Northland Vietnam veteran receives more than $300,000 in back pay

Veterans Service Officer honored for catching old error
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Minnesota
Northland veteran receives more than $300,000 in back pay

DULUTH – Brian Rulifson had been on the job as a St. Louis County Veterans Service Officer less than six months when he was visited in September by a Vietnam vet in need of medical assistance through the Veterans Administration (VA).

The veteran, who is from the northern part of St. Louis County, is undergoing treatment for cancer. He asked to not be identified but agreed to let the details of his story be shared.

As Rulifson looked through the paperwork in the vet’s file, he noted something didn’t look right. The vet, who has what’s termed a presumptive cancer – meaning it’s a type of cancer that’s presumed to be linked to his service in Vietnam – had applied for certain benefits in 2004, but been turned down.

Rulifson brought it to the attention of Sherry Rodriguez, director of Veterans Service Offices for the county, who agreed that this veteran had wrongly been denied benefits, and pursued the case with the VA.

Ultimately, the VA ruled that a “Clear and Unmistakable Error” had occurred nine years ago, and in late October issued a check to this veteran, for $306,962 in back pay. It is believed to be the largest single payout ever to a veteran in the county. Additionally, the man is now considered permanently and totally disabled, which means he will receive increased monthly payments for the rest of his life.
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