“In war, there are no unwounded soldiers.”

-Jose Narosky

Lane: One of my greatest pleasures is assisting people when they need it the most. I do not ask what their political, ethnic or religious background are because it does not matter. As a disabled veteran who “fought” the system for more than a decade without direction, I hope that I can, at least, make a difference in some veteran’s life in order that he or she can obtain the benefits that are available. Although the federal government has made some minor headway in explaining what veterans’ benefits are, the system is still very confusing and results in many veterans giving up their benefits because they feel stymied by the so-called system.

I cannot say what benefits a veteran might receive because the Veterans Bureau is the entity that decides who gets which for what. I can state that one will only receive benefits if they apply and meet the criteria for service-connected disability. I will not go into any great depth, but there is an area called non-service-connected disability that one could receive if certain income guidelines are met.

The reason for this column is because I have received several calls from either World War II veterans or their spouses asking how they can receive benefits because they are in dire financial straits. As we all know, the government often precludes immediate receipt of benefits until the paperwork is completed and approved and that is the case with the Veterans Bureau. When a veteran files for a disability claim or asks for assistance whether financial or medical, the wonderful world of chasing down paperwork begins. There is no case where a claim can be filed too early but I am hearing many requests for assistance when it’s too late.

I am not referring to today’s combat wounded from Iraq or Afghanistan as the VA must treat them immediately within a certain time frame. The rest of us veterans must file a claim that includes the VA searching for our service medical records in order to prove that a particular injury or disease is service-connected.

The very first person I helped with filing a claim with the VA was a Vietnam veteran obviously suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and diabetes. He didn’t have a clue that the VA determined that Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange have a higher rate of Type II diabetes than the general population. If a connection is determined, a veteran not only receives a disability payment but also receives free medical treatment for that disorder. I know, I am one and my family has no history of diabetes at all.

So how does a veteran go about applying for disability? One can contact the VA at 1-800-827-1000 and request the forms necessary to begin the process which can be confusing, frustrating and totally mentally incomprehensible. At least that was my personal experience and that of others I have spoken with. So what are the alternatives like hiring a lawyer or an advocate? Here the meat of this column begins.

Like I stated, I fought with the VA system for 10 years without much result. Finally, I met someone who directed me into obtaining a veteran’s advocate to fight for me and there are many available. What is nice is that they know the VA system, are free and will even appeal a VA decision if necessary. There are the organizations like the Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion and Disabled American Veterans that will assist veterans in filling out paperwork and representing a veteran during the claim process. I personally used a State of Maine veteran’s advocate but that was my own choice.

I urge all veterans to file a claim no matter what their age even if they believe they have no disability caused by military service, especially Korean and Vietnam War veterans because your age is creeping up on you. Don’t wait for that day when you can no longer afford medications, eyeglasses or hearing aids and want immediate assistance from the Togus VA Hospital.

My name and phone number is somewhere on the World Wide Web so I will not hesitate to say if you have questions call me at 893-1589 about veterans benefits. I more than likely will not have an immediate answer in some cases but I certainly can direct some place to call or I will call myself and get back to you as soon as I can.

The motto I try to do my best by is: US Army Retired – Still Serving.