Uplifting Story

[Berta]

At Military.com a veteran recently posted a story of how Amvets and other vet orgs refused to support his claim.

For 6 years he fought the claim himself without their support.

The BVA just granted him service connection for schizophrenia.

He posted:

"It's especially important that claimants know Title 38, because you'd be a fool to put all your faith and trust in any advocate or lawyer, at least that is what I learned. You simply must be prepared to go it alone if need be.

Never give up. Never listen to anyone who tells you different. Because when you fight for yourself you're fighting for others."

He also credited Lexis Nexis for the VBM (NVLSP) as helping him fully understand and use VA regs and case law.

Although the veteran has other issues not awarded yet- and does not know what his actual

rating will be-

I fully agree with him-not to put faith and trust in anyone but yourself regardless of who represents you.

I think this is a great testament to perservering with a claim.

[Testvet]

Berta, you know how I am about that issue too, according to the first idiot SO from the AL that told me he would not file a PTSD claim for a non combat issue, and I needed to stick with the human experiment issue, and other stuff like my herniated disks, GERD, heart disease etc, the only damn thing I am connected for is PTSD and no thanks to either the AL or the DAV, when I revoked the POA for the DA|V the guy in ht eserice area told me what the DAV just got you 100%, I looked at him and busted out laughing the DAV fired the SO that had been handling my claim and the new SO had nothing to do with my claim, I caught them lying and was able to prove it to Senator Craig and they decided to approve my 100% P&T and then try and close all the Edgewood issue's not so fast we ain't done yet folks, my heart disease first and then they can close the file, after 7 heart attacks and a stroke I am not betting my wife and sons security on me living 7 more years to get the 10 yr rule met.

I have the time and the patience and right on my side, so we will just keep playing the paper game, I am scheduled for an Agent Orange exam monday, why I don't have a clue, it's supposed to be about the tests at Edgewood, so we will see but I am taking the Edgewood file.

Veterans and widow claimants are their own best advocate, none of the SO care about the claim, and neither does the National level care about your file, have you "joined" yet is all they care about except the PVA I have never been hassled from them like the others I am a proud member of the PVA

[Cavman]

I agree Testvet about the SO. My AL guy never did anything with me except tell me you have to be climbing the walls and never bathing to get 100% ptsd. I have appealed my recent 50% rating and expect to win....on my own.

How do I go about immediately getting the AL SO away from my case, not like he ever pays any attention to it. I don`t want him claiming any success when I win. I think all they want to do is write up the case in the beginning to look like their job needs to be kept alive and then you never hear from them again.

Cavman

[Pete53]

The responsibility for the claim is the Veterans. To bad they can't hire a lawyer like even foreigners can with SS.