Your story has touched me also. I understand that you might not want the heartache and hassle...but really someone else (the lawyers) will take the hassle.
Go for it! Don't let them get away from this. It is important not only for you but for all of us also. You do no good by giving up.
Please don't give up!
Joe (California)
Thank you for your encouragement Dr Joe: Even though I have lost every battle to date and the damage is beyond repair, I have just begun to fight!
As you may already know, as a commissioned officer, I have solemnly sworn to support and defend the constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic and bear true faith and allegiance to the same.
As a former enlisted, I am especially concerned that veterans, especially in the lower pay grades which earn little, are fairly treated and receive the entitlements which they have earned. It is unconscionable to take advantage of those who have been wounded or are less able to protect their interests as a result of the aging process.
I encourage input from those who have served as well as those who have not as this ultimately affects our national security.
I strongly believe that it is far worse to take away an earned benefit/ entitlement through non disclosure, obfuscation, misinformation or deliberately lying when the former tactics fail than outright theft as such deception demoralizes those who have placed themselves in harm’s way to protect our way of life. Simply put our veterans deserve better than the way that they are being treated by key individuals who use their position of trust to deny earned benefits rather helping veterans receive what they are entitled to.
As I live in a remote location and there is no one to bounce ideas off of I would like your answer on topics, which I have experienced and believe to be unfair. I also encourage identification of topics which you believe to be unfair and require change:
School under the GI Bill of Rights: I was denied assistance in going back to School for a time limitation which I was not aware of. It did not matter, that I was not able to attend school earlier as I had to raise two children from infancy as a single parent. Do you think that this is fair?
I took a large pay cut from my Aerospace career to take a lower paying job in Civil Service for the supposed job security (LOL). Decades later, I was informed that my Civil Service Retirement would be reduced under
Catch 62 for the years I served in the Military unless I paid approx $35,000 plus interest for the time which I was never informed. Do you think that this is fair?
I was scheduled every month for a total of four month on a briefing of
survivor benefits. I declined survivor benefits three times but accepted on the forth counseling session when I was deliberately and purposely misinformed that my Air Force Reserve Retirement would not be reduced as long as survivor benefits were not paid. “This deliberate lie not only briefed to myself it was also deliberately briefed to others to reduce retirement benefits of others.
I had to pay taxes on my IRA because of a time limitation that I was not aware of which could easily of been posted as a single line on the request for extension form. I was not able to file earlier as I could not find anyone on the remote location I live on. It cost me $7,000 to prove that they owed me $10,000 which was denied because of a
time limitation only known to those who professionally do taxes. Do you think that this is fair?
In my opinion the action of the administrators of these programs within the services and agencies have been one of
entrapment resembling those of a liar, a cheat and a fraud, focused on denying benefits to those who have earned them. Our veterans who have protected our way of life and our senior citizens deserve far better than this and a “Thank You for Serving”.
