FormerMember Posted December 24, 2015 Share Posted December 24, 2015 Here's a claim I began way back in 2012. I frequently consulted with Carlie on it regarding a number of facets including CUE and earlier effective dates. I can only wish she was here to share in Butch's success. As most know, we cannot claim any ownership of these claims for fear of prosecution by the OGC for representing Veterans without suitable credentials. I am in the process of obtaining mine but in the interim, I cannot own it. This was a long time coming. Let this be the reason every one of you set your sails and ventures forth on the claims path-for yourself or for your fellow Veterans. Theresa could not encapsulate or enunciate the reason any more clearly- never leave a Veteran behind. Period. You represent three percent of the American populace yet you defended 97%. Rejoice in it. If injured in the process, you signed a contract that indemnifies you and provides for your welfare. Do not be ashamed to put in a claim for something promised by those who hired you. My friend Butch suffered needless delay for 46 years because numerous VSOs, friends and acquaintances said they would "take care of it". In the end, his daughter, born while he was in Vietnam, approached me and asked me if I had the mettle. She admonished me not to promise something I had no intention of honoring. Many others had already done that. I made that promise and yesterday it came to pass. We got his c-file We didn't shotgun a claim into the wind and see what stuck. We never even filed until we could see what they did in 1970. I suppose we could have gotten him an earlier effective date of 2012 if we had been willing to begin shooting holes in the dark early on. We preferred to build a claim that would stand the test of numerous appeals. Butch's claim has just begun. 1970 is the prize. His $33,000 in retro is VA chump change. Follow us through this win and NOD/ Appeal and learn how. You win at this poker game with evidence. I cannot begin to emphasize that concept. You never win because you're morally right or deserving. You win because your evidence is unequivocal. Justice may be elusive but when you are right, you prevail-even if the evidence doesn't surface for 46 years. It took that long just to get Butch's Combat Infantry Badge and Purple Heart. Once that was accomplished, the evidence could not be disputed. A combat presumption is the gold standard, Many of you have this and do not understand the significance of it. No American who would risk his life for America should ever have his testimony called into question. If you are willing to die for America, it suffices to say you are a credible witness. I did it backwards and got my combat medal after I won. Had I done it with the medal in advance, it would have been child's play. Nobody was there to tell me. I had no mentors in 1989 and 1994. None of us did back then. Ladies and Gentlemen Veterans, I give you Butch Long- our latest member of the P&T club- an exclusive membership of 255,000 TDIU Veterans who have made the grade. http://asknod.org/2015/12/23/lz-cork-success-after-46-years/ Never in my 26 years of fiddle farting around with this crap have I ever been so honored to have a neighbor like Butch that I could help. He has lived a stone's throw from me for years and I had no clue. Our Vietnam Band of Brothers grows smaller with each passing day. Theresa's Hadit ideal created a Godsend for us here and gave us the gift of a virtual Town Hall to share our knowledge. I beg of you to pay your wins forward as Carlie and Theresa have. I'm the FNG in this with barely 20 years under my belt. Follow our footsteps and make a difference for those who come after us. In the last 8 years, I have watched as many said they would help after their big win. Many promise.I continue to watch and wait for some of them to honor that promise. Your knowledge is the next generation of Veterans law. Without you, it evaporates. Don't let it require each new generation to learn it all over again. Merry Christmas from all of us at asknod and Hadit. Remember too that it is more blessed to share your knowledge than to use us as a Wikipedia and never leave your footprint. Fifteen minutes of Facebook fame is nothing to helping even one Veteran achieve service connection for life. Pay it forward because you can. Because it is the right thing to do. And to all my Vietnam Brethren- Welcome home with Honor, gentlemen. ArNG11, pwrslm, rwskitch and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waccamawwild Posted December 24, 2015 Share Posted December 24, 2015 Merry Christmas and congrats asknod... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R3dneck Posted December 24, 2015 Share Posted December 24, 2015 What you did is outstanding Asknod. Thank you for helping him (Butch). This story of achievement brought tears to my eyes. I needed to hear a victory like this ty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwskitch Posted December 24, 2015 Share Posted December 24, 2015 Bro, thank you for your service, both active and here on 'Had it.com' along with your 'Asknod.org' blog, and for all your unselfish giving over the years helping your bro/sis veterans...! You sure know how to 'kick some VA arse...' Bravo Zulu. Merry Christmas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gastone Posted December 24, 2015 Share Posted December 24, 2015 How's the Greenhouse working out? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berta Posted December 24, 2015 Share Posted December 24, 2015 (edited) WOW that is GREAT News Asknod!!!!!!! What a Christmas you and Butch will have knowing this long battle is over......And it reminds me that once SC is awarded, it pays to see if older denials contained CUE....but it pays to relax and relish Victories first.I fully understood your methodology here:"We preferred to build a claim that would stand the test of numerous appeals. "And as I crudely said yesterday on the radio show with Bob Walsh----we cannot simply sit around on our thumbs if we know we need more evidence to win our claims.This bears repeating because it is the ONLY key to success:"You win at this poker game with evidence. I cannot begin to emphasize that concept. You never win because you're morally right or deserving. You win because your evidence is unequivocal."You have done a Fantastic job with this veteran! Edited December 24, 2015 by Berta Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts