Well.. there are a lot more who try to keep our Veterans from giving up.. i am just very vocal about it...
I can still recall when my Daddy passed away .. it seemed almost overwhelming to research on my own..
I wished over and over that Daddy was still here.. not just because i had boo coo's of questions i needed help with regarding Takhli ... but just because i missed his smile and his laugh... even with all the he was suffering with.. he kept up a good front...
But anyway, Daddy had filed back in 1996 for benefits but never heard back... So, he let it all go... back then I was a full time employee with a company who sent me traveling ..
When I started all of this after he passed away.. i had no computer and would go to the library to research everyday... I found this site and some others... from there I met Veterans who helped to answer questions i had about Daddy's work and the base and then I cultivated friendships with some of the best people in the world! Veterans!!!
Before I met them, I can still recall the feeling of being overwhelmed not knowing where to turn.. or who could help... i was studying Wikipedia for help... smile..
I paid a man online over $200 to order my Daddy's military file... why? because i didn't know they were free... or where to obtain them...
then i got the records.. soon after that found out that i could go to a service officer to get help...
I went to American Legion ... we filed the claim and waited...
we were denied... and I asked the American Legion VSO why they denied the claim for No proof of boots on ground Vietnam ... however, no mention of why they did not answer the other part of the claim which was Thailand exposure...
The American Legion told me that the VA would not cover Thailand Veterans.. So, I whipped out a copy of the May 2010 announcement and ask them to read it ..
So, that got me a reconsideration.. which took two years... to also be denied...
then I was able to find someone that could take all of the work i had done .... write a letter and get the claim approved..
Because i know how it feels to be given no moral support from the agencies you depend on... and to be told No or to write a book and watch them tear out the pages they would take... and to be told i had to have proof of boots on ground in Vietnam or to be told i had to show a picture of Daddy standing on the perimeter.. or to be told i had to prove Daddy was a dog handler...
After All that ... Mama is the last one standing...
and because i have seen all that ..been there..done it... I want to see all of the Veterans who can .. to please hang tight.. You are not alone...
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