March 3, 2008

 

To:      The Honorable Daniel K. Akaka, Chairman, Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs

            The Honorable Richard Burr, Ranking Member, Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs

            The Honorable Bob Filner, Chairman, House Committee on Veterans Affairs

            The Honorable Stephen E. Buyer, Ranking Member, House Committee on Veterans Affairs

 

From:  The Veterans of this Nation

 

Subject:  A Relevant Question for Our Nation’s Youth (The Death of a Veteran)

 

 

A RELEVANT QUESTION TO OUR NATION’S YOUTH

 

So, you want to serve in the Armed Services of the United States of America and become a Veteran?  You just might want to think twice or maybe three times before you do.

 

The President of the United States, his political appointees to the Department of Veterans Affairs, and every Senator and member of the House should be ashamed of letting things like this happen, yet it goes on daily within the Department of Veterans Affairs.  Senior executives and managers more concerned with their bonuses are making decisions that do not stand the light of day.  I give you a case in point, of small concern to those not affected, but paramount to the struggles of Veterans today and most importantly to the widow and son of the Veteran.

 

David Hill, a Veteran of the Korean DMZ, with two cancers approved as associated with the herbicide Agent Orange was given 18 months to live.  David proved beyond any doubt he did serve along the DMZ for months.  The Department of Veterans Affairs denied him disability compensation because David arrived two months after the Department of Defense (DOD) stated they quit using the herbicides. 

 

The Department of Veterans Affairs continued to discount the half-life of these herbicides in their denial of David’s claim.  Even more germane to the issue, not only did David have two cancers associated with the herbicide exposure but after leaving the DMZ and at discharge from service, David was diagnosed with pustular acne, a scientific hallmark of exposure to dioxin, dioxin-like furan isomers, and polychlorinated biphenyl's (PCB’s).  David did not have pustular acne before he served on the Korean DMZ.

 

The Department of Veterans Affairs, the Institute of Medicine (IOM), the adjudicators and judges should not have the power to ignore contrary evidence and studies, by saying that any half life study must be accomplished in South Korea and along the DMZ.  Chemical half-life is what it is based on study by toxicology experts of our nation and the world - not just what the Department of Veterans Affairs and its surrogate say it is, especially when there is direct, conflicting, and adverse effect on the government.

 

These decisions are not coincidence.  These decisions are not sane or rational.  These decisions belie the mythical congressional mandate of the "benefit of the doubt shall be given to the Veteran".

 

What makes matters worse is that the Congressional civilian herbicide bill for the exact same issues and conditions is four times longer than of Veterans.  In this case, David’s service was inside the inclusive dates for civilian awards for compensations by two years and there could have not been this nonsensical and obscene denial by Veterans Affairs.

 

David passed away on February 9, 2008, leaving a widow, Sheila, and a minor son, his claim still unresolved.  She must now face another nightmare, one that so many of our Veterans and their surviving spouses must face.  Now she must get back at the end of the line and start the process again, with all the volumes of Veterans Affairs paper work, which will result in years of denial until someone comes to their senses.  She will go without the financial support created by our government just for the purposes of David’s premature death. 

 

When I talked to David, he knew he was not going to survive but wanted my help in trying to get his claim approved before he died for his wife and son.  I failed, even though I brought it up to the Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs in Congress. 

 

Now the widow is asking what can be done, if anything.  Until Congress and the media address these issues, I believe there is nothing that can or will be done. 

 

The Department of Veterans Affairs remains unchallenged, a broken and decayed system of disability claims processing, adjudication and disability ratings, abusive administrative rules, and flagrant disregard for due process and the civil rights of Veterans.  The Department of Veterans Affairs continues its anti-veteran, self-serving, and abusive treatment of this Nations’ Veterans while Congress does little to squelch forty years of mismanagement and disregard for its legislative efforts.   

 

Veterans of this nation and I pointed to this very case as an example when we presented our suggestions to reduce the backlog of claims to Representative Hall on February 14, 2008.  So far, nothing has been done.  Nevertheless, it is evident in Under Secretary Cooper’s resignation, that without Congressional intervention, the Department of Veterans Affairs will continue its obvious abuses.

 

I have posted the fax numbers and addresses of the Veterans Affairs Committee in the House at the bottom of this letter.  I ask all grassroots veterans’ organizations to please send either my letter or your own as to the despicable treatment of this Veteran and the insistence that this widow be given her benefits immediately.  Please also include your own congressperson and senators as well.

 

I ask any media or reporters wanting to follow up on this story and how the motto "To Care for Him Who Have Borne the Battle and For His Widow, and His Orphan” has become nothing but a sick Veterans Affairs joke - please contact the widow at: sheila708@wildblue.net

 

The same applies for anyone in Congress that cares how Veterans and their widows and children are actually treated.

 

Charles Kelley

Vietnam DMZ 1967-1968

The Toxic Chemical Corridor

 

I would also add here a sentiment sent in by one of our own group, a former Captain and chopper pilot in Vietnam after to listening the subcommittee hearings.  Moreover, I think all of us can agree here.

 

"...On the issue of V.A. Compensation, once again the Senate held hearings on V.A. compensation and of course several so-called "experts" addressed our needs.  This is BS.

 

In order to adequately address our needs the Senate Committee should hear from those of us who receive and fight for the benefits and compensation, not some expert who is on a compensation rate nowhere near ours.

 

Veterans who receive compensation and in the fight are the ones who should be testifying!

 

And if a so-called "expert" testifies it should only be after the "expert" has had to live on the same rate of compensation that we receive.  Try to live on that for a year and see how much debt they have accumulated!  They certainly won't be saving much, if any.

 

I am so sick and tired of someone else speaking for me I could just spit!  These people have absolutely no idea how far our compensation doesn't go.  So whom do they ask to testify?  An "expert" that lives on salaries/compensation most likely in the 6 figure income range."

 

I would add here to those that have to fight to receive anything at all and in many cases do not make it prior to death and the dutiful widows; "not to give up", continue the fight against the number one enemy of our military and its veterans - The United States Government! 

 

It is truly unfortunate when the Congress would rather hear from those that have never fought in these battles or suffered these indignities than those who carried the fight.  We hope there will come a day when the Department of Veterans Affairs will be tried under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) for their collusion in these types of activities.

 

 

Members of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs