Are Va Comp And Pension Benefits Worth The Hassel?

[broncovet]

Winning VA benefits is a HUGE hassel. The VA claims a 6 month processing time, but that number is highly influenced with "fake dates", and it assumes there will be no appeals, another false assumption.

I personally have been trying to get my full VA benefits for 7 years. A little more than 5 years ago I won a BVA appeal award of "a complete grant of benefit sought". That did not end it. The VA decided that "complete" meant 0%. A zero percent "award" nets the Veteran the exact same monetary benefits as a denial.

Did I appeal? Sure. The VA decided that my NOD was "interpreted as a claim for benefits" and awarded me a much lesser benefit.

It has been 7 years of red tape run around and shredded documents..and I am guessing it will be 3 more years..maybe more, since I am no ways near the end. All this when 2 doctors and one audiologist have ALL stated the "Veterans conditions are most likely due to military service".

I am wondering if VA benefits are worth the ten or so years it takes to get them, then you turn around and have to spend the rest of your life worrying about them getting taken away. I dont have a choice, but I just dont think Veterans should be expected to serve 4 years in the service then 10 years trying to get their benefits. What do you think?

[LarryJ]

Ok, so if I get what you guys are saying, then I should have my son go ahead and apply for Chapter

35, even tho he is not eligible because I have not yet been rated at 100% P and T? Then, when

I do get rated, he will be able to get retro, or have many more months of eligibility..is that what your are saying?

Now, I am 40%..and probably, realistically, at least two more years from getting it straightened out..sure the DRO could rule in my favor, but I am expecting the BVA after that, which is at least 2 years down the road, and probably more like 3 or 4 years.

No, Bronco, I'm not saying for him to go ahead and apply for bennys right now. He'll need to wait until you are 100% P&T, until you get the notification of the Eagle shittin'. THEN he applys.......according to your EED whether he gets his DEA or not. You DID apply before he turned 26, yes?

BTW, if you're a Senator's son.......then you ain't gonna be reading this stuff about how hard it is for you to get your bennys.......'cause, well, 'cause you're a SENATOR'S SON. (sing it, Bro John, sing it).

Speaking of Senator's Sons (we were, weren't we?). Reminds me of the Biggest Hassel that I, personally, ever did have when I was in the Crotch. Seems this kid in my unit WAS a Senator's Son (.....ahhhh, I can hear ol John Foggerty singin as I type....). YUP, some Senator from Arkansas, can't remember his name.....although I should. I guess it's true, what they say about conciously (sp) forgetting traumatic events. Anyway, this fooleo decides HE AIN'T GOING, so he takes his rifle and blows his big toe off. Problem solved, right? WRONG! The fool dies of shock, before the corpsman can even get to him. Now, WHY does this impact me? BECAUSE the FOOL used my rifle! YUP, he picks up MY RIFLE and blows his toe off (probably because he knew how well I scored on the range, he figgers my rifle is the BEST, hell, I don't KNOW why, okay!). Then he picks me to try and help him (OH, HELP ME! HELP ME! I'M AN IDIOT!) and then, to add injury to injustice, DIES ON ME!

YOU CANNOT IMAGINE THE HELL THAT THAT CAUSED ME. NO, YOU CAN'T! I HAD THE JAG........HELL, I HAD THE COMMANDANT WANTING TO "TALK" TO ME! Thank G-D I had "witnesses" or I'd have been the ONE THAT KILLED THE SENATOR'S SON!

SING IT, JOHN, SING IT!

[broncovet]

Larry

Gee..and I thought I had it bad...nothin like that ever happened to me. We did have two guys in boot camp jump off the 3 story roof, which killed them....I do remember wishing sometimes one of them was me.

[john999]

Larry

Are you sure you were not in "Full Metal Jacket"?

[LarryJ]

Larry

Are you sure you were not in "Full Metal Jacket"?

John, I actually watched "Full Metal Jacket" once, and I swear that we actually HAD the same "recruit from hell" that was portrayed in the movie. I think every outfit had one, kinda like they had a storage room full of them and they handed one out to each platoon......but, unfortunately, the FMJ clone and the Senator's Son were two different peeps.

BTW, after watching FMJ that one time, it was pysch time for me. Did the movie do the same for any of y'all?

[Pete53]

Larry you must be a real Texan cause that is one tall story. I doubt if many Senators sons ever saw boot camp much less shot their toe off. Arkansas had Fulbright and John L. McClellan during most of Viet Nam period. I had to look it up.

McClellan experienced many personal tragedies in his life. His second wife died of spinal meningitis in 1935 and his son Max died of the same disease while serving in Africa during World War II in 1943. His son John L. Jr. died in 1949 in an automobile accident. His son James H. died in a plane crash in 1958.

Anyway it makes interesting reading

[LarryJ]

Larry you must be a real Texan cause that is one tall story. I doubt if many Senators sons ever saw boot camp much less shot their toe off. Arkansas had Fulbright and John L. McClellan during most of Viet Nam period. I had to look it up.

McClellan experienced many personal tragedies in his life. His second wife died of spinal meningitis in 1935 and his son Max died of the same disease while serving in Africa during World War II in 1943. His son John L. Jr. died in 1949 in an automobile accident. His son James H. died in a plane crash in 1958.

Anyway it makes interesting reading

Now you done got me trying to remember the details. I'm determined to determine which son it was......I swear, this is one story that even I, in all my most "constructive story-telling mode" could not "make up".

Film at 11:00.