THIS JUST IN . . . SURVIVING VETERANS’ SPOUSES RECEIVE RETROACTIVE PAYMENTS
Although a federal law was passed in 1996 that enabled surviving veterans’ spouses to receive and keep VA compensation or pension benefits for the month in which their husbands or wives died, until this month (December 2008), that law was not properly enforced. According to the VA, many surviving spouses who may have been eligible for payment did not apply for it. And, others who did apply for these benefits were turned down.
Now, at least 11,000 eligible VA spouses will be paid lump-sum benefits retroactively before January 1, 2009 totaling approximately $24 million. The VA has documented 73,000 surviving spouses who already have been paid, and they continue to track down others who may be eligible.
While apparently the VA is making every effort to correct this error, according to a press release from Senator Daniel Akaka’s office (Dem-Hawaii), this problem has festered for over 12 years. In fact, in cases where surviving spouses had received and kept these benefits, the VA demanded the money back, despite the 1996 law.
It all came to light when Senator Akaka was contacted by a member of his constituency, the widow of a deceased veteran. After she received a payment for the month of her husband’s death, the Treasury withdrew the money from her bank account. It seems that the VA’s computer systems had not kept up with the 1996 law. Surviving spouses still were being told that the last checks they received were overpayments and needed to be returned.
According to Akaka’s office, “in cases where the money had been spent, for example, for funeral expenses, the Department of the Treasury would withdraw the money from the survivor’s bank account under laws which allow for the recovery of erroneous payments.”
On December 5, 2008, Senator Akaka rightly contacted VA Secretary Peake explaining the VA error and its possible effect on thousands of veterans’ spouses and their families. On December 11, 2008, Secretary Peake wrote back assuring the senator he would fix the problem. Meanwhile, though, there may be many other husbands and wives of veterans who have not been contacted by the VA, and who do not realize they are entitled to these benefits. If you believe you are one of them, contact your local VA office.
CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL WAR TESTING FINALLY RECOGNIZED AS HARMFUL TO VETS
For years, Viet Nam veterans have been attributing illnesses and disorders they currently suffer to exposure to Agent Orange used by the U.S. Military to clear away foliage in the early 1960’s and 1970’s in the jungles of Southeast Asia. For too many years, their claims had been dismissed by the VA and the Department of Defense.
Suspicions of potentially deadly exposure to chemical and biological agents also have been voiced by U.S. veterans who were stationed stateside at the Dugway Proving Ground, Utah. Many who served there complain of shortness of breath due to lung scarring, peripheral neuropathy and other disorders. The U.S. Army had conducted secret chemical tests on troops. It has been estimated that hundreds, possibly thousands, of service members may have been affected.
It Doesn’t Stop There . . .
A disproportionate number of U.S. veterans who served in the first Persian Gulf War in Khamisiyah, Iraq, reportedly are at higher risk of developing brain cancer. This is purportedly due to their exposure to nerve gas.
There has been extensive and ongoing research and investigation by independent medical professionals as well as government officials into these allegations. The evidence now appears to confirm much of what veterans have been claiming for years, and finally their claims are being taken seriously by the Department of Defense and by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The Cold War Tests . . .
In fact, to formally address the wide-spread and varied health concerns of veterans who served from the late 1950’s to the mid-1970’s, the Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs have created a website: fhp.osd.mil/CBexposures. The website states: “Since the end of World War II, the DoD periodically evaluated the CB (Chemical and Biological) threat and the ability of U.S. Forces to fight on a chemical and biological battlefield. In some programs, Service Members were present but not test subjects, and in other programs, they were volunteer human subjects.”
The Department of Defense officially is investigating veterans’ exposure to chemical agents – an investigation that will take them back up to 60 years.
If you are a U.S. Military veteran who suspects you were exposed to chemical or biological testing and have serious disorders you suspect were the result of these exposures, you need to seek medical care immediately. In addition, visit the DoD website to register your name.
Finally, should you decide to submit a disability claim to the VA, seek the advice of an attorney experienced in VA disability law.
LEGISLATIVE NEWS . . .
Senators Object to Executive Order Denying Federal Workers Collective Bargaining Rights
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Barbara A. Mikulski (D-MD), Edward Kennedy (D-MA), and Joseph Lieberman (ID-CT) sent a letter to President George W. Bush urging him to rescind a recent executive order that revoked the collective bargaining rights of thousands of federal employees. Although some of these employees had been represented by unions for decades, the President cited national security concerns as justification for his action. The executive order was issued on November 26; the Senators strongly urged its immediate withdrawal. SOURCE: website of Senator Daniel K. Akaka, (Democrat, Hawaii) 12-8-08
Did You Know? Take The History Quiz . . .
1. Which U.S. President’s face was badly scared from smallpox?
2. Who tutored Alexander the Great?
3. What famous Southern general was NOT a slave-owner?
4. When did the Civil War end?
5. What famous queen had an extra finger on her left hand?
6. What was the first U.S. police force?
Answers: 1. George Washington 2. Aristotle 3. Robert E. Lee 4 April 18, 1865 5. Anne Boleyn 6. Texas Rangers, 1835