Cleveland Regional Office Delays Veteran Claim 35 Years.

[broncovet]

In my group therapy, there is a man there who is in a wheel chair (motorized scooter) with braces on each leg. He tells me that he was wounded in Vietnam, and applied for VA benefits with the Cleveland Regional Office in 1973. He further says that he has been awarded NSC Pension, however, even tho the VA wrote a letter saying he was disabled (SC) in 1973, there has been some sort of error and he is not Service connected. He has been trying to get this resolved, for years..even going through congressmen..Veterans Service Officers..everything..and has been unable to get his issue resolved.

His claim is MORE THAN 35 years old. Does anyone out there have a claim older than 35 years? I think Guiness should hear about this one, and send the VARO in Cleveland a "letter of shame" for disrespect to this and all Veterans. I have met this man and am convinced he is "for real"..he seems to welcome the media, etc. to look into this. He just wants what is his. Has anyone out there waited LONGER than 35 years for benefits? If so, please respond..I think the Cleveland Regional Office deserves a "letter of shame" for this.

Edited February 4, 2009 by broncovet

[mike/3/8/cav]

This is an outright disgusting shame. Americans should be appalled. I am and embarassed to.

[broncovet]

Carlie

Thanks for the response. As I said, I hope to see Mr. 35 in Group tommorrow, and I will ask him..I may even print these posts just to let him know we are pulling for him. He tells me they are Vietnam war wounds..of course I do not know, but, if you meet him, I think you would also be able to sense his sincerity.

I have some spare computers/parts around and I am building Mr. 35 a computer..I already told him I would. Its almost complete, but he will need to order an internet service..I dont know if he has the money for that or not however, if I have ANYTHING to say about it, tho, he will get internet service and I am donating a computer. It is the least I can do..as a thank you for serving our country. I have the right, right now, to express my dissatisfaction with a US government agency in no small part to Veterans who have fought for my right to do so. Thanks for listening and responding.

In a few weeks, if things go as I plan, Mr. 35 will get on hadit and answer these very good questions himself.

Edited February 4, 2009 by broncovet

[MikeR]

My Grandmother's Grandfather lost his arm when the rebels ( they saved his life) cut it off in the POW camp in LA in 1863. It took until 1903 to get compensation. He died in 1919 and was getting $50.00 per month which was decent money at the time.

[john999]

My Great, Great Grandfather was a confederate soldier from Georgia. The lost his hearing during the civil war. I don't believe he ever got anything. He went deaf, and because of this he was removed from combat duty except during the Battle of Atlanta. Going deaf probably saved his life. He went to the rear and became a cobbler. He was in Columbus, GA when the Battle of Atlanta started. He and his comrades started walking, but it took so long to get there the battle was over and Sherman was on his way to the sea. He told my Grandmother about eating whatever they could scronge, and never asking what was in the pot. my Great Uncle was gassed in WWI. I don't think he got compensation, but he had PTSD the rest of his life.

[tssnave]

Hurryup -

Your claim and the others listed here are the reason vets should have be allowed to have lawyers in the mix from the get go. I can't wait to read your success story with your 1971 EED - keep us posted!

All -

Your stories brings up one of the most maddening things for me about working a VA claim - WE ARE DISABLED - hence, we don't always have the wherewithall to work a VA claim. Plus, we may not have the education to understand the rules and regulations. Youth (or age) may prevent us from fully understanding the importance of what we are trying to get done. Plus, the VA has lawyers on their side with law degrees. The average Joe Snuffy doesn't have a law degree when he starts his VA claim.

Keep us posted on how these various situations play out. All of us like to see the veteran win valid claims!!

TS Snave

[broncovet]

tssnave

Great point. The VA has dozens of lawyers on staff, being paid hundreds of thousands of dollars. I wonder how many of those lawyers waited...mmm say, 5 years or so to get paid. They are waiting..so when ever we appeal our claim, they want to "trap" us...gee, you applied for one condition and not the other one..gee, you sent your NOD one day too late...gee, we dont have proof your condition is service connected...too bad the VA lawyers dont have to "proove" they are Pro-Veteran in order to get paid. We already prooved our loyalty to this country..we risked life and limb..we should not have to prove it again.

Why should a Veteran have to prove he is smart enought to weave throught the VA maze of regulations to get his benefits and persistent enough to wait for years and years? Are these claims based on writing skills of the Veteran? Organization skills? Ability to "pick" a good VSO?

Comer and Roberson needs to be enforced:

Comer vs Peake:

"The VA is required to give a sympathetic reading to a veteran's filings even where the facts of a particular case do not "coincide" with the facts presented in Roberson"

Roberson said it this way:

...."the Congressional mandate that the VA is to ‘fully and sympathetically develop the veteran’s claim to its optimum before decision on its merits.’

Time after time the VARO violates the above regulations and gets away with it, and the Veteran pays. If you file your NOD, be sure to include the above, if applicable.