Your Check's in the Mail

Do you know any veteran who says he hasn't been screwed by the Department of Veteran's Affairs (DVA)? If you haven't done so already, try asking and prove it for yourself.

A recent study suggest vast costs loom in disability claims by newly returning U.S. veterans. The DVA director said, "as they get older and their injuries cause more problems, then they're more likely to file." And, he fails to add, more likely to be denied benefits.

It's no surprise how official medical records disappear. As a result of hard won lessons, I constantly counsel soldiers to keep every sick slip and medical record during their service. Keep copies of everything, or you'll get shafted. It's sad when this is the best advice one can give a young, dedicated soldier, but it's rock solid advice. (I won't bore the reader with my tales of DVA battles.)

If the Bush administration believes that the Social Security Administration is in danger of running out of funds, then where does he propose the monies will come from to pay disability claims for the present generation of warriors?

Mr. Bush will come and go (thankfully), but the soldier's disabilities will remain, and most will only increase in severity.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/11/washington/11veterans.html?_r=1&ref=us&oref=slogin