TBT Who Remembers This : Halt

Vietnam POW Who Blinked 'torture' Dies at 89

I thought you would be interested in this story I found on news.msn.com: Vietnam POW Who Blinked 'torture' Dies at 89 (http://news.msn.com/videos?videoid=8bc201f4-d54f-956a-6451-e9930cbee527#tscptme)


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HVAC to Revisit VA's Transparency Challenges, Cooperation With Congress

HVAC to Revisit VA’s Transparency Challenges, Cooperation With Congress

 

WASHINGTON, D.C.— On Thursday, April 3, 2014, at 10:00 a.m. in room 334 of the Cannon House Office Building, the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs will hold a hearing to once again examine the Department of Veterans Affairs’ transparency challenges and cooperation with Congress.

 

At a Sept. 19, 2013, hearing focusing on the same subject, VA Assistant Secretary for Congressional and Legislative Affairs Joan Mooney assured members of the committee VA’s cooperation with Congress would improve. “We can and will do better,” she said. At the time of Mooney’s statement, the committee was awaiting VA responses to nearly 70 requests for information – a number that as of March 21, 2014, had grown to 112 requests for information, three of which date to 2012.    

 

The pace with which VA is responding to requests – and in some cases not responding– has become an impediment to the basic oversight responsibilities of the committee, drawing loud and open criticism from HVAC Republicans and Democrats.

 

Notable outstanding information requests include several inquiries regarding delays in VA medical care, an issue since linked to the preventable deaths of at least 19 veterans. So far,VA has refused to reveal the specific VA facilities where many of the veterans who died were seeking treatment.

 

The purpose of this hearing is to examine the internal process by which VA’s Office of Congressional and Legislative Affairs responds to HVAC information requests. Additionally, the hearing will explore the department’s standards and metrics regarding congressional information requests.

 

The following event is open to the press:

 

WHO:             House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs

WHAT:          Hearing: “Trials in Transparency II:  Is VA Responding to Congressional Requests in a Timely Manner?”

WHEN:          10:00 a.m., Thursday, April 3, 2014

WHERE:        Room 334, Cannon House Office Building and streaming atveterans.house.gov

 

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For more news from the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, please visit:

 

Veterans.House.Gov 

Find us on Facebook at: Facebook.com/HouseVetsAffairs or follow us on Twitter at:

@HouseVetAffairs

 

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 Sean Eagan

 Life Member VFW NY Post 53
 American Cold War Veterans, Inc.

Web:	http://americancoldwarvets.org/
Blog:	Cold War Veterans Blog
Email:	Sean.Eagan@gmail.com
Phone:	716 720-4000
Network:	My Fast Pitch! Profile

VFW WASHINGTON WEEKLY March 28, 2014

VFW WASHINGTON WEEKLY

March 28, 2014

 

In This Issue:
1. Senate Hears Military Compensation, Benefits Proposals
2. Busy Week for House VA Committee 
3. VFW Calls for VRAP Extension
4. Purple Heart Survey
5. TBI App Now Available
6. D-Day 70th Anniversary Planning
7. National Memorial Day Concert Seeks D-Day Vets
8. Three Korean War MIAs Identified

1. Senate Hears Military Compensation, Benefits Proposals: The Pentagon's FY 2015 budget submission came under fire at a Wednesday hearing by the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel. At issue is the negative impact the proposed compensation and quality of life program changes could have on a military still at war, proposals that include another 1 percent pay raise, reduced housing allowances, increased TRICARE health and pharmaceutical fees on dependent families and retirees, and creating economic conditions that could force some stateside military commissaries to close, among others. The VFW will be submitting testimony for the record, but as stated previously, VFW National Commander Bill Thien blames the continued threat of sequestration for forcing the Defense Department to continue to shrink the size of the military and their benefits to meet ever-declining budgets. "Sequestration jeopardizes readiness and modernization programs and the continued viability of the All-Volunteer Force, which is why the VFW will redouble our efforts to work with Congress and the administration to end the sequester and help bring financial stability to a military that is still at war, and who will still be required to operate in a very dangerous and unpredictable world." Watch video of the subcommittee hearing at http://www.armed-services.senate.gov/hearings/active-guard-reserve-and-civilian-personnel-programs_03/26/14. 

2. Busy Week for House VA Committee: The House Veterans' Affairs Committee had a busy week of hearings with all four House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittees hosting hearings to discuss pending legislation under their jurisdiction. The VFW was on hand to testify at all four of the hearings. Below are some of the bills that were under consideration: 

* H.R. 2527 which would allow VA to provide veterans with counseling and treatment for sexual trauma that occurred during inactive duty training.
* H.R. 3387, Classified Veterans Access to Care Act, legislation would require VA to develop standards and disseminate guidance to ensure that veterans who participated in sensitive missions or were assigned to sensitive units are able to access mental health services.
* H.R. 3593, VA Construction Assistance Act would reform VA's construction process by coordinating with others in the industry to include design/build architectural experts and the Army Corps of Engineers.
* H.R. 3671, provides a cost-of-living increase to recipients of veterans' disability compensation, and dependency and indemnity compensation at the same rate as Social Security benefits. 
* The COLA is tied to the annual CPI and social security index increases which are .
* H.R. 4037, Improving Veterans' Access to Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Act of 2014 would ensure that VA's VR&E program provides rehabilitative services to veterans in need. It also calls for more accurate metrics to measure successes within the program. 
* H.R. 4038, Veterans Benefits Administration Information Technology Improvement Act of 2014, 
* demands that VA prioritizes the completion of its information technology (IT) solution for processing VA education benefit claims.
* H.R. 4151, Veterans Education Survey Act of 2014, legislation that would capture statistical information from student veterans currently using their GI Bill benefits.
* H.R. 4191, Quicker Veterans Benefits Delivery Act requires VA to accept private medical evidence as credible for use during the disability claims process for rating purposes.
For highlights from this week's Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee hearing, click here:http://thevfw.blogspot.com/2014/03/vfw-testifies-on-va-construction.html 
For highlights from this week's Economic Opportunity Subcommittee hearing, click here:http://thevfw.blogspot.com/2014/03/vfw-testifies-on-education-employment.html 
To view a list of witnesses and read the VFW's prepared remarks from this week's Health Subcommittee hearing, click here: http://veterans.house.gov/hearing/%E2%80%9Clegislative-hearing-on-hr-183-hr-2527-hr-2661-hr-2974-hr-3508-hr-3180-hr-3387-hr-3831-hr
To view a list of witnesses and read the VFW's prepared remarks from this week's Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Subcommittee hearing, click here: http://veterans.house.gov/hearing/legislative-hearing-on-hr-2018-hr-2088-hr-2119-hr-2529-hr-3671-hr-3876-hr-4095-hr-4102-hr 

3. VFW Calls for VRAP Extension: This week the VFW joined Rep. Julia Brownley (D-CA) and other veterans' advocates for a press conference on Capitol Hill, calling on Congress to extend the Veterans Retraining Assistance Program (VRAP). VRAP is an education benefit program for older unemployed veterans that was commissioned through the VOW to Hire Heroes Act, but is scheduled to expire on March 31. The VFW has heard student veteran advocates praise the program, but also share concerns about some of its restrictions. For highlights from the press conference and to see how the VFW is working to extend and improve VRAP, click here: http://thevfw.blogspot.com/2014/03/vfw-calls-on-congress-to-extend-vrap.html

4. Purple Heart Survey: The VFW was asked by the Pentagon to comment about whether the Purple Heart eligibility criteria should be changed to include service members who are injured or killed by acts of violence, regardless of where they are stationed. We discovered a lot of VFW members have yet to take the Purple Heart Survey because it's in a "members only" section of the VFW website that they either didn't know about or know how to access. We have since added a link to the log-in section on our homepage atwww.vfw.org. Your VFW membership number is required to gain entry. The survey closes on Monday, March 31.

5. TBI App Now Available: Traumatic Brain Injuries extend far beyond combat veterans, and to meet the needs of veterans and others who have suffered mild to moderate concussions, the VA has developed "Concussion Coach," a mobile application that provides tools to assess symptoms and facilitate the use of coping strategies. The app is intended to support, not replace professional treatment or rehabilitation therapies. The app is available for Apple mobile devices at https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/concussion-coach/id713590872?ls=1&mt=8, and will be made available for Google Play later this year.

6. D-Day 70th Anniversary Planning: According to the U.S. Embassy in Paris, France is offering to provide D-Day veterans and a guest with roundtrip transportation from Paris to Normandy, and lodging, meals and transportation while in Normandy for the 70th anniversary of Operation Overlord this June 6. Travel to/from Paris is an individual responsibility. Paris-based VFW Benjamin Franklin Post 605 is assisting by collecting the names of VFW and other D-Day veterans planning to attend. Please e-mail the following information as soon as possible to Chuck Steiner at VFW Post 605 at cjsteiner@aol.com.
* Full name, age and home address of veteran (include home/cell phone and e-mail, too).
* Indicate if a D-Day veteran, Normandy campaign, or WWII veteran.
* Escort or guest's name (if more than one, so indicate).
* Special needs (e.g., wheelchair).
* Dates of planned attendance (arrival to and departure from France).
If unable to send by e-mail, address regular mail to: Chuck Steiner, VFW Benjamin Franklin Post 605, 4 rue du General Leclere, 92130, Issy-les-Moulineaux, France. Other WWII veterans who plan to attend should forward this information, too, as the French Government may also extend similar support to them. Be advised, however, that the in-country support is subject to revision.

7. National Memorial Day Concert Seeks D-Day Vets: The 2014 National Memorial Day Concert will commemorate the 70th anniversary of D-Day with a special tribute. Concert organizers are looking for a small, representative group of D-Day veterans who could attend and participate in the program on Sunday, May 25, on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. In addition, there will be a limited number of seats at the concert reserved for WWII veterans. Contact Events Manager Anne Maginnis at 202-554-4620 oramaginnis@capitalconcerts.org. This is a correction to what they provided for last week's Washington Weekly.

8. Three Korean War MIAs Identified: The Defense POW/MIA Office has announced the identifications of remains belonging to two Marines and one soldier who had been missing and unaccounted-for since the Korean War. Identified are:
* Marine Corps Cpl. William F. Day, Company H, 3rd Battalion, 11th Regiment, 1st Marine Division, was lost Dec. 2, 1950, in North Korea. He was accounted for on March 6 and will be buried with full military honors on April 5 in La Center, Ky.
* Army Pfc. Arthur Richardson, Company A, 1st Battalion, 19th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division, was lost on Jan. 1, 1951, in South Korea. He was accounted for on March 21. A burial date has yet to be set.
* Marine Corps Cpl. William S. Blasdel, Company H, 3rd Battalion, 11th Regiment, 1st Marine Division, was lost Oct. 28, 1953, in North Korea. He was accounted for on March 10 and will be buried with full military honors this spring in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.


**Special thanks to Junior Vice Commander-in-Chief John Biedrzycki for a successful month of signing up new advocates to join our Action Corps team! Great job and keep up the good work!


As always, we want to share your advocacy stories on the VFW Capitol Hill blog. To share your stories either fill out our online form by clicking here, http://www.vfw.org/Forms/Capitol-Hill-Blog-Submissions/, or simply email photos and stories directly to vfwac@vfw.org. 

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 Sean Eagan

 Life Member VFW NY Post 53
 American Cold War Veterans, Inc.

Web:	http://americancoldwarvets.org/
Blog:	Cold War Veterans Blog
Email:	Sean.Eagan@gmail.com
Phone:	716 720-4000
Network:	My Fast Pitch! Profile

Warrior-athletes Bring Home Sochi Gold

Warrior-athletes Bring Home Sochi Gold By Elaine Sanchez Brooke Army Medical Center JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas, Mar. 20, 2014 - A wounded warrior led Team USA's sled hockey team to a hard-won victory over Russia at the Paralympics in Sochi, Russia, March 15. Joshua Sweeney, a former Marine and bilateral amputee, led Team USA's sled hockey team to a 1-0 victory over Russia at the Paralympics in Sochi, Russia, March 15, 2014. Courtesy photo  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Former Marine Corps Sgt. Joshua Sweeney, a bilateral amputee, scored a breakaway goal in the second period, cinching the team's 1-0 gold medal triumph in the nail-biting game. With that win, the U.S. became the first nation to win back-to-back Paralympic gold medals, according to the committee's website. "We all played hard and gave it our all," said Sweeney, a first-time Paralympian and former Brooke Army Medical Center patient. "It's great to know our team came together and did what we needed to do to come out on top." Just a few days earlier in a preliminary round, the U.S. had suffered a painful 2-1 defeat by Russia, doubling the team's determination to get more puck time in the gold medal game. "We knew going into the game we had to play hard," Sweeney said. "We weren't going to give them any more chances." With a gold medal in sight, both teams remained scoreless after the first period, but nearly 10 minutes into the second period, Sweeney saw an opportunity to catch a pass. Going into "autopilot," he stole the puck and slammed it past the goaltender into the net, scoring the game-winning goal. "I didn't do anything my teammates didn't do," he said. "Right after, I was thinking about how awesome it was to contribute to my team. "Russia played a hard game," he added. "It was definitely a battle." Other key players of the U.S. team were forward Rico Roman, an Army veteran, and goalie Army Staff Sgt. Jen Lee, a member of the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program and the first active duty soldier selected for a Paralympic winter sports team. Like Sweeney, both Roman and Lee underwent rehabilitation at BAMC's Center for the Intrepid. A combat veteran turned elite athlete, the media is now calling Sweeney a two-time hero. The former Marine was on patrol in Afghanistan in 2009 when he stepped on an IED. He lost both legs above the knee and suffered left hand and right arm injuries. At the time, the former high school hockey player figured he'd never hit a puck again. "When I was going through rehab, if someone would have told me I'd be winning a gold medal a few years later, I never would have believed them," he said. "I'm still in awe; it's surreal." Sweeney hopes this victory will inspire others with injuries or combat wounds to pursue their dreams. "Anything is possible," he said. "Just work hard and have fun, and you can achieve whatever you set your mind to." Back at BAMC, staff and friends were watching and cheering on the warrior-athletes every step of the way. Many said they were "jumping for joy" after the televised victory. "We are so proud to see some of our own bring home the gold," said BAMC Commander Army Col. Kyle Campbell. "The entire BAMC team is dedicated to assisting all patients in regaining the highest degree of activity possible. It's truly inspiring to our staff and other patients to see what Rico, Jen and Josh have accomplished!"
Related Sites: Brooke Army Medical Center U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program Special Report: Military Olympians – Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics
	San Antonio Rampage sled hockey forward Rico Roman, left, scores a goal on the Rampage's goaltender, Army Staff Sgt. Jen Lee, during a practice session in San Antonio, July 31, 2013. U.S. Army photo by Robert Shields  Download screen-resolution  Download high-resolution

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 Sean Eagan

 Life Member VFW NY Post 53
 American Cold War Veterans, Inc.

Web:	http://americancoldwarvets.org/
Blog:	Cold War Veterans Blog
Email:	Sean.Eagan@gmail.com
Phone:	716 720-4000
Network:	My Fast Pitch! Profile

USS Kidd Continues Search for Missing Airliner

USS Kidd Continues Search for Missing Airliner By Navy Ensign Brooke E. Schaffer U.S. 7th Fleet INDIAN OCEAN, Mar. 17, 2014 - The Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Kidd and its crew are stepping up search efforts for the missing Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 in the Indian Ocean with round-the-clock coverage. Sailors inspect the flight deck of the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Kidd. The USS Kidd is currently conducting search-and-rescue operations in the Indian Ocean for missing Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370. U.S. Navy photo  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The USS Kidd has been searching for six days, and the additional measures taken during its mission are apparent both above and below decks. Extra lookouts have been posted for 24-hour coverage topside and the two MH-60R helicopters from Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 78 are flying additional sorties each day. The ship's engineers have rigged additional lighting to aid in the search and are maintaining the engineering plant to its highest efficiency to ensure the ship is able to meet her mission. "The crew has responded to everything that has been asked of them," senior watch officer Navy Lt. Cmdr. Melissa J. Szurovy said. "Additional lookout watches are being stood by non-traditional watch standers, and sailors of their own volition are helping topside in our search for any sign of the aircraft. It is a true testament to the crew's fortitude to find this airliner." The air department, comprised of seven pilots, three rescue swimmers, and 18 enlisted maintainers has divided into day and night teams consisting of 12-hour shifts to support round-the-clock flight operations. "Our maintenance teams work long hours to ensure our helicopters are operationally ready at all times to meet the mission," HSM-78 air operations officer Lt. Andrew Hoffman said. "This allows us to constantly have our helicopters in the air to continue our search for the missing airliner. Further, our team is able to configure our helicopters to provide more space for this specific mission set, which allows us to remain in a continued state of readiness for any sign of the aircraft." The responsibility of the safe launching, recovering and flight of the two MH-60R helicopters involves sailors not only from the air department, but from a variety of other departments from the ship as well. Boatswain's mates, medical personnel, and engineers are among the many sailors involved in the helicopter operations to provide refueling, firefighting support, emergent repairs, assistance and supervision of all personnel and equipment to ensure the helicopters are able to safely remain in the air to continue the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370.

Related Sites: USS Kidd Related Articles: USS Kidd Joins Search for Missing Malaysian Airliner U.S. Continues to Aid Search for Missing Malaysian Airliner

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 Sean Eagan

 Life Member VFW NY Post 53
 American Cold War Veterans, Inc.

Web:	http://americancoldwarvets.org/
Blog:	Cold War Veterans Blog
Email:	Sean.Eagan@gmail.com
Phone:	716 720-4000
Network:	My Fast Pitch! Profile

Washington Weekly March 14th 2014

In This Issue:
1. House /Senate Discuss VA 2015 Budget 
2. MST Bill Clears Senate
3. Military Family Survey Ends this Weekend
4. Two MIA Soldiers Identified

1. House/Senate Discuss VA 2015 Budget: This week, the House and Senate VA Committees held hearings on VA's proposed FY 2015 budget. During the Senate hearing, Secretary Shinseki testified that the budget VA asked for was what they felt was needed, but acknowledged that the request was put together before DOD announced its plan to reduce troop size. With the possibility of a sizable increase in returning veterans enrolling in VA, Senate committee members commented that an increase may be needed. Other items discussed included implementation of VBMS and the disability claims backlog goal, access to mental health care providers, long term care programs and major construction funding. The VFW provided written testimony regarding the woefully underfunded construction programs as a part of the Independent Budget. For complete hearing information, to include the recorded webcasts from both hearings -- visit the committee websites.
For the House VA Committee website, click here: http://veterans.house.gov/
To check out the Senate VA Committee website, click here: http://www.veterans.senate.gov/
For more about the Independent Budget and our funding recommendations for VA, click here:
http://www.independentbudget.org/

2. MST Bill Clears Senate: On Monday, the Senate passed (97-0) legislation to expand protections for victims of sexual assault in the military. S. 1917, the Victims Protection Act of 2014 would eliminate the "good soldier" defense and expand the role of special counsels for victims of sexual assault and rape by providing advice on the advantages of prosecution by court-martial or in civilian court. In cases of dual jurisdiction, the victim gets a say between having the case heard by a civilian or military court. It would also extend protections to students in service academies, and require that in every decision regarding promotions in the military that a commander's record on the handling of sexual-assault cases would be taken into account.

3. Military Family Survey Ends this Weekend: With announced Pentagon recommendations to change military pay and allowances, retirement, healthcare programs and commissaries, it is now more important than ever for active-duty, Guard, Reserve and veteran families to complete the Blue Star Families' 2014 Military Family Lifestyle Survey, which ends this weekend. More than 1,200 VFW and family members already have. The survey is available online at http://tiny.cc/2014VFW. The data collected provides real-time feedback from military families on issues ranging from operations tempo to pay and benefits, stress, caregiving and employment. 

4. Two MIA Soldiers Identified: The Defense POW/MIA Office recently announced the identification of remains belonging to two soldiers who had been unaccounted-for since the Korean and Vietnam Wars. Identified are:
* Army Pfc. Donald C. Durfee, 19, of Painesville, Ohio. In November 1950, Durfee was assigned to Company M, 31st Infantry Regiment, 31st Regimental Combat Team, when his unit was attacked and forced into a fighting withdrawal south of the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea. He was reported killed-in-action on Dec. 2, 1950. 
* Army Staff Sgt. Lawrence Woods, 39, of Clarksville, Tenn., will be buried as part of a group on March 21at Arlington National Cemetery in a ceremony honoring the servicemen who were lost in an aircraft crash on Oct. 24, 1964. Woods and seven other servicemen were aboard a C-123 Provider aircraft that was shot down after resupplying the U.S. Special Forces camp at Bu Prang, Vietnam. Seven remains were recovered, but they could not locate Woods. 
Read more about their individual stories at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo/news/news_releases/.

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 Sean Eagan

 Life Member VFW NY Post 53
 American Cold War Veterans, Inc.

Web:	http://americancoldwarvets.org/
Blog:	Cold War Veterans Blog
Email:	Sean.Eagan@gmail.com
Phone:	716 720-4000
Network:	My Fast Pitch! Profile

Shinseki set to Testify Thursday on VA Budget

Sec. Shinseki to Testify Thursday on VA Budget

 

WASHINGTON, D.C.—On Thursday, March 13, 2014, at 10:00 a.m. in room 334 of the Cannon House Office Building, the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs will hold a hearing examining President Obama’s Department of Veterans Affairs fiscal year 2015 budgetsubmission.

 

The Obama administration has requested $163.9 billion in its fiscal year 2015 VA budget submission, a nearly 6.5 percent increase above fiscal year 2014 funding levels. 

The purpose of this hearing is to determine how VA would use this funding increase to improve the quality, efficiency and timeliness of services to veterans while increasing accountability and transparency across the department.

The following event is open to the press:

 

WHO:             House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs

WHAT:          Hearing: “U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Budget Request for Fiscal Year 2015”

WHEN:          Thursday, March 13, 2014, 10:00 a.m.  

WHERE:        Room 334, Cannon House Office Building and streaming atveterans.house.gov

 

Witness List

The Honorable Eric Shinseki

Secretary

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

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 Sean Eagan

 Life Member VFW NY Post 53
 American Cold War Veterans, Inc.

Web:	http://americancoldwarvets.org/
Blog:	Cold War Veterans Blog
Email:	Sean.Eagan@gmail.com
Phone:	716 720-4000
Network:	My Fast Pitch! Profile

Miller and Walorski Aim to Protect Benefits of Veterans Who Die Waiting for VA Claims

Miller and Walorski Aim to Protect Benefits of Veterans Who Die Waiting for VA Claims

 

WASHINGTON, DC – Yesterday, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Jeff Miller and Rep. Jackie Walorski introduced H.R. 4102, legislation that would make an award of VA benefits issued on or after the date of a veteran’s death payable to the veteran’s estate.

 

Under current law, only a veteran’s spouse, children under the age of 18, and parents are eligible to receive retroactive VA disability benefits compensation in the event of a veteran claimant’s death. Historically, approximately 2.6 percent of veterans with pending VA disability benefits compensation claims die while awaiting a claims decision, according to the department. 

 

The bill was developed in response to the experience of Indianapolis veteran Shelton Hickerson and his daughter Sharon Hickerson Thurman. Shelton Hickerson filed a VA disability claim in 2000 that the department initially denied. After a more than a decade long appeal process, VA awarded Hickerson a 100 percent disability rating, with retroactive pay of $377,342 June 27, 2013. Unfortunately, Shelton Hickerson passed away the same day, and Sharon Hickerson was not eligible to receive the retroactive compensation because she was over the age of 18 and not otherwise dependent on her father.

 

This legislation would allow payments issued on the date of the veteran’s death to be awarded to the veterans estate, consistent with general principles of estate law.

 

After introducing the bill, Chairman Miller and Rep. Walorski issued the following statements:

 

“It‘s tragic enough that many veterans wait months and in some cases years while VA processes their claims and appeals. But the situation becomes heartbreaking when a veteran dies while waiting on the department to do its job. This bill would ensure that the Hickerson family and others like them receive the benefits their veteran dependents have earned and rightly deserve and eliminate the de facto penalty some families incur when their loved ones die while awaiting VA claims decisions.”  – Rep. Jeff Miller, Chairman, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs   

“Shelton Hickerson and his family deserved better. When our war fighters risk their lives for our nation and return home they should be immediately provided with proper benefits and care. Unfortunately, this was not the case for Mr. Hickerson, and has not been the case for many of our brave veterans. This legislation is a small way for us to bring some comfort to the families of veterans who are laid to rest before their VA claim is finalized.” – Rep. Jackie Walorski

Read the text of the bill here.

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 Sean Eagan

 Life Member VFW NY Post 53
 American Cold War Veterans, Inc.

Web:	http://americancoldwarvets.org/
Blog:	Cold War Veterans Blog
Email:	Sean.Eagan@gmail.com
Phone:	716 720-4000
Network:	My Fast Pitch! Profile