Is The Dav There To Help Veterans Or The Va?

[masters101]

I have a simple question and would really appreciate some other veterans thoughts on this matter. Does the DAV work for the Veterans or the VA?

[QueenB]

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.

[chinavet]

I know this is an old thread but it is relevant to me. I have done pretty much everything by myself with little help from the DAV. That has been especially hard being out of country and in pretty bad shape. I have learned more in 4 weeks of reading here than 9 years of rep work by the DAV.

I have made the excuse for them that they are overworked, but reality is they haven't been at all proactive.

I was told in March that I needed to be evacuated back to the US for care. I am uninsurable and do not have the money for exploratory surgery for crohn's symptoms. DAV said they would call on my case and push AMC and put me in for hardship expediting.

Three calls later over a 4 month speriod and they had not done anything but promised again they would get on it.

I finally called a Senator and the aide asked VA to expedite, but the letter back last week indicates they just ignored him and did not mention his request. DAV said that I should just leave sleeping dogs lie and hope they get done rating soon....

I am always polite, never complain to the DAV and only since being told that my inflammatory bowel stuff could become malignant soon (tole me in Mar) have I become really panicky....

Would a lawyer be any more proactive?

[COOL BREEZE]

I think I will keep my lips sealed on this post!!!

[tanker2]

this is a personal question....for me after getting shut down by the v.a. back in 1972 with sorry kid thats it thats final. i stumble across a vet telling me about his disability and how this d.a.v organization guy

helped him and his family get benefits. he said it costs nothing . i contacted that guy . all these years of sorry kid were reversed.

[westcoastlv]

I think the DAV does what it's supposed to do, help the Vet through the process, especially if they've never done anything like this before. However, the Veteran needs to be informed and educated. I have learned so much from this site and have benefitted from the advice here. Our personal story is that we were unhappy with my husband's rating and were prepared to file a NOD. Our DAV rep advised against it and instead filed for an increase. While we appreciated the reasoning behind it, it just didn't sit right with us. We did in fact end up filing the NOD and feel as if we are on the right track. My husband's DAV rep is a good guy and I think he honestly helps Veterans, but nobody works for you like you. If the Veteran doesn't have the time or desire the take in all of the information out there, then the DAV is where to start, but I think the Veteran will soon realize that the true payoff doesn't happen until he/she gets and stays involved every step of the way.

[Testvet]

in May 2007 my DAV rep left and my case was given to the office manager he had worked at the BVA so he was supposed to be one of the "best" I had a active claim for CAD and hypertension on appeal since Dec 2002, his advice to me was to drop the current claim and start over by first filing for a hypertension claim alone that would have been a 10% award and then file a new claim for the CAD, needless to say I revoked his POA and kept my claim on appeal I got lucky and met a NOVA lawyer thru Larry Scott who used to write the VA Watchdog site she took my case pro bono since my denials were prior to the June 2007 date that allowed us to "hire" lawyers she dealt with the DRO and filed the Form 9 to get the case to the BVA and out of the RO, in Feb 2009 we had the BVA hearing in April I got the letter from BVA granting the CAD and hypertension in Jun 2009 I finally got the award letter 60% CAD and 10% hypertension which gave me SMC S as I am also rated at 100% PTSD

I just had a biventricular pace maker put in which should now take me to 100% for the CAD

regardless it's your claim and do not put your entire trust in someone else to find documents, research information etc, if you do it you know it's done many veterans here do not even use VSOs and others just use them as points of contacts to submit paperwork thru most VSOs will not return calls, I have never even had one give me an e mail address to contact them they have hundreds of open cases all the time and we are just not that important to them just my 2 cents