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question regarding VA disability


Trigger Mike

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I am not one to rely on the government for my needs. I am not a fan of the entitlement mentality we have running rampant in theis country today. I don't believe the government should be providing anythign much beyond defense of the nation. I also love my country and do not want to add to her financial woes. Having said that, I am a veteran and the VA web site says the problems I have are considered service connected without question from the gulf war. I work and we do fine. Is it morally wrong or acting entitled to apply for payment from the VA for service connected problems?

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You've earned them bennies and application process will probably be tolling as well go get em ohrah Semper Fi

I applied once years ago and they turned me down, but since then the gov't has changed their stance on the gulf war. It took my father several tries for his efforts in vietnam. I recall having to wait at the VA over 4 hours for each appointment. I was losing time at work waiting on them.

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I to had similiar doubts about drawing disability. But after I talked to several guys who worked for me who were vets also, I decided that I would apply.

 

When I was drafted in 1963, I was a college football player, taking a semester off because of an injury that prevented me from playing. I was assigned to Special services and my job was sports! I played football & baseball and lifeguarded at the post pool in offseason. I destroyed my knee during a game and spent almost a month in the hospital. When I was discharged I was told To apply to the VA for a disability assesment. The ruling was I had a service connected disability. Over the years it got worse and I had a total knee replacement. I am rated 40% now.

 

My military occupation was O3C20 Physical Activities Specialist and I was injured while I was doing my assigned job. So there you have it. Sort of pale when compared to combat injuries, but I was doing my job :o

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You acquired your infirmities in the service of our Country. Whether they are visable or not, they affect the quality of your life. By all means, apply for anything that the VA will recognize. Get your state's veteran's representative, or an American Legion rep, Disabled American Veterans rep or whoever you choose to work with you on this. That is their job, and they have a lot more experience than you do at this sort of thing.

 

Duffield

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It's a no brainer. Contact the nearest VA hospital or go to the local VFW VA Service Officer. Do it tomorrow. :FlagAm:

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You're joking, right?

 

 

You paid in advance for that benefit...

 

 

End of argument......

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I am a service connected disabled Marine vet 20%. You earned it while serving the country for those who won't or can't. You gave some, it could have been all. I don't like it when people combine earned benefits into entitlements. An entitlement to me is something that is not earned. Social Sercurity and VA benefits are earned or paid for in advance. Lyndon B. Johnson and the Congress screwed Social Security with Housing, Education and Welfare with the Great Society movement. These are the entitlements that should be discontinued from Social Security. Apply and fight for what you deserve, nobody will do it for you. Later in life you will be thankful you did. Trust me on this.

 

Blue Wolf

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By all means apply for VA benefits. I was USMC '69-'72 Vietnam '70-'71. I worked for the U.S.Post Office until 1999. Drove for a Limo Service and applied for Service connected benefits in Nov.2005 33 years after leaving USMC. Friends kept telling me to do it for many years. Next 5 years kept going to the VA for Drs. appts. They started me at 10% and went to 50%- 80%-90% now at 100%. Their call, not mine. I'm not a Doctor.

 

Once at 100% service connected, I got 100% Social Security Disability. It's earned, not taken.

 

Big Jake

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Go and apply. You've earned it!

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I remember the bad day I had. M-60 and don't remember ever letting go of the trigger. When discharged after my hearing test the young fellow told me I had Significant hearing loss. Young and just wanted to go home, so off I went. After retirement when our health care went to $1200 a month, just was getting tough on the pocket. So, since the wife and I were vets applied to get health care. Both were denied because of the Bush Administration changes. Long story short I ended up getting 20% but the wife never got a thing or into the VA Health Care. Got it on the first try for my hearing loss. I have NEVER been so well treated by doctors in my life. My primary Dr. also lives out here in the country and he quit the private practice for VA because he can now treat and take care of patients. Go for it!

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Get started now. On average, they take 15 months to put you through the whole process and make a decision, although I've seen some take two years. :angry:

 

Guess I was lucky. Did all the paper work myself and only took 6 months back in 2008.

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Guess I was lucky. Did all the paper work myself and only took 6 months back in 2008.

 

 

You WAS lucky. Most of my patients took 12-15 months to go through. I applied for an increase in percent of disability in March 2011, and it is still ongoing 14 months later.

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I guess I will try again then. I first applied in 1997, but they turned me down, but since have acknowledged some do have problems. A buddy in our unit got diptheria so bad we heard he had died from it, We found each other on the internet recently and I was glad to hear he had survived after all. His skin peels off every so often and he still struggles with stomach ailments.

 

I am not as bad off as he is. I will try though. It is getting worse as I age and odd ailments not in my family are showing up.

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Definately apply and use a Vets Organization. I went through AMVETS. They acted as my atourney in fact and with 2 meetings wtih them and attending all the medical appointments I got my rating. They do all the paperwork and dialouge with the VA.

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I am not one to rely on the government for my needs. I am not a fan of the entitlement mentality we have running rampant in theis country today. I don't believe the government should be providing anythign much beyond defense of the nation. I also love my country and do not want to add to her financial woes. Having said that, I am a veteran and the VA web site says the problems I have are considered service connected without question from the gulf war. I work and we do fine. Is it morally wrong or acting entitled to apply for payment from the VA for service connected problems?

 

 

Seems to me you have already answered your own question.

I do not know your situation, but some observations as a contractor that has worked for some disabled vet status general contractors.

None were disabled. Not that I could tell. They drove around, climbed ladders, had all of their appendages, had it together. But they took part in set asides and special favors. OK, so I benefited too.

 

An observation:

There was once a generation in this country where disabled truly meant disabled.

We all struggle at times. It just that we all aren't subsidized for it.

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You entered into a contract with Uncle Sam. You provided a service and in return you earned benefits. Let me say that again, you EARNED benefits. Take advantage of them. If you won't do it for yourself, do it for your family. :FlagAm:

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Seems to me you have already answered your own question.

I do not know your situation, but some observations as a contractor that has worked for some disabled vet status general contractors.

None were disabled. Not that I could tell. They drove around, climbed ladders, had all of their appendages, had it together. But they took part in set asides and special favors. OK, so I benefited too.

 

An observation:

There was once a generation in this country where disabled truly meant disabled.

We all struggle at times. It just that we all aren't subsidized for it.

 

So because of those contractors he shouldn't apply? Is that what you're saying?

I have some friends who are seriously disabled but you might not know it to look at them.

Wounds aren't always visible.

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So because of those contractors he shouldn't apply? Is that what you're saying?

I have some friends who are seriously disabled but you might not know it to look at them.

Wounds aren't always visible.

I do wonder about that as well since I do work. Mainly, my knees constantly ache, don't know if it is from jumping from planes or the joint pains they say many gulf war vets are having. Like my buddy the constant stomach problem is a pain and does keep me from work sometimes. Diabetes is setting in and I am trying to keep it at bay, and am told that Anthrax vaccines can cause that. many do not know that the army made every soldier take anthrax as well as other unknown vaccines prior to and while there. We were also commanded to take nerve agent antidote pills. several of them. The LT watched us swallow the first one and called on the radio when to take the rest, while we moved through Iraq. Nerve gas poisining results in head aches, difficulty seeing, difficulty breathing, stomach cramps, vomiting, diahrea, uncontrolled bowel movements, and twitching, so the antidote pills were designed to give you the symptoms so your body can develope resistance, only one of my men at age 19 suddenly had a kidney infection, another sergeant in our unit had dysentery, each man got different symptoms. I stopped taking mine after the second dose, but many took every one. My buddy who nearly died and has his skin peel off over and over was the type to follow every order. when I think of all that I think yes, but when I get up to go to work I think maybe not. WHen I think how my country is already in a lot of debt I think maybe not. Then my knees ache and I think maybe so again.

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I do wonder about that as well since I do work. Mainly, my knees constantly ache, don't know if it is from jumping from planes or the joint pains they say many gulf war vets are having. Like my buddy the constant stomach problem is a pain and does keep me from work sometimes. Diabetes is setting in and I am trying to keep it at bay, and am told that Anthrax vaccines can cause that. many do not know that the army made every soldier take anthrax as well as other unknown vaccines prior to and while there. We were also commanded to take nerve agent antidote pills. several of them. The LT watched us swallow the first one and called on the radio when to take the rest, while we moved through Iraq. Nerve gas poisining results in head aches, difficulty seeing, difficulty breathing, stomach cramps, vomiting, diahrea, uncontrolled bowel movements, and twitching, so the antidote pills were designed to give you the symptoms so your body can develope resistance, only one of my men at age 19 suddenly had a kidney infection, another sergeant in our unit had dysentery, each man got different symptoms. I stopped taking mine after the second dose, but many took every one. My buddy who nearly died and has his skin peel off over and over was the type to follow every order. when I think of all that I think yes, but when I get up to go to work I think maybe not. WHen I think how my country is already in a lot of debt I think maybe not. Then my knees ache and I think maybe so again.

 

 

Take it from someone with experience. Get your rating as soon as possible. Just because you get a rating doesn't mean you have to collect payments, however it makes it a lot easier to get the benefits when the problems do come. My father in law died from a couple types of cancer tied to agent orange (Air Force, Viet Nam). It took him 4 years to get rated and another 5 after he was gone for his wife to get widows benefits. Get rated ahead of time, if not for you then for your family. All this hapened starting in 2003, long after the exposure and long after the records had been moved a couple times. Time makes things harder to find. Start now.

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Our VA service officer keeps telling me to put in for my tinnitus.

I just say "What?" :lol:

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Seems to me you have already answered your own question.

I do not know your situation, but some observations as a contractor that has worked for some disabled vet status general contractors.

None were disabled. Not that I could tell. They drove around, climbed ladders, had all of their appendages, had it together. But they took part in set asides and special favors. OK, so I benefited too.

 

An observation:

There was once a generation in this country where disabled truly meant disabled.

We all struggle at times. It just that we all aren't subsidized for it.

 

 

Just because someone has been evaluated and determined to have a disability does NOT mean they're disabled. I currently carry 60% VA disability but you'd never be able to tell that simply by watching my everyday activities. An old cliche applies here: Don't judge a book by it's cover. :FlagAm:

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I work and we do fine. Is it morally wrong or acting entitled to apply for payment from the VA for service connected problems?

 

(Rhetorical question alert): So you work for a living; that is good. Is it "morally wrong or acting entitled" for you to cash your monthly paycheck for services that you have rendered?

 

This is no different. You did your duty and if you have service-connected injuries then it is part of the bargain that Uncle Sam acknowledges that fact. The important thing is that you document and that they acknowledge the service connected conditions, so that when (not if) things get worse as you age, then you are able to access treatment. This is especially important if the condition is one where civilian providers have little experience (such as your possible Gulf War Syndrome releated conditions).

 

As I told the doc at my VA physical, I don't care if I see a dime from the VA but when body parts start falling off I want them to make me into "The Six Million Dollar Man"! :lol:

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Mainly, my knees constantly ache, don't know if it is from jumping from planes or the joint pains they say many gulf war vets are having.

 

Jumping from airplanes does not make your knees ache. Landing does that! :lol:

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Jumping from airplanes does not make your knees ache. Landing does that! :lol:

 

Jumping from an airplane can make your groin hurt......... I know.....

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Jumping from an airplane can make your groin hurt......... I know.....

 

+1 been there done that

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Jumping from airplanes does not make your knees ache. Landing does that! :lol:

ain't that the truth. had a LT once forget the lower jumper has the right of way, next thing I know he is falling through my chute and taking the air out of it, forcing me through his taking his air and back some more all the way down. I was wrapped in his chute when I finished landing. he did apologize though. fortunately I was light then and did not hit as hard as he did.

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Interesting experience with the nerve agent pre-treatment tablets... and totally different to mine (and those of my Navy shipmates) Yep.. Gulf War Mk I here too..... Royal Australian Navy

 

I am assuming it was the same stuff? Pyridostigmine Bromide tablets? All it gave us was GAS!!! (Big time.. not fun on a ship!)

 

We were lucky.. we didn't get the Anthrax stuff... Just normal inoculations and the Human Plague vaccine... (all routine/well proven AFAIK)

 

As to the original question.. APPLY TOMORROW... you've earned it.

 

My Mum was reluctant to apply for the War Widows pension (Dad was a WWII vet), the local RSL (think combined American Legion/VFW) rep pointed out that Dad had EARNED that for her before 1945!!!

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ain't that the truth. had a LT once forget the lower jumper has the right of way, next thing I know he is falling through my chute and taking the air out of it, forcing me through his taking his air and back some more all the way down. I was wrapped in his chute when I finished landing. he did apologize though. fortunately I was light then and did not hit as hard as he did.

 

I hated it when that happened. :lol:

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I will NEVER understand you boys and your jumping out of airplanes that I shed blood and sweat to fix so you wouldn't HAVE to jump out of them. :P

 

you are why they jump out slim :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

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