[7thengbn] DAV Case Officer

Thu Sep 13 23:50:05 CDT 2007

Hi, Ray!

    Me again!  I forgot to mention hearing.

     Here's what I remember happening as far as my "hearing test" goes, when 
I was released from active duty.  I was released on the early release 
program.  That means that all of us 'Nam vets with the right MOS were 
released all at once, regardless of our enlistment dates.  When I went down 
to the Hosp at Pendleton for the release physical exam, there was a hallway, 
with benches along both walls.  The benches were filled with Marines, all 
waiting to get their physicals.  There were three Corpmen conducting the 
physicals - no doctors.  The Corpsmen were swamped and trying to run us 
through as quickly as possible, because after lunch, another large batch was 
due.  As our turn came, we took a seat next to the Corpsmen, and he started 
asking questions, and filling in blanks and checking boxes on a Physical 
Exam Form inserted in a typewriter.  He would ask a health question, then 
type an answer in the correct box.

     One question was, "Hows your hearing?".  I answered, "Not that good.  
I've been having some problems.  I was exposed to some loud explosions. . ." 
  The Corpsman stopped me right there, and whispered in my ear, "Can you 
hear me".  I said, "Yes", and he typed something.  He then had me turn, and 
he whispered the same thing in my other ear.  I said, "Yes", again, and he 
marked another box.   End of "hearing test".

      Years later, when I bothered to look at that medical form, I found 
that he had typed in filled in the boxes with numbers indicating that my 
hearing was normal, as measured on a hearing test machine.

       Gee whiz!  How about a fighting chance?

       I guess, I would need to explain that, and then include a letter from 
someone who was over there with me, who was willing to "recall" that I 
expressed difficulty hearing to him, while we were over there.   But, then 
they might want proof that the "hearing test" was conducted in the manner I 
decribed.  Ron

Hey Ron
I also am a 7th eng guy and was in the landing in October65, got back to the 
states in May66.  Except for changing the name and places, my case is almost 
exactly as yours, including the ptsd and hearing loss.  I quite trying on 
the hearing loss because again the va doesn't try to deny you have a 
condition if it is clearly diagnosed by the va, but they say you can't prove 
you got the condition as a result of your service.They are full of catch 
22's.  On the hearing loss they said that when I was released from active 
duty at El Toro, my hearing exam showed I was ok.  I don't remember taking a 
hearing exam and I have heard from other veterans that "they" phoneyed them 
up and also had people pulling pages from our records that would give us 
backup for future claims.  So, I was denied on the hearing loss deal as far 
as compensatin goes but they did give me a hearing aid.  My ptsd claim has 
been denied 3 times so far and like you I am frustrated, so I have given my 
"package" to My Idaho Senators office here in Boise to see what they can do. 
  Some of the very glaring inconsistencies in my process is:  1- They say 
that I have to identify the events that could be possible stressor events.  
I identified many and they denied.   Finally I said tell me what type of 
events are acceptable as stressor event.  They said that I would have to 
have felt that my life was in emminent danger, and that they have to be able 
to independantly verify the events.  BUT, they also said that the military 
doesn't keep records beyond 25 years.  So if you wait until later in life to 
ask for help you are just sol.  2-  At the advice of my claim advocate I 
located some of the guys who had served with me in Vietnam and had them 
write "buddy" letters confirming the events.  Still denied.  By the way this 
is how I found out about 7th Engineers having reunions and am planning on 
going to Texas next year.  Still denied.  3-  Through one of my buddies I 
located Col E L Meeker, who was our battialion commander and he even wrote 
them a letter in my behalf.  One of the events was a fight I got into with 
another marine who threatened to kill me and tried to do so.  When I pointed 
out to the Col about the govt saying they had to independly verify events 
and had no records beyoud 25 years, he said that where the other marine was 
court marshalled there should be a record of that.  Still denied.  This is 
why I have turened this over to my state senator for help.

My life and symptoms are almost exactly the same as yours as I too didn't 
realize or know about ptsd for many years but knew I had problems along with 
the nightmares but as you did I just lived with it.  Got the college degree 
but hated almost all the teachers and professors.  Worked, drank too much 
for about 4 1/2, then quit cold turkey, 3 diviorces, and only went to the va 
when my 4th wife threatened to leave me if I didn't goto the the va and get 
help.  My mental doctor and counselor say I am the text book classic example 
of ptsd and I can't help believe that there are many of us out there and the 
govt knows it and that is why they are so hard to deal with.

3-  The govt says I have to identify the stressor events to them.  One of my 
buddy letters confirmed all the events that I had already described plus an 
event I had forgotten.  I was surprised about this and when I pointed this 
out to my advocate she said that this was part of having ptsd.  Do you see 
the inconsistency in this.  We have to describe the stressor events to be 
compensated for ptsd and part of having ptsd is that you don't remember some 
stuff.  I call bullshit on them.

I have decided not to let this destry my life but I am going to stay in 
their face until I die or get compensation at a satisfactory level.  I 
wonder If enough of us got together if we couldn't sue the govt like they 
did about the agent orange?

Best of luck.  Your fellow Marine Raymond D Kent

>From: 7th Engineer Battalion Vietnam Veterans Assoc 
><7thengbn at 3rdbridge.org>
>Reply-To: 7thengbn at 3rdbridge.org
>To: 7thengbn at 3rdbridge.org
>Subject: Re: [7thengbn] DAV Case Officer
>Date: Thu, 23 Aug 2007 07:16:06 +0000
>
>Hi, Jim!
>
>    Thanki you very much for the offer.  How did you latch on to my E-Mail
>address?
>
>     Yes, I too was a 7th Engineer guy.  I was with 1st Bridge.
>
>     I am now rated by the VA for service connnected double hernia, at 0%.
>Its been operated on, and fixed, so, its OK, but, the VA did not use mesh.
>Anyway, I have been fighting with the VA over this for about five years I
>guess. I content that since I will never be able to lift, carry, push as
>much weight as I previously did, I am in fact, at least slightly disabled,
>say 10%.  The deny me, saying that unless the hernia is hanging out, I am
>rate no percentage.  I appeal, they deny, I appeal, and so on.
>
>       A few years ago, the VA sent me to Guam (I live on the very isolated
>island Saipan, out here in the Pacific) for an exam.  Of course, the exam
>showed that the hernias were repaired, and the VA used this to deny me once
>again.  I appealed, stating once again that since I could not lift the
>weights I could before (five gallon water bottles, heavy boxes, move heavy
>furniture), I was disabled to a small extend,  They denied, I appealed, 
>etc.
>
>       Last month, out of the Blue, I received another travel voucher from
>the VA to go to Guam for another exam.  Same thing of course.  The doctor
>found that my hernias had been operated upon, and a fixed.  I'm thinking of
>dropping it, when I receive my next denial.
>
>        About three years ago, after a lengthy fight, and another trip to
>Guam for an exam, I was rated by the VA as 50% disabled, due to PTSD.
>
>        When I came home from 'Nam, I thought that, with the exceptions of
>feelings of anger, violence, inability to feel, and "apartness" from 
>others,
>I was basically normal.  In any case, I "knew" that as time went on, and I
>became further distanced from the events, I would become "better" and
>"better", so nothing to worry about.  But, as time went only, exactly the
>opposite occurred.
>
>        Oh, for 25 years, I was able to carry on well enough, except for 
>two
>divorces.  I earned a college degree on the GI Bill, became a school
>teacher, and taught for a dozen years.  I did a good job to, and was
>respected by my co-teachers and my administrators.  I got along with my
>co-workers well, also.  I even served as a Court Marshal for about ten
>years, during this time, but, all the while, I was gradually losing my grip
>on my ability to cope.  Small things became difficult, my memory started to
>go, I experienced increasing "day-mares", connected with assaults by
>"demons", anxiety, and my panic attacks because more frequent.
>
>          I always wondered, "Why me?".  Many other guys in my own unit saw
>and experienced far worse than I did.  As a matter of fact, you could call
>me a "light weight".  Last year, for the first time, I learned that those
>who experienced abuse as a child, not only often have a predelection 
>towards
>PTSD, but, experience worse symptoms.   So, now I know, but, I surely was 
>an
>abused child, in spades.
>
>          Well, anyway, I sort of had a break down in 2000, which led me to
>file the PTSD claim with the VA.  Like I say, it took four years to get the
>VA rating on that.  During the last several years, this condition has
>continued to worsen.  The panic attacks have worsened, and I am in the
>middle of another divorce right now.  I haven't worked for over a year and
>eight months, now.  I had to resign from my last position as a school
>teacher, because I was overwhelmed with almost irresistable urges to smash
>in the heads of certain students each day.  I kept seeing very real images
>of myself doing so, every day, and even thought I had actually done so a
>couple of times.  Each night, I dreamed about it, without fail, also.  
>Then,
>I would see myself led into the court in handcuffs and an orange jumpsuit.
>
>          All the 12 years, I have lived here, there has never been any VA
>presence here, so I have never been able to see a mental health
>professional.  A few months ago, for the first time, the VA appointed a
>phyciatrist to represent them here.  I have been seeing her for a month or
>so now.  I would like to file for an increase in my VA PTSD rating, but, 
>the
>long, long fight, the anxiety, and the endless letter writing.
>
>          Although, I am a life time VFW member, they have been of no help 
>to
>me at all.  I have managed to find a couple of E-Mail addresses for VFW
>Service Officers over the years, but, only one ever answered my E-Mail, and
>that was only once.  I know that the VA has VFW Service Officer Reps right
>in their building, in Hawaii, and I have asked the VA there repeatedly to
>hook me up with one, or at least refer my paperwork to them.  They have
>never made any attempt to do so.  All these years, I've had to fight this
>thing totally on my own.  A number of times, I have come close to just
>giving up.
>
>           Another issue, I would some day like to bring up with the VA is
>related to my hearing, which has gotten progressively worse over the years.
>I was exposed to some very loud blasts - explosions during those days, 
>which
>left my ears ringing for a day or two a couple of times. . ., but, that's
>for some other time in the future.
>
>           Anyway, regarding the PTSD issue, what's your opinion on how I
>should handle this?
>
>                                     Semper Fi,  Ron Mandell
>
>
>
>
>From: 7th Engineer Battalion Vietnam Veterans Assoc 
><7thengbn at 3rdbridge.org>
>Reply-To: 7thengbn at 3rdbridge.org
>To: <7thengbn at 3rdbridge.org>
>Subject: Re: [7thengbn] (no subject)
>Date: Wed, 22 Aug 2007 12:45:23 -0400
>
>Hey:  This is Jim Baird, from 7th Engr.  I am a service officer for the 
>DAV.
>If I can help you just send me an email.  My regards and May God be with
>you.  Jim
>
>
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