I am a disabled Marine Corps combat veteran. I served as a rifleman and scout-sniper with my battalion’s STA (Surveillance and Target Acquisition) platoon in Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm. I am struggling with a brain injury and PTSD. Last year I had to take a disability leave of absence from my job due to my condition. Fortunately, I was able to have my VA mortgage placed in a forbearance. I applied for and eventually received a disability rating for multiple conditions, and I now receive a disability pension from the Department of Veterans Affairs. During this process, I also discovered that I had a rated disability for a knee injury dating back to 1991. Because of some incompetence at the Department of Veterans Affairs, I never received any payments for this injury, nor was it included as part of my current disability rating. So I submitted a claim with the VA to collect a significant amount of backpay. I was told that this was a simple process because all the VA had to do was to calculate what the backpay owed to me would be and issue a payment. This year the forbearance on my VA mortgage ended, and I now must catch-up the missed mortgage payments. Again, I thought that I was fortunate because the amount I owe is approximately equal to the amount I should have been receiving from the VA for backpay for my knee injury in 1991. I had planned to use this money to payoff the amount due on my mortgage from the forbearance. As incompetence abounds in the bureaucracy at the Department of Veterans Affairs, I found out this week that my claim for backpay was mistakenly confused with my claim from last year and closed erroneously. I must now start an appeal and / or review process with the VA. The very soonest I could possibly get any relief would be at least 6 months and could be over a year. There is no way to call anyone or expedite the process. These anonymous bureaucrats, who arbitrarily ruin people’s lives, hide in the bureaucracy so that they never have to face the people they destroy. I have spoken with my congressman and to an attorney, but there isn’t anything that can be done. Because a director at the VA did not take the time or make the effort to understand the claim I filed for backpay, my mortgage is in default and will be foreclosed, if I cannot bring the loan current. I am so frustrated and disappointed with the way our government treats its veterans, but I had to face the reality that I absolutely cannot rely on the VA to do the right thing; they are incapable of that. So now I am submitting my appeal to the generosity of the American people. I thank God for the appreciation the American people have for our veterans and hopefully anticipate their generous support. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, God bless you and God bless America.
My paypal.me link is @marinecorpswarrior