ptsd Introduction

[Bob-e]

I’m tired!

After seventeen-years, I am tired of the constant YELLOW rain sprayed down upon me by the Veterans Administration which first flat-out refused my PTSD claim in 1993, 1994, 1995 and 1996. I am still fighting.

Today, Monday was NOT a good day for me. I won't take your time here, but if you care you read about my struggle with the VA and PTSD on my blog http://cid-5d732de5984e829c.profile.live.com/.

I really need help, any help. I have tried working with congressional representative, Senator Merkley (D-OR), but his office has been a waste of my time. I have a Veteran's Services Coordinator, paid to help vets by Washington County, Oregon; he has been one step from useless. I have sent the VA every piece of paper I can think of; except, getting a legal letter from my old lawyer from 1985; who helped me pro bono in 1985; but, I today is a different story. I have tried to find the original congressman who helped keep me alive in 1985; Congressman Jim Bates D-CA, but he is nothing more than a ghost in the wind. He is alive... somewhere.

In a nutshell my PTSD was not only caused by blowing the whistle, and being strangled by Primo Cayabyab, but I was also torpedoed by the United States Navy itself in the press and summarily thrown in the streets without anywhere to sleep or food to eat - WITH 90 DAYS LEFT ON ACTIVE DUTY!

For those vets old enough to remember the 1960's television show with Chuck Connors - I was Branded!

At the time I was a young and dumb twenty-six year old who told the world the king had no clothes, and as always those who do not want to have the message told kill the messenger.

Unlike the vets listed in the article by "Allen G. Breed, Associated Press, PTSD rules an invitation for false VA claims", I have PTSD.

I need help. I do not have any money and I am fully disabled due to physical ailments (heart problems, scar tissues, degeneritive back disease and other things) on top of the mental anguish of PTSD.

The saddest thing to me is that I sacraficed my navy career. I DID MY DUTY! I protected America from enemies foreign and DOMESTIC - and America never cared about the solution the whistleblower laid out for them that had been tried and proven "TOO EFFECTIVE" in catching fraud, waste and abuse in the Navy supply and procurement system. But because I not only blew the whistle on a bunch of pilering store keepers, who by the way were selling weapons and aircraft parts off of the USS Kitty Hawk to Iran, I blew the whistle on the Navy itself for using its aircraft carrier as a delivery system for the Iran/Contra affair.

My attorney in 1985 told me that "I knew too much". Of course at the time I blew the whistle I had NO CLUE about Iran/Contra. I only knew as the ships' auditor that hundreds of millions of dollars were unaccounted for on the ship and my LIFE was in danger.

Whether you believe Iran/Contra was Oliver North being a hero, or the villian; doesn't matter - in 1985, I was just doing my duty!

Can anyone help me with my seventeen year battle for PTSD treatment and compensation - or am I just standing in the yellow rain... alone? :D

[Berta]

Can you scan and post here the last denial letter you got (Cover the personal stuff)

that shows the reasons and bases for denial of your PTSD claim?

or tell us here the exact way the VA worded the denial for PTSD comp?

[Bob-e]

Everything is on my blog: http://cid-5d732de5984e829c.profile.live.com/

All copies of all recent VA correspondance, are posted under "PHOTOS" in the blog.

I am basically keeping an electronic journal that is open to anyone interested. I decided to do the blog to let other vets know they are not alone.

I just found hadit.com yesterday.

Thank you for your post.

Bob-e

Can you scan and post here the last denial letter you got (Cover the personal stuff)

that shows the reasons and bases for denial of your PTSD claim?

or tell us here the exact way the VA worded the denial for PTSD comp?

[Bob-e]

Can't figure out how to attach the docs to this post -but I will paste what I can.

This letter tells you what we decided. It includes a copy of our rating decision that gives the

Evidence used and reasons for our decision. We have also included information about what to do

if you disagree with our decision, and who to contact if you have questions or need assistance.

What We Decided

We determined that the following condition(s) was/were not related to your military service,

so service connection couldn't be granted:

Medical Description

Anxiety condition

PTSD associated with tinnitus

Depression condition

Your compensation payment will continue unchanged at $123.00 per month'

I have other letters some just say PTSD due to military service. What I was told by the VSO was that the VA is having a hard time proving my stressor.

I told her she could read PEOPLE, TIME, Newsweek, LA Times or a thousand other newspapers from August 1985. The stressor is PUBLIC knowledge -even Primo strangling me is part of the "Congressional Records of former Congressman Jim Bates (D-CA).

With MY luck everything is probably classified because it all tied to Iran/Contra? I don't know WHY the VA can't comprehend and verify something the entire world was aware of in 1985?

Once again, thank you for you time and caring.

Bob-e

[Pete53]

Bob-E

One of our Members Troy Spurloch may be able to help you out as he is in Oregon and than also Mike Harris with Point Man Ministries in Oregon has helped a lot of Veterans.

Point Man Ministries

Hadit can help you also. We are much better at helping than Congress Critters.

Good Luck

[carlie]

Bob-e,

Welcome to Hadit.

Your rank has been promoted a level to seaman and you should be

able to upload some files now.

I agree with Berta - please post the Reasons and Bases Section from your denials

on the issue of PTSD so we can try and help you out.

I went to the link you provided but was unable to locate this specific information,

perhaps I don't have the program needed to do so.

Anyways, people will probably add more for you especially if they have the info

right here in your post versus going elsewhere for it.

I am also moving this topic to Claims/Benefits Research.

jmho,

carlie

[Berta]

"I told her she could read PEOPLE, TIME, Newsweek, LA Times or a thousand other newspapers from August 1985. The stressor is PUBLIC knowledge -even Primo strangling me is part of the "Congressional Records of former Congressman Jim Bates (D-CA). "

Does the VA have documentation of this information? (newspaper articles etc.)

Can you put yourself via your military records at the exact time and place of this stressor?

My husband went to VA in 1983 for a business loan.He had no job so they turned him down.He had a flashback when he asked to meet the loan officer- an Oriental man-Rod thought it was the enemy and tried to choke him-and they sent in a Psychiatrist to talk to him.And the cops.

After a lot of probing he relayed an event he was involved in (USMC Vietnam volunteer job)which the psychiatrist ( also incountry Shrink) remembered vividly- as it also made National news here.

The shrink knew Ist Mar DIV well 65-66 and the VA shrink immediately verified this stressor,diagnosed him with PTSD, and he left VA not with a business loan but with a claim filed for something he didnt understand at all-he didnt know what PTSD was.He received 30% SC.

Years later when he went into the PTSD program in Buffalo the VA asked him for another stressor statement and he had a list of them.The DAV said that didnt make sense that they would verify something again.

He was able to give dates, times , exact locales and also had tracings from the Wall of men in his unit whose deaths he witnessed.

I dont know what they verified or if they stuck with the original incident to verify that he told VA shrink in Newark-

But it shows if you can put yourself in the same time,place etc. by MOS or other proof in your SRBs, then the VA will be able to verify your stressor and Newspaper accounts will help.

I would think these news accounts of a stressor you were involved in are still available on the internet.

JSRRC will declassify anything needed for VA purposes.My daughter was Mil Intell Top Secret and this is what they told her as well as our former lawyer here Alex always said they can declassify- at JSRRC so that should not be an issue regarding 99% of all VA claims.

I have posted Definition of a stressor here at hadit-available with the search feature.

When Rod left the VA in 1983 he asked them what the heck PTSD was and they told him to get to a Vet center to find out. That is where I met him. I was a civilian volunteer in the combat PTSD group.

We discussed stressor alot and the VA has a specific criteria for what they consider a stressor to be.

In his PTSD stressor form-the month by mopnth TDY one- my husband put by some months in Vietnam -"incoming and firefights as usual"

and didnt expand on that.

Although that in itself is a bonafide stressor- his stressors were more from the aftermath of battle,and non combat situations-as he considered being in the firefights was his job.

There are countless ways to incur stressors in the military but I suggest reading my topic here as to how the VA defines them.

It is sometimes the little details that vets might leave out which will help JSRRC.

Edited May 5, 2010 by Berta