Research - Rehabilitation - Re-Employment

Sgt. Shaft 10/02/2000

Dear Sgt. Shaft:
A friend suggested that you may be able to shed some light on my cousin's situation. She served as a WAC for three years in World War II. Part of her service was with Eisenhower's headquarters in England, where she sustained a serious back injury in a bomb blast. Over the years she has had numerous back and leg operations as a result of this injury. She is now in a wheelchair.

Upon returning home, she took advantage of the educational opportunities presented by the GI Bill. She became an artist and made a modest living over the years. Now she is ill and her condition requires more nursing care than she currently receives. Although Medicare covers some of the expenses, it is not sufficient for her needs and she cannot afford the additional care needed.

Can you tell me: Are veterans entitled to receive pensions and are there any social services available to her as a disabled veteran? If the answers to these questions are affirmative, with whom should I speak to arrange these services? I must tell you the information I get from my cousin is sketchy, but she did say that a few years ago a man looked into her situation and said no assistance was available for her. Thank you in advance for any help you can provide.

Alex L. @aol.com

Dear Alex:
Without knowing who delivered the bad news to your cousin, I can tell you there is hope. The first thing to do is to have your cousin apply for VA Compensation. This will serve as her gateway to receiving financial as well as medical assistance from the VA.

Based on what you tell me, it sounds as if sufficient documentation can be obtained to establish the origin of your cousin's current disability. The fact that your cousin did receive veterans' educational benefits means she provided proof of military service as part of the application process. The VA either has her records available or may be able to reconstruct sufficient information to determine she was injured on active duty. This information would be instrumental in supporting a disability rating which would then establish her entitlement to a monthly payment of compensation. This is important because entitlement to ancillary medical benefits could also be determined. Based on the information that you have provided, it sounds as if the rate of payment of VA Compensation would be substantial once entitlement is established. Even if all else fails and service-connection cannot be established for her injuries, there is one more possibility to pursue. The VA pays a pension benefit to wartime veterans who meet established disability and income limitations. The application for either benefit can be submitted by completing a VA application for compensation or pension. You can obtain this application by calling your local VA office at 1-800-827-1000.

By now you also should have been contacted by a friend who can help you through the bureaucratic maze.

Dear Sgt. Shaft:
Please announce to your readers the 260th AAA Group will hold its reunion on 14 October 2000 at Andrews Air Force Base. The men were called to active duty in 1941 for WWII and in 1950 for Korea. The group is composed of men from the DC, Maryland, and Virginia localities. For further information, please have them contact me at 301-770-7876 or email, ewbriz@juno.com or mail at 4806 Wyaconda Road, Rockville, MD. Many thanks.

E. Wayne Brizendine CW4, 
Aus. Ret.
Rockville, MD

Shaft Kudos

To U.S. Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-FL) and the House Veterans' Affairs Committee for bi-partisan support in sending H.R. 5109, the Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel Act, to the full House for consideration. The bill, offered by Rep. Stearns, would guarantee annual national pay raises for the 30,000 VA nurses. The measure would take sole discretion on nurse pay away from facility directors and provide for greater nurse participation in decision making at VA facilities. The bill would also revise and increase the rates of special pay for VA dentists and include pharmacists among those whose occupations are exempt from a statutory cap on special salary rates. Another key provision directs the VA Secretary to carry out an innovative pilot program in four geographic areas to improve health care access to veterans who live considerable distances from VA and medical facilities.

Another Shaft kudos to Congresswoman Connie Morella (R-MD) for asking the Chief of Naval Operations and the House Armed Services Committee to ask for an immediate delay in efforts to close the Bethesda Naval Club. Calling the decision to close the club a "precipitous decision," Rep. Morella, in her letter to Admiral Vernon Clark, Chief of Naval Operations, requested he "investigate the possibility of keeping the Bethesda Naval Club open while alternatives to closure of the Club are being considered. For many of my veteran constituents, their spouses, and families, the Bethesda Naval Club has become an integral part of their social lives." Added the Congresswoman, "In many cases these men and women are veterans who served their nation with courage and grace. They deserve better, and it is my belief that the Club should remain open."

Hats off those vets who are taking time off from their busy schedule to participate in the Two Trillion Veterans Protest March #1, scheduled for October 7 and 8 and ending in a protest in front of the Capitol steps. This silent protest (placards welcome), to evidence government indifference to veterans, is in support of the more than two trillion prayers and pleas that have gone unheeded by the government, from veterans of all wars and conflicts. For more information about this march, contact the Badge of Honor Association USA at their website, www.taiwanvets.com.

Send letters to Sgt. Shaft, c/o John Fales, P.O. Box 65900, Washington, D.C. 20035-5900; fax to 301-622-3330; call 202-462-4430 or email sgtshaft@bavf.org.

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