Many vetrans with disabilities, be it fully or partial; are eligible for a pension and are not aware.

If you served during a period of conflict, whether here or over seas, and meet the requirements which are: Have a discharge other than dishonorable. Have less than 60 days accumulated jail time. Have a low income or no income. Have a medically provable dis ability.

Contact a vetrans rep. with any vets orginization, such as VFW, American Legion, ect. If you are on social security or other low payment program, the V.A. will raise your payments to their level, which is higher.

If you file and get denied; refile, if thats denied, file again; file again and again as many times as necessary. There are allways vetrans passing on and their funds become aviable and must be used some where or the people at V.A. will no longer have jobs. File again, don't quit filing, you earned this.

There are a higher percentage of Viet Vet homeless than other conflict vetrans, real help for a homeless person is to inform them of these facts. Please post this info in as many places as you can.

-- mitch hearn (moopups1@aol.com), April 05, 2001

Answers

If you have 61 days of accumulated jail time, does this mean that you are no longer disabled?

-- Ed Copp (OH) (edcopp@yahoo.come), April 05, 2001.

No, Ed. It means that you are no longer eligible due to naughtyness.

-- mitch hearn (moopups1@aol.com), April 06, 2001.

CAN I MAKE A SUGGESTION? YOU CAN CONTACT THE DAV OFFICE ALSO. THEY'LL GIVE YOU THE INFORMATION YOU NEED. SINCE MY FAMILY WAS ALL IN THE MILITARY AND RECEIVED PENSIONS I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE PROCEDURE. I HOPE AT LEAST ONE OF THE VETERANS SEES YOUR MESSAGE. THE VETERANS SERVED GOD AND COUNTRY AND DESERVE THESE BENEFITS.MITCH IS CORRECT, DON'T QUIT IF YOU HAVE BEEN DENIED. KEEP ON TRYING.GOD BLESS PRISCILLA MTASHEACRES@AOL.COM OR GP83196@AOL.COM USARMY WIFE AND USN RETIRED WIFE

-- PRISCILLA (Mtasheacres@aol.com), April 06, 2001.

My husband had a PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) mental breakdown in January 2000, and spent most of that year in Veteran's Administration Hospitals. He is a retired U.S.Army SFC, infantry, with two tours in VietNam. So far we have gone through 3 or 4 appeals and still are fighting. He has been diagnosed permanently disabled by three separate physicians--two of which are VAMC doctors. He takes 6 different medications, and sleeps almost all day because of their tranquilizing side-effects. He doesn't have the mental capacity to handle any business transactions, so I have taken over the entire family responsibilities through a power of attorney. Most veterans at this same stage in their illness do not have a significant other, spouse or even a friend (unless it's another veteran--and that is usually not a wise choice, unless it is mainly for talking them through the rough periods) to help them through this chaos. Seek out a Veterans representative with the VA, VVA, VFW, DAV, etc. Ask as many questions as you can--see if you "feel safe", confident in their competence and experience... sECURITY AND tRUST ARE THE TWO MOST IMPORTANT, YET INTANGIBLE ELEMENTS FOR VETS. Ask other vets about their experience with reps and get recommendations... Go to, or join a veteran's organization. There you will find others, like yourself, that are also trying to hang onto the single remaining thread of sanity that you feel might snap at any minute... Talk to your significant other about what's going on, explain everything as much as you can; if you go to counseling do not refuse and encourage your significant other to be involved in your treatment and counseling. Most relationships are destroyed early on because of misconceptions and ignorance; if you have something worth hanging onto--do everything in your power to do just that. REMEMBER that one of the most prevalent negative personal quality all vets have is CONTROL. If you aren't in control you aren't easy to live with under any circumstances; but then again that was the only way you survived in battle wasn't it? You absolutely must adhere to any and all treatment programs that you consent to through the Veteran's Administration. Don't give up the fight--be persistent and don't ever give up. Do not decide to treat yourself, and do not think that you will be totally recovered in a few months. It took God knows how many years to get this bad, it will take many, many more to learn to "cope". And that's all you can expect, because you are no longer, and you never will again be the innocent young man who learned how to march to cadence. There needs to be much more public awareness about this problem. It has been too long since the war has been "over", and now even doctors don't know what the term PTSD means. The two most important things ARE: RUN-DO-NOT-WALK TO THE NEAREST PLACE YOU CAN TO FIND HELP, BECAUSE NO MATTER HOW MACHO YOU ARE IT DEFINITELY WILL NOT GO AWAY NOR WILL IT ALWAYS STAY UNDER YOUR CONTROL; AND YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

-- Donna M. Davis-Prusik (Seven9erkilo@knoxcomm.net), April 10, 2001.

Another teasing tidbit because right now, I can't recall the site. But there IS a Federal program to assist the homeless Vet. I too suggest visiting a local organization of Veterans. The Internet gives us knowledge at our finger tips, and folks share it. Hopefully your locals will be Internet active. Good Luck and I Salute!

-- My Story (andIam@sticking.com), April 11, 2001.