After 50 years I received a 100% disability rating. At 73 years of age I was awarded it about a month ago.

[shipdog7]

After 50 years I received a 100% disability rating. At 73 years of age I was awarded it about a month ago. Prior to then I received a letter from the Treasury Department stating they didn't have my banking info available if I was awarded a pension. Turns out they did. I had to call the number given to verify it. The gentleman I talked to told me how it can take 6 to 8 years for an appeal. WOW! That was depressing. He said the Washington office alone had 4 or 5 staffers and handled 30,000 claims. I wrote to Senator John McCain telling him what I had learned. With no reply necessary. I turned on CSPAN 2 weeks later to see what was going on with our committee hearings and I hear various Senators pushing bill  H.R.2288 - Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act of 2017. It passed the House and was headed for the Senate. It was to shorten the time period of between 5 and 10 years to one year for appeals. 470,000 appeals waiting for approval. I wrote back to Senator McCain and thanked him today. No reply necessary.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/2288?q={"search"%3A["congressId%3A115+AND+billStatus%3A\"Introduced\""]}&r=1

[Victor Ray]

On May 26, 2017 at 8:10 AM, shipdog7 said:

After 50 years I received a 100% disability rating. At 73 years of age I was awarded it about a month ago. Prior to then I received a letter from the Treasury Department stating they didn't have my banking info available if I was awarded a pension. Turns out they did. I had to call the number given to verify it. The gentleman I talked to told me how it can take 6 to 8 years for an appeal. WOW! That was depressing. He said the Washington office alone had 4 or 5 staffers and handled 30,000 claims. I wrote to Senator John McCain telling him what I had learned. With no reply necessary. I turned on CSPAN 2 weeks later to see what was going on with our committee hearings and I hear various Senators pushing bill  H.R.2288 - Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act of 2017. It passed the House and was headed for the Senate. It was to shorten the time period of between 5 and 10 years to one year for appeals. 470,000 appeals waiting for approval. I wrote back to Senator McCain and thanked him today. No reply necessary.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/2288?q={"search"%3A["congressId%3A115+AND+billStatus%3A\"Introduced\""]}&r=1

 

On May 26, 2017 at 8:10 AM, shipdog7 said:

After 50 years I received a 100% disability rating. At 73 years of age I was awarded it about a month ago. Prior to then I received a letter from the Treasury Department stating they didn't have my banking info available if I was awarded a pension. Turns out they did. I had to call the number given to verify it. The gentleman I talked to told me how it can take 6 to 8 years for an appeal. WOW! That was depressing. He said the Washington office alone had 4 or 5 staffers and handled 30,000 claims. I wrote to Senator John McCain telling him what I had learned. With no reply necessary. I turned on CSPAN 2 weeks later to see what was going on with our committee hearings and I hear various Senators pushing bill  H.R.2288 - Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act of 2017. It passed the House and was headed for the Senate. It was to shorten the time period of between 5 and 10 years to one year for appeals. 470,000 appeals waiting for approval. I wrote back to Senator McCain and thanked him today. No reply necessary.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/2288?q={"search"%3A["congressId%3A115+AND+billStatus%3A\"Introduced\""]}&r=1

Shipdog7,

my comment and questions are when did you file your initial claim? We're your conditions documented while you were on duty? Were you not awarded retropay? I filed in 1983, but was evacuated out of Vietnam with a Medical Board Evaluation P_3 for permanent defects in the ability to perform at full capacity only for short periods. I was medivaced on June 7 1971 after 21 days hospitalized in Vietnam, and another week afterwards. My conditions were documented in line of duty and continued all the time on duty. I never fully recovered, and was told in 1972 my records were lost in 1971, but they never were. Congratulations and hope for your  vindication.

Victor Ray

[Navy04]

Welcome to Hadit, and so happy that you finally got what you deserved my friend. I spent  almost 5 yrs stationed in DC around all those crooked Politicians. They would always come around and shake our hands, and say we were Heros and the other BS that they usually say. But in the end, it is just talk, until it is written in Stone or Blood. I truly wish you the best, and God Bless

[broncovet]

Congratulations...did they award backpay for 50 years?  Or, did they do it the usual 50 minutes backpay instead.  Yea, VA appeals dont take "years" anymore, they start measuring them in decades, instead.  I have a 2002 claim, "finally" adjuticated in 2008 (denied as moot).  In 2012, 10 years after I first applied, the BVA remanded it.   Of course, it took VARO 3 years to do the remand (which was denied, again).  I went to the CAVC in 2016, which was remanded again.  Currently, Im awaiting my turn on the docket, with a docket date of 2012.  Ebenefits says its "with BVA judge" so I may get an answer before Christmas.   This will be my 15th Christmas waiting on the VA, unless its resolved prior to then.  

I could not hold out, and lost my home in 2005...three years after I applied.  It was the "glitch" that made me homeless, but I cant remember WHICH glitch.  Was it the glitch where they shredded all my claims except hearing loss, or was it the glitch where BVA awarded a complete grant and VARO decided that should be a zero percent rating meant complete.  Or, maybe it was the glitch where they forgot to adjuticate TDIU in 2002.   Maybe it was the glitch where they didnt know a comp claim is also a pension claim.  Im not sure which glitch it was, but there are more than what I just mentioned.  

[john999]

I filed my first claim with the VA in 1972.   Due to total FUBAR I got only 10% rating.  I completely misunderstood the VA's claim process so I thought they actually considered all the evidence I submitted to them.  I should have gotten 100% but due to my lack of filing a timely appeal I had to wait another 30 years to get 70% and a TDIU rating.  It is never too late.   Congrats on your rating Shipdog.  What is your effective date and is there a chance of getting EED for the 100%.

[jfrei]

Congrats and wish you all the best and I hope they gave you all that back pay suits them right 

Edited July 29, 2017 by jfrei

[Victor Ray]

On May 26, 2017 at 8:10 AM, shipdog7 said:

After 50 years I received a 100% disability rating. At 73 years of age I was awarded it about a month ago. Prior to then I received a letter from the Treasury Department stating they didn't have my banking info available if I was awarded a pension. Turns out they did. I had to call the number given to verify it. The gentleman I talked to told me how it can take 6 to 8 years for an appeal. WOW! That was depressing. He said the Washington office alone had 4 or 5 staffers and handled 30,000 claims. I wrote to Senator John McCain telling him what I had learned. With no reply necessary. I turned on CSPAN 2 weeks later to see what was going on with our committee hearings and I hear various Senators pushing bill  H.R.2288 - Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act of 2017. It passed the House and was headed for the Senate. It was to shorten the time period of between 5 and 10 years to one year for appeals. 470,000 appeals waiting for approval. I wrote back to Senator McCain and thanked him today. No reply necessary.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/2288?q={"search"%3A["congressId%3A115+AND+billStatus%3A\"Introduced\""]}&r=1

Shipdod7,

Did you linger at 70% for years before going to 100%. We are just curious, and all of us are very happy for you, and I guess need something to believe in. I hope you were treated right, and hope you are medically alright, and have some time to enjoy life without financial worries concerning medical expense. It's just a crying shame you had to wait 50 years, if you had problems all those years. I did too, from the time I was hospitalized in Vietnam, but now the effects of Agent Orange aren't hidden and covered up as it once was. Good luck and stay upright!

victor ray