All the following is meant to be friendly advice. Take it or leave it. I feel it's good advice that can help.
** Be smart about what to do with new found information or photos or documents that you can use to support a claim. There are some people that just take new found stuff and immediately mail or bring it to the VA or to their VSO. Some stuff printed, some stuff on a CD including internet sites to look up. They expect the VA and VSO to spend hours and hours thoroughly viewing it, reading it all and digesting all of it and then pull out things that will help them with their claim.Don't assume they do all of that. With the hundreds of thousands of outstanding claims in the system they don't have the time to do that.
Before you submit it to the VA directly or through your VSO, first slow down, read it all very carefully and thoroughly so you understand everything in it. Be sure you don't include things that could potentially hurt you. Then use a bright marker (fluorescent pink is good) and highlight things that you want to be sure the VA sees. Underline and highlight sentences, mark up maps, draw arrows on maps and photos to things you want them to see. Don't assume they'll see it. By marking things up and highlighting you know they see it and that they know you know about it. If you are submitting some select pages from a large document then also include a few of the first header pages of that document that identify what it is. Make copies of everything and keep it in your records at home. It is highly likely that all the statements, documents, photos you submit for your claim will not be returned to you.
*** Create and submit along with the other stuff, a short summary of what the new evidence is and how it pertains to your claim. Also submit a laundry list of the things you are submitting with each item assigned a letter (A,B,C...H) or some number. Organize the items you're submitting in the order you want the VA to review the stuff. Write that number or letter on the top of each item on the list with a bold black marker. Doing all that will make it easier and faster for the VA,your VSO, and you to quickly find an item on the laundry list when trying to find something.
Like I said at the top,this is just friendly advice. Use it....or not. Your choice. You only have a few chances to submit things to the VA help your claim. Don't rush into it.
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