rules to do this. That makes it fact, not slander.

Thanks, Carlie!!! OKAY, so here's my tweaked and squeaked "script:" What do you think? Hello I am known as SouthernBelle on the Veterans’ Forum and information website, www.hadit.com, and I would like to welcome you to my first You Tube video. My husband is a Gulf War Veteran, and I have made it my mission to assist Veterans in any way I can, and this is one way I can! We are going to hear the story of a Veteran from COLORADO tonight. We’re telling the story of the HADIT member “BroncoVet.” So, grab your chair while I tell you a few things about how our government, particularly, the VA is treating our Nation's Military, those who have risked their lives for our country. Unfortunately, I need to tell you that the VA deserves an “F” in its “service” to Veterans. I am going to tell you about a Veteran, from Colorado, and how the VA has treated him. Then, I am going to ask you to share this video with your friends, and then get a pen and paper and write to your congressman telling him that our nation’s Veterans deserve better, they deserve their benefits in a timely manner! A Veteran from Colorado writes: “ I served in the U.S. Navy in the Vietnam Era. Our barracks was located just under the San Diego Airport, and we constantly had jet engines roaring just a few feet above our head when the planes took off. This jet engine noise took its toll and I have a severe hearing loss, which developed over many years and now, I am unable to even watch a movie without “close captioning”. I lived with the hearing loss for many years, but it gets progressively worse every year. Finally, in 2002, I got fired from my job, in no small part because I failed the company physical due to my hearing loss. I applied for benefits with the VA in 2002, explaining to them in a letter how my hearing loss lead to my unemployment. The VA didn’t listen to my letter at all, and put me in for just hearing loss and denied it in November 2002 even though my audiologist offered the opinion that my hearing loss was most likely due to military service. I appealed, and the Board of Veterans appeals agreed with me awarding me a complete grant of benefit sought, in January 2004. I thought that they were going to compensate me and I would be able to keep my home, which was in foreclosure because people just don’t want to hire an extremely hard of hearing person, though I tried with all my might to get a job. In February, 2004, the VA “decided” that, since the BVA awarded me benefits, they would “award” me a zero percent rating for hearing loss. That's right, the VA interpreted a complete grant of benefits to mean that I got NOTHING. My home was foreclosed, my pickup truck was repossessed, and I was just days from being just another homeless Veteran. It has been 7 years since I applied, and the VA has still given me only the very minimum of benefits, expecting me to live on about $600 per month. My VA paperwork has been shredded by the Cleveland Regional Office and they “can't find” major parts of my claim. Even though it is too late for me, I am asking for your help for my kids. If I get my VA benefits soon enough, they will still be young enough to go to college. Thank you A Loyal Veteran Now, all you You Tubers, what do you think? Do you honestly believe this is an isolated incident? I know that it isn’t. It is the mission of these videos to show to the nation that this is the NORM for the VA. Become informed! Go to www.hadit.com and just look around at what is being talked about, who has “slipped through the cracks.” The numbers are staggering. What do yall think?

I'm looking forward to actually making the video. I've only been photographed before, never done video... Yall gotta tell me if I look ridiculous! PLEASE tell me if I look ridiculous! I want to do it in front of a brick wall... somewhat symbolic, and a really nice background, BUT, I won't have good lighting, because I'll have to do it after 1900. Also, I'd have to contend with the bugs and frogs outside making all kinds of noise.... I'm still thinking on the background, because it DOES matter. I want to look smart, not ridiculous! Thanks for the tips Carlie!