[Is The Dav There To Help Veterans Or The Va?]

Maybe the DAV does some good at the national level, but as far as representation on the local level I find them piss poor. I would like to know what the national officer's expense accounts look like? I bet they have some swell parties. They have been great boot lickers traditionally making VA big shots "Disabled Vet of the Year" on a regular basis. Considering we have not had a increase in the basic level of VA compensation in 50 years except for COLA's they have failed us miserably. In 1971 I got $28 dollars a month for a 10% disability. Now it is 40 years later and the rate for 10% is about $150 bucks. All that is due to the COLA and would not pay my electric bill for one month. A vet with a 70% rating is $1200 some odd dollars. That is a joke. We all know a vet with a 70% rating is probably unemployable. What has the DAV to say about this and how loud have they said it? When I got 70% the VA told me not to appeal for IU. I was already on SSD.

I am a Certified DAV Service Officer and whoever told you not to put in for unemployability was lazy and did not want to give you one form to fill out for Unemployability. I am bitter towards some NSO because they don't care. I am presently in Philadelphia but I am leaving here this weekend and I am coming to work in the trenches, just like I did here. I will be moving to Tampa to be will my children and find some comrades to help. My NSO here is sad to see me go because I brought them packets with the veterans information to be processed. I apologize for your being mislead. I have more than I can do here but my season is up here. I volunteer my services and perhaps if some of those big wigs were volunteers for real, their passion for helping comrades would be better.

[Va Fiduciary]

On March 8th, 2010, I went to the Philadelphia VA Regional Office to speak with a representative in VA Fiduciary about matters concern 2 veterans. First of all, no one would come down to speak to me. I do not understand why I could not get anyone to come speak to me, yet I she spoke with me on the phone in front of other waiting veterans. I came to speak with her concerning one veteran owing another veteran funds. I came as an agent for the veteran due to his being ill and whose mother is a surviving spouse of a retired veteran, who is presently in a nursing home not afilliated with the VA. The Vet owing the funds is my uncle who has a fiduciary, which will not pay his bills. Instead of talking to me on behalf of the veteran in question, she call my uncle's fiduciary who stated that she did not know where her father was living. Also she stated that her brother. who is handling the veteran funds stated to her that their father was living in Philadelphia free of charge in the other veteran's mother house whom I was representing. The VA Fuduciary spoke with me on a three way conversation with a non-veteran about veterans business. I am a Chapter Service Officer for DAV and a Post Service Officer for the American Legion their on official business concerning funds due to one of my comrades. I introduced myself, not as a niece or a friend but as an officer on VA business, yet she felt the need not to speak to me in private concerning matters which was not the business of the other veterans sitting in the room in which I was speaking. I take all veterans as my family because on the real, not even your real family understands what the next veteran as been thru or is going through day by day since we were honorably discharged. If I find that a fiduciary is not handle a veterans funds properly, I feel it is my duty to report it. I was taught to go up the change of command but seems to me what veterans think or feel doesn't mean anything. I have found veterans who are so afraid of their fuduciary that they suffer in silence. I can not stand to see any veteran hurting because it hurts me. Veterans are all one body to me! Maybe I am deluding myself, but I believe in Veterans Helping Veterans by any means necessary within the law! As I learn about this Veterans Affairs, I share with others and I use my vehicle to go and file out claims or whatever I can do for my comrades. I really had it, but I refuse to stop doing whatever I can do. I am ill due to Service Connected Injuries, but I refuse to look the other way or believe I made it so oh well on the rest. I want to learn what more I can do. VRE will not send me to school because as they say I just need an independent living program. Perhaps, I can't go as much as I want to due to my SC but I am very computer literate, therefore, I can study at home. My desire is to learn as much VA law as I can but it's hard. My question is who do you report a VA employee misconduct? Thank you in advance for allowing me to vent! Bonita Henderson

[Tonight - Cbs - 60 Minutes]

I watched the 60 Minutes interview and it only touched the surface of what is going on at the VA. It is time out for talking about what is going on at the VA. There need to be some action. Veterans need to flood the President's email and make calls, tie up the lines. I am a member of DAV, American Legion, AMVET and NABVETS. My question to them is why aren't they making a stink about this right now? It is left up to Veterans to get angry, think, come together and speak louder than 60 Minutes! We are the ones that are hurting! Do you know that every time a Veteran get denied, it takes you into a deeper depressive state. It makes you want to hurt someone! But if we do, we go to jail. We need to stop the madness concerning this bonuses or like the Veteran said for Benefits for Denials. That Undersecretary must not be a Veteran that is disabled. I don't know about anyone else but it gets my goat every time my fellow Veteran talk about after waiting forever they are denied. Most things that happen to a person doesn't get documented while you are in the military. You are passed through like cattle, made to feel like a number. But through it all we serve faithfully and most Veterans are proud to have served and is still serving each other and our families. We can not wait for somebody to help us, we must help ourselves! Veterans helping Veterans that is the only way things will change! Thank you for allowing me to vent! QueenB

[Just Joined]

QueenB:

Welcome to Hadit, First of all some who apply for SSD are turned down cause they did not work the quarters but if you ask for SSD and use the last quarter that you worked from to count back the 10 you probably need it will be approved. Best to contact a lawyer who does that to help you.

Good Luck on your claims.

I have a determination letter from Social Security stating that I am totally disabled. I just don't get any compensation from SSA due to my getting VA compensation. As for my claim, I found out today that it is with the DRO. I have an appeal and a new claim. I am putting in a new claim for my left leg for arthritis. My doctor want me to have a knee replacement but is working to keep it from happening right away. I have going to Physical and Aquatic Therapy and Pain School. I could not wear a brace due to my being allergic to the material. I am staying on top of my claim.

I am so happy to be a member of Hadit. I have not stop reading since joining. So to everyone I send my hearfelt gratitude for this site and veterans helping veterans!

Very Hopeful,

QueenB

[Just Joined]

Hello, I joined the group a couple of days ago. This is my first time making a remark. I am in Philadelphia. My rating is 50% migraines, 0% hearing loss, and 0% benign growth of the skin service-connected. My nonservice-connection is angioneurotic edema, sleep apnea syndrome, and intervertebral disc syndrome. I have an appeal pending for diabetes, PTSD, Sleep Apnea, which I have been told is at the rating board by the 1-800 number. I had a c&p examine for depression secondary to migraines in February of 2009. I am a Certified Post Service Officer at American Legion Post 292. A lifetime member of American Legion and Disabled American Veterans. I a member of AMVETS and NABVETS. My desire is to become a State Service Officer. I have a passion for all veterans. I applied for VR&E and have been approved for Chapter 31 benefits. I have received a Determination Letter from Social Security for being Totally Disabled. I only receipt compensation from the VA. Social Security gave me a one-time payment but said that I could not get SSI or SSD monthly benefits because I get compensation from the VA and I do not have enough quarters for SSD being that it has been more than five years since I was employed.

One thing puzzles me, I had put a claim in for PTSD but a new claim was placed for the depression secondary to migraines. I am still learning and I am eager to learn more. I am grateful to be a part of hadit.com Veteran to Veteran Forums. I hope everyone well in your endeavor with the VA and life itself. Peace and Many Blessings!

QueenB