Does anyone know how many draft dodgers of the Viet Nam war we have in the Senate and Congress?

The following is the best approach to dealing with the VA. If he does not have a service-connected disability, any medical care that he gets will be based on an income means test. The loss of paperwork is not unusual.

The info that I provided will help resolve this issue. The VA phone system is a problem. Even when you get to talk to a human, they can only address what is on their computer screen (experience).

It takes 30 days or more to put info into the VA computer system and an unknown number of months before anyone looks at it. The VA has an internet link also: www.iris.gov. They are better than the phone link.

The IRIS folks who respond are usually at the VA Regional Office where he should have sent documents. In addition to the below, if he is not claiming a service connected disability and is only focused on medical care, he can go to the VA Regional Office or visit the patient advocate office in a VA hospital with his DD 214 and other identifying documents and ask for their assist in applying for VA medical benefits. He should take his last two years of tax returns and W-2 forms.

VA Clinics can help in this area also. The VA medical system is based on category ratings from 1 to 8. Cats 1, 2, and 3 are service connected disabilities.

Cats 4 through 8 vary in that the higher Cat numbers are associated to an income means test category where there are co-payments, some higher, and co-payments for pharmacy. Go to www.va.gov and click on medical link for more info. If he has filed a Statement of Claim for one or more service connected disabilities, use the following info verbatim.

Good luck. USMC-Retired 1st: Any package for service connected disability submitted to the VA should be via your State’s Veterans Service Department (not the Fed VA). Their Veteran Service Officers (VSO) are located in all 50 states and primarily located in major cities, but often travel to smaller cities and towns.

I use the California Veterans Service Department. The DAV has a great rep, but may be difficult to get face to face with VSO – a face to face is critical! The VFW and American Legion are hot and cold – depends on the size of the post and how well organized they are.

2nd: Use the VSOs because they know and talk the VA disability rating language and disability codes used by the VA. The VA raters follow the BOOK explicitly. Every document sent to the VA should go via the VSOs – they will have a record and will have proof of when your package was submitted so that you can receive back pay should the VA loses it (not unusual occurrence).

3rd. The VA often schedules the vet for a medical exam with a VA contracted physician (usually QTC, Inc). These physicians are usually foreign born with some English conversation problems and are usually internal medicine or general medicine.

They are usually NOT specialists in the disability that you are claiming e.g. Not orthopedics, not psycharists (PTSD), not neurologists (TBI), no experience in cancer related illnesses (e.g. agent orange, gulf war syndrome), not OB/GYN (female vets). This means their diagnosis is often wrong or partially correct. This can result in a bad VA rating decision especially if the rating specialist ignores the military medical records.

The VSOs can advise the vet concerning the QTC medical exams to ensure a fair, complete, and impartial exam report. 4th. If your claim is denied, totally or partially, you have the right to APPEAL.

DO IT if you have the documentation (post military medical and/or med records). The VSO will help you do this and provide your best options. It is due 60 days from the date of the VA award letter (zero percent is considered an award).

Miss the 60 days, you start all over in the process. 5th. If you do not have it, get a copy of your medical records at time of discharge or retirement.

If you are already off active duty, send a request to the National Personnel Records Center using their form SF 180 (available from their website with detailed instructions - www.archive.gov/st.louis). Noticed a comment about using Congress/Senate reps - I have taken this approach. Most staff in Congressional offices are essentially paper pushers; however, they may be able to get more info since there is a Congressional Liaison in each of the VAs Regional Offices.

Don't expect the "paper pushers" to follow up without any prompting from you. You will have to push them to send another letter. Additionally, recommend that you write the letter of inquiry with a short history of the problem experiencing.

The "paper pushers" will put a Congressional cover letter on your letter and then fax it to the Congressional liaison. Once an answer comes back - 30 to 60 days, you will receive a letter from them. If nothing after 45 days, recommend calling and ask them to followup on the original letter.

A face to face is best way to go. I do NOT recommend the use of private attorneys. The only winner is the attorney as he uses your money for his cocktails!

There are specific laws that affect reimbursement of attorneys who are representing a veteran. Make this a question for the VSO you visit - they will have the updated info. The laws associated to the VA are significantly different than those for the Social Security Admin when applying for SSI as associated to how and to what extent that an attorney can be used to represent an individual for a VA claim versus a Social Security claim.

Check it out before putting money into a black hole.

I agree with your answerer that said you may have to use another organization to get what he deserves. I deal with the VA for my mother in law and they've been nothing but a headache! Paperwork, etc has to be filled out EXACTLY like they want it or they discontinue benefits.(they done to me and now say she has to pay back 20,000).

These organizations don't charge for their services and know exactly how to deal with them. Good luck, your going to need it! :(.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.