Denied service connection-Non Combat PTSD

[RTKOOC]

Hey Everyone,

I provided a stressor -my best friend died when his boat sunk and I escorted his body home. The casualty records from when he passed away are not available so that wasn't verified however the VA conceded that he was my close friend as the statement I provided and he was also from my unit. I was diagnosed with PTSD on the VA exam and the Dr. provided a positive medical opinion stating -"the Veteran's current Posttraumatic Stress Disorder is at least as likely as not incurred in and/or caused by the Veteran's death of best friend and escort duty or remains following such death during service."

 I get the decision notice and I kid you not, I was denied and this was their rational - Based on a review of your military personnel records, service treatment records, and additional evidence of record, you did not directly witness the death of your close friend, evidence that you saw the body of your friend, or that you were placed on military orders to escort his remains home. The available evidence is insufficient to confirm a link between current diagnosis and the claimed in-service stressor.

I'm wondering if that's correct. To me, it's pretty obvious that the rater missed the in-service stressor of  Learning that the traumatic event(s) occurred to a close family member or close friend; cases of actual or threatened death must have been violent or accidental.

[Berta]

Buck. I heard years ago that many wounded GWVets SMR records were lost.  Their SMRs were attached to them while on a stretcher, when they were medvacced  somewhere for medical care or maybe  sent back to the states. The Mil probably used duct tape-to attach them.....dont know what, but not a real good way of making sure the SMRs stayed with the veteran.

We dont know if this new member is a Vietnam vet or not.If he is, the dead vets name would be on the Wall.

I mentioned the deceased vet's hometown for this reason:

Been to the Wall in DC, and locally to Travelling Wall many times.

Anyone trying to find a name on the wall ( the names on it are not alphabetical  or  by date of death,) 

has to go to one of the Wall workers and tell them the name of the veteran, their date of death (or close to it), Branch of service, maybe their unit, and definitely the deceased vet's Hometown.

The rationale is that  ( for PTSD claims ) if a vet says he had a real good buddy who died in Vietnam and this caused him to have PTSD, they would surely be in his same unit, and he would know the Hometown of the buddy.We found my husband's best friend's name right away after he gave the wall person all of that info above.

He made many tracing of it on the Wall- and I think we sent one of them to the RO but they never mentioned it, they had proof of his stressors already. His buddy's death was horrific- land mine Vietnam-right in front of my husband's deuce and a half. My husband was blown from his truck and unconscious for a while and then found his buddy's remains.

The Wall is also accessable on line. They call the Hometown as "  Home of record"

http://thewall-usa.com/

 

 

[pwrslm]

lay statements are your friend

who knew you went home at the time he was brought back

did the friend parents, brothers or sisters, your family and friends see you then

get statements from them to win this

[Buck52]

Roger that Ms berta

if he knew the boat his friend was on would help and close to the dates /location this happen,  here is a list of war boats of the Vietnam Era

http://www.warboats.org/vietnamboats.htm

[RTKOOC]

I don't think I'm going to be able to verify the escorting duties. It happened 25 years ago and feel awkward enough asking other people. I guess my main issue is it shouldn't matter. The fact that I stated my best friend died, his death is verified, and we were in the same unit with the medical opinion -

the Veteran's current Posttraumatic Stress Disorder is at least as likely as not incurredin and/or caused by the Veteran's death of best friend and escort duty or remains following such death during service.

The rater said I didn't have an in-service event

Based on a review of your military personnel records, service treatment records, and additional

evidence of record, you did not directly witness the death of your close friend, evidence that you

saw the body of your friend, or that you were placed on military orders to escort his remains

home. The available evidence is insufficient to confirm a link between current diagnosis and the

claimed in-service stressor.

However - Learning that the traumatic event(s) occurred to a close family member or close friend; cases of actual or threatened death must have been violent or accidental; or, experiencing repeated or extreme exposure to aversive details of the traumatic event(s) is a valid stressor. It falls under criteria A.

Edited October 12, 2018 by RTKOOC