VetDeniedSince1980s Posted March 25, 2015 Share Posted March 25, 2015 Your Honor, Please let me start this email by saying just how proud you make me!!! You give me and so many others hope and you are proof there are still human beings in this world that really care for others and you work hard everyday to ensure those who need and deserve help get just that. You inspire me to help others and you are proof that with hard work and dedication you can make a difference. The improvements you are making within the VA system are truly remarkable and I just want to say what a great job you are doing! And a big Thank You for all your hard work!!! My name is Theresa Hall and I live in Louisville, Ky. I wanted to share with you my dads story. Today my dad is 66 years old, happily retired, and is doing well. Thank goodness :) Your Honor, my dad is my Hero! He is my world, my rock, and my best friend. I love him so very much and am so very proud of him!!! He is One of the greatest men you would ever hope to meet and one of the bravest veterans who fought in Vietnam. He was one of the lucky ones who made it home safe! My dad worked 2 jobs for twenty years 7 days a week. Mainly to put my brother and I through catholic school. Over the years he has instilled in both of us that if you want anything in this life you have to work for it. Sadly when I was 8 we lost my mother in December of 1990. So my dad became a single parent and did his very best and worked hard to raise me on his own. He is the best dad in the world and I strive each day to be as wonderful as he is! I wanted to share with you my dads fight for compensation that has been going on now for 35+ years. It is such a sad and unfortunate reason he has been denied over and over when we know he fought proudly for his country and was injured while doing so. It is a long story but to simplify it his ongoing fight and denials comes down to the fact that when he was injured accidentally in Feb of 1969 by another soldier when the recoil of a 105 howitzer struck his right leg. But his clinical records were recorded incorrectly and note he was hit in his left. He was hospitalized for almost 2 months. So due to the incorrect recording of his records being the only proof we have he continues to get denied. An unfortunate left vs right mistake was made which is not uncommon when documenting reports. Then the next report copied from the previous. And so on. He began having trouble with his leg in the late 70s. Filled his 1st claim in the 80s then again in 2004. I persuaded him to refile one last time when he retired in 2012. His exact words were "honey I just don't have anymore fight left in me. I have been fighting for so long now". Your Honor I will never forget the sadness, defeat, and surrender in eyes. I am tearing up now just remembering and writing this. I am disgusted, angered, and now determined to pursue this with everything in my power to prove the VA is wrong and a mistake has been made. And I am working hard each day to prove just that!!! I assured my dad he has fought long enough and we would get great representation and I promised him I would carry on this fight for him. And I have no plans on breaking that promise regardless what it takes! We have now hired a lawyer to help us fight!!! And I am coming to my dads defense with my guns blazing ready to fight with everything I've got and I promise you, your honor, I am never going to give up on this!!! I will fight for his justice and his honor for the rest of my life if that's what it takes. I was taught by both of my parents that you can achieve anything you set your mind too and that if you truly believe in something listen to your heart and follow it. And that is just what I am doing. Following my heart. His claim has been denied again due to lack of evidence and is now going into the appeal process. Well needless to say i am just getting started. I have been researching and working hard the last few months And I am proud to tell you my hard work has payed off. I found the soldier veteran that caused the injury to my dads leg! It was like finding a needle in a haystack! He remembered my father and the accident very well and confirmed that my dad was in fact hit in his right leg. He was the gunner and my dad was the loader and it happened right in front of him. He is preparing a statement for us right now to submit as evidence for his claim. The only real evidence we have ever had aside from other medical opinions and tests performed on both legs. My dad could not believe I found the man that injured him and that he remembered everything over all these years. It is amazing your honor what you can achieve when you believe!! Along with many prayers and guidance from the good lord above!!! I realize we still have a long battle ahead of us but eventually we will prevail. My dad and I only want what he is deserved. I just pray my dad will be with us for many more years and will be able to enjoy his victory when he is finally awarded compensation and VA admits a mistake was made. Your Honor I am not asking you for anything. I just wanted to share with you this story on behalf of my father, Larry Snyder, a proud Veteran, and my hero. It is unfortunate, sad, and makes you question why things such as these happen to the the greatest of people. But I trust this matter is in Gods hands and he will help us make this wrong a Right!!! I've included two pictures below of my dads leg from 2004. It has been diagnosed as a venous leg ulcer caused from the blow from the recoil. His wound is now closed today after receiving compression therapy but he must wear a compression stocking for the rest of his life or else it will open back up. It hurts my heart to look at these pictures. I think back to all the years he worked with his leg in this condition and it infuriates me that just by looking at both legs VA won't even consider that this could have been caused by the severe trauma he received while serving his county proudly. But I can assure you, your honor, VA will recognize it eventually. Hopefully it will be sooner than later. Thank you for your time your honor and my apologies for the long email. I know you are very busy and I appreciate you taking the time to read this. Again thank you for all your hard work and dedication in helping our Veterans and your work in improving the whole VA process. It truly means so much to so many! God Bless You Ma'am and thank you again for your time. The daughter of a proud veteran, Theresa Hall IMGIMG_1167.JPG _1166.JPG georgiapapa, SeattleShay and glider222 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HadIt.com Elder Buck52 Posted March 25, 2015 HadIt.com Elder Share Posted March 25, 2015 Excellent email!I hope your Dad gets what he so well deserves!Thank your Dad for his service.......................Buck! VetDeniedSince1980s 1 I am not an Attorney or VSO, any advice I provide is not to be construed as legal advice, therefore not to be held out for liable BUCK!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VetDeniedSince1980s Posted March 25, 2015 Author Share Posted March 25, 2015 Excellent email! I hope your Dad gets what he so well deserves! Thank your Dad for his service. Thank you for your kind words and support!!!! ......................Buck!Thank u I greatly appreciate it!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
63SIERRA Posted March 25, 2015 Share Posted March 25, 2015 It really sucks that after the service your father did for our country, the VA is basically calling him a liar. Us veterans seem to be quite an honorable breed whilest doing this countrys bidding, but once we turn in our guns, we are trash to the VA. All liars, cheats ,and thieves. VetDeniedSince1980s 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
georgiapapa Posted March 25, 2015 Share Posted March 25, 2015 Theresa, After reading your excellent email to Allison Hickey, I feel like you will eventually win this battle for your Dad. He sounds like a great person and a wonderful Dad. You are lucky to have him as your Dad and he is lucky to have you as his daughter. I have a feeling Allison Hickey knows a storm is coming and its name is Theresa Hall. You have put Ms. Hickey on notice so I believe she will probably be responding back to you soon. I hope your Dad gets the compensation he has earned and deserves ASAP. Just a side note, I was a cannoncocker with the Marine Corps in Vietnam in 1967 and 1968. I was in a 105 Howitzer battery and I definitely understand how your Dad could have injured his leg so bad. Howitzers are dangerous if you are standing in the wrong place when they are fired. I would also be surprised if your Dad doesn't also have serious hearing loss and tinnitus. If he does, he should file claims for both. Please express my appreciation to your Dad for his service. Good luck to you and Semper Fi to your Dad, GP VetDeniedSince1980s and Buck52 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArNG11 Posted March 25, 2015 Share Posted March 25, 2015 This is a very touching account of an honorable Veteran and his devoted family. I wish them well. It's gives strength to us all. Good fortune and good journey to us all. "Fight til your last breath". VetDeniedSince1980s, Buck52 and flores97 3 Mr. A " FIGHT TILL YOUR LAST BREATH " Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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