Template For Anyone Affected

[Berta]

I advise to read the Fast Letter $ 08-41 itself before preparing your request to have your decision reconsidered.

The VA will accept the forms of proof that are mentioned in the fast letter.

A vet I know who sent them a request like this, received the "we are working on your claim" letter in response.

At least it confirmed they had received his complaint under the fast letter- (I think)

It appears we have to again re-submit what we already submitted to VA and paid for postage on.

I am wondering what quarantee we could have that the re-submissions won't be lost.

Perhaps the committee meetings next month (H VAC) will provide that guarantee.

Many of us have evidence in our C file that was not destroyed -just simply never read- at all.I wonder if the VA could develop a literacy program for their employees.

Well-I have to cuss for about 20 minutes and then get out a new ream of paper and see if I have enough ink and then re-copy a stack of 53 submissions that VA apparently destroyed on my AO death claim.

If they didnt consider your evidence in any way-you can charge them with destroying it.The results whether misplaced,lost or destroyed are the same if your claim was denied and this evidence was fully probative to your claim.

Template_for_VA_October_Incident_Feb_2009.doc

[Pete53]

Thanks Berta.

[broncovet]

Berta

On December 18, 2008, I sent my RO a "special handling request" per fast letter 08-41. This was sent certified mail, and I have the return receipt.

According to an IRIS email, there is no special handling request in my file..that is, they shredded the special handling request.

Sending anything to the Cleveland Regional Office is useless. They shred things regardless if they were before, after or during the "October incident".

I recommend you send your special handling request to the VAOIG AND the RO. Better yet, send one copy to the media, and another to your senator.

The shredding isnt just an "October Incident", it should be renamed to : "January 1-December 31 and continuing incident". The VA has been caught shredding documents back in 1989, they did nothing about it then, and they did nothing about it this time either, except give us lip service.

The closest thing the VA has ever had to any sort of accountability for this is the March 3 congressional hearing. I am sure the VA will say something like, "WE didnt shred any documents but we promise not to do it again. We are going to form a committee to look into these allegations, however they are isolated incidents, and the people responsible have been promoted to the VA Central Office, so we dont think we will get caught at it any more."

Story here:

http://www.vawatchdog.org/08/nf08/nfdec08/nf120408-1.htm

Edited February 23, 2009 by broncovet

[Berta]

I was thinking the same thing- Broncovet-

the VA might be shredding our requests under the Fast Letter.

"I recommend you send your special handling request to the VAOIG AND the RO."

I am following up a recent letter to above,to IG, two ROs, to the Sec, to Director Russo -AMC,and to the 2 Sub Comms who are meeting next week,and to Cong. Hall and to Cong Filner.

I also faxed that to some above as well- and they will all be receiving copies of my formal shreddergate charges,under the Fast Letter.

I asked the AMC to CUE itself and they say they do not even have my file back yet from Seattle RO who made the decision a month ago but a AMC coach told me today that it is going to a post decisional coach as soon as they get it. ( I will be double checking them on that)

Have you contacted Mike Davis (VCVltd) yet? This is stuff he hopes to bring up to the Committees.

I wonder if vets should start pestering the Postmaster General with complaints.

When you send hundreds of dollars worth of priority mail- as I have done-and VA says they didnt get it, then USPS can become another avenue of attack.

I so think all of my mail was delivered to the VA but in the long run-if this crap gets worse-I bet the PO will be blamed anyhow.

Nothing like waging a battle from both right and left flanks.

[Berta]

I forgot to add to that template-

Tell VA of any documents they destroyed or mishandled-that you have proof of mailing (or Vet rep verification from your POA file) that you had sent not only to the VA but also to your POA.

Copy or scan your Proof of mailing certificates or Tracking slips when you send them an October Incident Fast Letter.And enclose the stuff you sent - again.

It might be a good idea to even ask your COngressperson to accept and retain a copy of all of your evidence since we cannot trust VA to even handle our October Incident Requests properly.

Edited February 26, 2009 by Berta