Monday, December 7, 2009

VA sends another Christmas Present /Birth Defects Reporting

See story at VA Watchdog…
http://www.vawatchdog.org/09/nf09/nfdec09/nf120309-1.htm

As most of you can figure by now I am bowing out of this fight as it makes no sense to me anymore with the past and current politicians and lack of simple logic and common sense… but will comment from time to time. I am writing a series of articles (with the help of Richard) to be posted and then sent to the Texas Tech Vietnam Archives for future researchers and generations to see just how American Veterans are really treated by a despicable government and its leadership. Yet, the same folks are reelected time after time after time. Just mindboggling!

Now as you know there is a flurry of Veterans Issues and activity in Congress for what I call nothing but a reelection façade. In many cases, as most of you already know, those that sponsor the bills do not even vote for them but then take election campaign credit. So be careful of what these prostitutes tell you and what they say they are doing. I have not seen or heard anything on Congressman Kagen’s Bill to add the gastro cancers as well as the pancreatic cancers I get e-mail on almost daily from dying Veterans or their widow. If someone knows please let me know.

I suspected long ago it was going no where and will only surface about reelection time. Meanwhile the state VA reps are honestly trying to get these claims approved. Unlike our paid for VSO’s who will not ‘demand something be done’ as they do not want to alienate the so-called congressional friends they have made. At least that is what I am told.

For 40 plus years we have had no friends in congress or if they were they were tuned back at every turn by DOD/VA/White House and other congressional elected officials who would rather not admit and pay for the mistakes made by Johnson and McNamara. What we get is AO Awareness Month or some such crap as that.

We should have realized this right off but unfortunately (NO INTERNET AT THE TIME) we did not know about all the other transgressions made by our government against other era Veterans going way back to mustard gas and the cover-ups that went on with those issues. Trusting those in government was the largest mistake we made.

As I pointed out previously when VA wins a battle against Veterans a fast letter is used in how to deny these claims. No waiting around to update some registry… just start denying based on a letter.

Yet, as you can see by the article even though everyone has admitted these associated issues to “at least as likely as not” nothing will be done until the VA and the other Washington Bureaucratic Offices take their time in doing what should have been done 20 years ago. And there are other issues many issues that should be addressed and will not until there are just a few left. Such as all SEER site cancers especially any adenocarcinoma.

I still would like an explanation from someone on how we have these cancers of the immune system and cancers of the blood associated and yet in no case can it only create any autoimmune disorders or disorders considered originating from a th1 and th2 immune system confusion response, which is where the cancer starts to begin with. How is this scientifically, medically, or biologically possible? Since the dioxin dose rate long ago for autoimmune was considered much less than that of a developed cancer…reference EPA analysis.

Terry explains the stay at the BVA level:

As required by 38 U.S.C. 1116, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will issue regulations through notice and comment rule-making procedures to establish the new presumptions of service connection for those diseases. Those regulations will take effect on that date that a final rule is published in the Federal Register. Until that time, VA does not have authority to establish service connection and award benefits based upon the planned new presumptions.

Ironically Mr. Terry as the higher headquarters for VARO which he is taking the stand on this issue will not take the other side and say something such as: TO: VARO’s

BVA has already found the following xx amount of cases associated by testimony and medical evidence and adjudicated as found as “at least as likely as not” associated to exposures in service to the nation. Therefore, it is recommended that all such cases that have a diagnosis of the issue in question be approved at VARO level; and if not then BVA will begin immediately to automatically approve these "redundant claims" as approved based on previous adjudicated legal procedures.

You see, no one including our congress wants to get rid of the backlog of claims, certainly not Mr. Terry or Mr. Mayes of the VA. It is not that hard to do this and certainly guarantee that no Veteran or Widow would get anything they did not earn or warrant. (Unlike our welfare system.)

Over 50% of VARO claims either remanded or overturned by BVA… then something is rotten in Denmark and in this so-called Veterans’ legal system. No… let’s just try and retry the same case over and over and over with the only difference is the docket number.

Maybe your congressperson or your senators can explain it to you as to the why trying the same case over and over for Veterans and Widows alike makes sense…it makes no sense to me other than budget control.

I would continue filing claims (Veterans and Widows) as the article suggests and then wait for the announcement of approval date whenever that might come. I would suggest at least five to eight months which is what I think it took for the primary amyloidosis issues.

My first article will be on the Korean DMZ Veterans and how they are being denied showing up days after the DOD said they quit spraying with no concern to dioxin half life. At my reunion, one example was given of a two day missed date and the Veteran was denied. Of course my main example will be Veteran David Hill now deceased and how he was denied by Nashville Regional and the overwhelming evidence he had but he was outside the so-called window. Had he been a civilian working along the DMZ he would have been’ inside the widow’ by two years even with no half life issues. Just makes no sense what-so-ever except budget control.

One of our stalwart supporters Ms. Betty Mekdeci of the AO Birth Defects Registry sent the following E-mail.

“The Chicago Tribune is running a four-part series on Agent Orange-related birth defects and disabilities. The reporter said that the first story should be in the printed and on-line version of the Chicago Tribune starting tomorrow.”
www.chicagotribune.com

1 comment:

  1. Joseph D. Meheski, Jr.December 7, 2009 at 7:08 PM

    I am so in agreement with the content and slant of this article. I am a 100% Combat Disabled Marine that lost one leg in the Ashau Valley among other things and was told by the DVA that my shrapnel wounds in my left leg that left me with severe injuries were not due to me being in the Military. It took ME to fight and finally get a Clear and Unmistakable Error (CUE) that made the DVA finally admit under overwhelming evidence that I was indeed injured in the Military. I will be writing to Tom Philpott asking him what he feels about forming a Commission or Council of Executive Heads of each Veteran Organization that will serve to represent the interests and will of their respective Members and serve as a formidable voting block to send a message of a voice that represents numbers that are a collective Council that will fight for our entitlements not Benefits, Entitlements that we earned in doing our job, now it is time to do their job of honoring their so called commitment to Veterans that allow the Freedoms we enjoy to exist. The Council will be a Chartered Organization that will have rotation of its so called CEO and meet to collectively establish a unified voice for Congress to answer to--being separate organizations does not provide the strength of Numbers and a Unified Voting Block that they will need to recognize or be voted out. Maybe wishful thinking, but we seem to have very few Politicians that will stand up and represent our interests. I am working on a book and fleshing out this proposal to see if I can garner the interest and commitment of Separate Groups to have a Council that will speak for us all and not have each separate organization trying to advance concerns such as articulated above entertained--there is power in numbers and it is time we come together much like our own Congressional House. I have written a Booklet on Recruitment that can be found on line under my name, Joseph D. Meheski, Jr., and it hints at what can be expected from prospective recruits as they judge the treatment that Veterans receive. Anyway, I will try to at least do something to finally have a Major Word that many have Forgotten or Refuse to acknowledge, "ACCOUNTABILITY" and it is long overdue. Thanks for any thoughts on the idea of a Commission or Council. At least it is an attempt to get some recognition for those who are on the front lines protecting those sitting and talking with little to show in the way of anything productive in the way of recognition of Veterans as the Major Weapon for Protecting our Freedoms that so many have given so much with so little recognition. Moreover, the real battle begins when one returns home if an unfortunate casualty and must deal with an archaic Organization / Bureaucracy that has a Mission of Frustrating Veterans and establishing formidable hurdles that finally has them just give up.

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