Dak To II ATC

Thanks for all your posts. Now, can anyone suggest a way to convince my wife that the new Gold Wing parked in the garage is an early drop-off from Santa?

My wife has for years been an administrator in adult education which includes English as a Second Language for immigrants . There are many "advocates" claiming to help their paisans for a fee doing things that are free except a little daunting to the uninitiated. Often these advocates were bottom feeders who had a minimal knowledge of the forms and procedures. Some of them were outright frauds. I have always had a bias against paying for something that should be free and accessible. That said, if the VA was more consistent across the landscape and we could trust their qualifications, skills and sincere commitment to us instead of sometimes exhibiting all those habits and traits we have seen in some civil servants I would say stay away from self-styled advocates on general principle. Unfortunately many of us are standing in the middle with a road map written in some obscure dialect and weeping silently because we shouldn't be so damn lost and confused. If this particular advocate has a track record, is literate and knowledgeable and returns your calls I would at least listen and hope but keep copies of all my own files. My own experience relied on an all to rare VSO who had the straight scoop and really did help me out. I also relied on the DAV.. If you have doubts there is always Hadit.com and its long list of kibitzers as your backup. With VONAPP and the new agent orange online applications we shouldn't have so much trouble but it still doesn't hurt to have a buddy as a backup. I would rather pick up the check occasionally for a table full of veterans than pay someone for a free service but, for you, that depends on whether you have a table full of veterans you can hang with. Remember how many self-styled mortgage experts have left people homeless as a warning. Take heart, we've got your back.

I got the envelope and was awarded 100 percent for AO/IHD. Added to current 60 percent I think I can relax a little and learn to be nicer to my family. I am sure they will appreciated this particular milestone. Thanks to Rich Butler, VSO at the VA hospital, DAV, VA Watchdog and Hadit.com. Rich was the first person anywhere who was able to point out the right paths, everyone else were trailblazers, on point or trucking along with me and I really needed each and every one of you. God bless you all. I might be hard to find but leave a message if you are around Peoria AZ; we'll have a beer or I can point you to some good spots for good fishing.

OK, now I am back to notification phase. I had asked IRIS and gotten word that a correction to my file had been required as a reason for the reversion. Let"s hope the correction is complete and I can relax. It isn't that I am ungrateful for the assistance the VA offers but sometime it seems designed to trigger unwanted emotions and such. My first VA experience was an hernia operation in "72 which fixed the hernia and gave me spinal headaches for three months so good with the bad seems a good description. Luck to all.

Spoke to a human at VA who advised me not to bother with eBenefits, just call VA. My file is still deep in the pile and the happy times of the last three days make me feel pretty stupid now. I can't take the excitement.

WTF? I was all atwiter Monday when my eBenefits page showed both my active claims for IHD and TDIU had progressed to Notification. I thought, wow, I can fix my car and take wife out for a drink... Today Notification has been changed back to Decision on both claims. Has this happened to anyone else? Has anyone an explanation? Did Webb really f me over? This isn't good for my angina or my attitude. Thanks, I hope.

Here comes the avalanche. Both my claims have moved to notification phase. No idea of the decision but I can sure find a different hobby now rather than watching the internet and hoping the eagle flies. Good luck to all.

It is now up and running. It seems to be designed expressly for new applications, Passwords are very unique. Good Luck

Nope, not the interactive site yet. got excited and yanked the trigger.

Yup, it is what I thought... They just forgot to readdress the link. Silly them.

http://www.vba.va.gov/bln/21/AO/claimherbicide.htm Hey boys and girls,,, try this link... It seems to worki

The page is just a screen shot, a .jpg or whatever. Maybe someone forgot to change the address in the link and some bunch of programmers are celebrating their skills after giving the keys to management. Fortunately the rally for sanity and fear gave me something to occupy my time while I waited, and waited. By the way, think a good thought for VA Watchdog; I sure appreciated his help...

They must be confused by the international date line, I never could figure it out. Maybe yesterday.

Anyone know when this site is going to go hot?

Good point. If the software techies had ever read FM 22-5 end users would be much happier. I have asked quite a few if they ever were simple minded but I think they misunderstood.

This legislation appears to put any COLA or such increases into lockstep with Social Security. Possibly current law does not link them directly,

Apart from the crew cut and the Marine it wasn't too unbearable. Wonder how tight their own standards are? The scariest part was the expressions of ignorance about extra-national studies of AO. Just a few days ago there was news of a study that showed residents of DaNang had dioxin levels 600 times ours. That was just the latest I have read of since a friend's chloracne in '72 reminded me of taking the waters for most of my tour near the parrot's beak. We've seen pictures and read blurbs for years about birth defects and rampant disabilities in-country VN. The rest of the world was studying it but as one of the Solons said..." We've didn't want to know". I think they knew. It's good to be the king. The only result of this hearing is that we have paid with good and well earned angst waiting for this small part of election year follies to end. I know its a bitch to find all these hidden charges for our troops coming due but it is tough being an adult and frankly I am a little pissed that I can't sneak off to the hills or the river without my wife wanting a babysitter for me. People in my family waited until their late eighties to start breaking down. Final comment....it was nice to listen to inside voices for a while.

this may be a small point but blockages you describe are part of heart disease and would have been discovered well before your VA exam if they had done more exacting tests. Just a stress test or EKG wouldn't show everything. I know because I had near total blockages that showed up only with the contrast scanning and angioplasty. My angina had been building for fifteen years and more that doctors had passed off to poor jaw alignment and bursitis. I figured it was due to a misspent youth.

I had always had a deep suspicion that my generation failed in our duty.... Apparently we never understood the Greatest Generation or appreciated their sacrifices. Well, they're dying out and we have to close up the ranks and press forward, do or die. Thanks Alan for reminding me of my duty...

On my better days I can feel this charitable.

Great Information but begs the question of what is current excuse for not making rule final?