VA Paid to Bury Veteran But He Isn't Happy About It

Clerical error? Government claims living veteran is actually dead 
WECT News
By: Stacey Pinno
Posted: May 04, 2015

"To prove that I am alive is just insane and it scares me to death,” Pressley said. “That at a touch of a button or because of someone's clerical error my whole life can be taken away from me and it is."

Robert Pressley reads his death letter from the VA and Department of Defense.

(Source: WECT)

WILMINGTON, NC (WECT)
Imagine opening the mail to find a letter from Veterans Affairs with the first sentence sending sympathies for your death.

That's exactly what happened to one veteran in the Wilmington area who says his life has been turned upside down because of it.

Just last week, Robert Pressley's family received letters from both the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense claiming he was dead, plus two checks to help fund his burial.

"To prove that I am alive is just insane and it scares me to death,” Pressley said. “That at a touch of a button or because of someone's clerical error my whole life can be taken away from me and it is."

We reached out to each agency involved. So far, there is no clear explanation to what happened, but a mistake somewhere has now canceled Pressley's disability payment, VA healthcare and other medical insurance.
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