Don't Know Where To Start To Help Pearl Harbor Medic

[Diamond Dog]

My new father in law was a medic in Pearl Harbor. He was drafted and only served a few years.

He has never once taken a single benefit from the government. However he is elderly now and is having a hard time financially.

He is in good health. We went to the VA for him and filled out all kinds of forms and spent all kinds of time on the phone. They told us he is not eligible for any kind of assistance. Not medical care, not pension, nothing.

I just find this hard to believe. Is this true? Can someone point me in the right direction. I would think a Pearl Harbor medic would be something of a National Treasure.

Thank you in advance for any help

[Hoppy]

As long as he does not have a "bar to benefits" there is always a potential that he might have some medical condition that is related to service. You need to get his medical records or otherwise see if he thinks he has any medical or mental conditions related to service. i am pretty sure he would have a burial benefit when he dies. Talk to him and get his medical records and post agian. I hang around a couple of Pearl Harbor survivors. They are over 90 years old.

By the way today is December 7.

[Berta]

You said he is good health- but was any disability at all listed as a formal SC claim on the forms? I assume you mean the 21-526 form?

[Testvet]

if he has a retirement benefit or SS he may not be eligible for the "pension" as it is means tested, as a veteran he is entitled to be buried in a national cemetery but they do not just give money to veterans because they once served this nation has over 24 million living veterans and about 3 million of them are service connected at some percentage, I saw someplace last week that less than 300,000 are rated at 100% or higher

my step father never filed a VA claim either he was retired Air Force from WW2 and Korea he retired before Nam started but he ended up with 3 kinds of cancer related to the radiation from the nuclear experiments in the 50s and 60s, he flew AF planes thru the clouds on data gathering missions over the Nevada test site he did not want them messing with his retirement pay he died before they passed the RECA act which would have given him the 75,000 dollar payment

If his income and expenses for medical care take him below the level for the pension he may need to make a formal claim for the pension and find out if he qualifies or not, sometimes you have to put the numbers onto the forms and find out, many times the people at the VA will just say nope no benefits but once the forms actually get submitted and the numbers get crunched he may be eligible for the war veterans pension or a partial payment

[deltaj]

I suspect that a Pearl Harbor medic would exhibit some symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and this would be compensable if a claim for service connected compensation was filed. I think he might also have eligibility for pension for veterans who served in wartime. Did he receive any medical treatment for any medical conditions within service or within a year or two of military service? See the presumptive conditions under 38 CFR 3.309 and keep in mind there were different regulations and laws in the 1940s when he was discharged than now. I suggest that you call the V.A. at 1 800 827 1000 to discuss his eligibility for benefits.

[LarryJ]

When was he drafted?