Returning veterans deserve better

There are a lot of articles I read over the course of the day. Sometimes they get me angry and sometimes they offer hope. Most of the time, they remind me of what we went through when no one was talking about PTSD and reporters considered any reports about the fate of our veterans to be nothing more than "sour grapes" as they proceeded to hang up the phone.

When I married my husband in 1984, I knew Vietnam had taken hold of him but at the time no one was warning PTSD would get worse without treatment. We just assumed it was as bad as it would ever be. Now we know a lot more. You have to understand that it was not until the late 70's the term Post Traumatic Stress Disorder was being used by the mental health community and not until the 80's the VA used it. There really wasn't much known back then.

Nine years later, I felt as if I had entered into a world I had not known existed. A world where veterans are denied the medical care they needed to heal from combat. My Dad was 100% disabled Korean War vet. He was well taken care of so I assumed all veterans needing care got it. I realized how wrong I was when my husband's PTSD got worse. I was finally able to convince him to go to the VA for help but it was a six year battle to have his claim approved and his care covered by the VA. It was six years of hell trying to keep him alive, going for help at the same time I had to fight the VA because he had given up.

What was the problem? A wrong number typed in on a Bronze Star Award. The doctors tested him, diagnosed him with PTSD tied to Vietnam, just as a civilian doctor had done in 1990. None of that mattered because of the error on the award. We had all the documentation and since I knew first hand how veterans were treated, what they went through when claims were denied, I contacted a lot of local reporters but was told it was nothing more than "sour grapes" because his claim was denied. Had they bothered to even take a look at the documentation we had, they would know it was the truth and if it happened to my husband, it was happening to a lot of veterans, but they didn't bother. Long story short, I ended up talking to a General and he has his assistant track down the facts to have the award corrected. The VA soon after approved his claim.

Reading the following I can tell you that things have not changed that much when it comes to filling out claims and having the paperwork to back up the claim. What I find very hopeful in all of this is the fact so many reporters are willing to look at the facts and understand there is a problem in this country when disabled veterans are left to fend for themselves. After reading this I am very sad because of the memories it stirred up because I know when we read about claims denied, care delayed or another veteran falling thru the cracks, there are far too many more we will never hear about.

We can all agree they deserve the best care possible but no one can agree on how we get there from here. At least we're closer than ever before so take some comfort in that and keep fighting to make sure our veterans are all taken care of.

Editorial: Returning veterans deserve better
GateHouse News Service
Posted Jul 28, 2010 @ 12:56 PM
The story of Marine Staff Sgt. Curtis Long, who survived a bomb blast while serving in western Iraq in 2007, should remind us all of the toll the concurrent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are taking on our servicemen and women.

Long, 26, was riding in a mine-resistant truck when a 300-pound bomb went off, sending the truck flying 30 feet into the air. The blast knocked Long unconscious for five minutes.

After he returned from Iraq, Long was angry, emotionally distant from his family and numb, according to his wife, Ginny. He has since begun treatment for severe post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury.

Long is far from alone in being treated for post-traumatic stress disorder. According to the Veterans Administration, more than 400,000 veterans are receiving benefits for the disorder, including 19,000 women. The Houston Chronicle reports that 20 percent of the 2 million soldiers who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001 suffer from PTSD.

On July 13, the VA changes its rules and no longer required documented proof of events that might have caused the disorder and is encouraging veterans who had been denied benefits to apply again. Before that time, the VA made these men and women jump through hoops while seeking help. In one case, recounted in the Washington Post, the PTSD claim of an Air Force veteran was denied because of a spelling mistake on his forms.
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