Kristina Derro, Esq.
Veteran Advocate

The water at Camp Lejeune, a Marine base that began operating in 1941, isn’t just bad – it’s unprecedented, according to a new federal report.

The study, conducted by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, created a historical model to estimate the levels of carcinogens in the drinking water from 1953 to 1985.  To accomplish this, the scientists examined data from tens of thousands of federal and state documents during the period when the water wasn’t tested.

The results of the study, which are considered highly reliable, are staggering.  Certain carcinogenic substances are believed to have reached levels 33 to 153 times higher than what federal regulators consider safe.  These toxic chemicals came from several potential sources, including industrial solvents used at the base.

While it has been known for years that the water at Camp Lejeune was contaminated, the release of this report renews serious health concerns for the more than 1 million people that lived and worked on the base from 1953 to 1985.

Richard Clapp, an epidemiologist who peer-reviewed the study, said that the findings are dramatic and that Camp Lejeune is the most highly contaminated drinking water in the U.S. that he is aware of.  Residents of the base have reported a wide range of types of cancers, including more than 80 instances of men diagnosed with a rare form of breast cancer.

The Marine Corps has not yet commented on the results of this study.  Former residents are hopeful that the government will conduct a cancer incidence study to determine if the contaminated water has caused abnormally high cancer rates.  Unfortunately, without legislation, a study is unlikely to occur.

To read the original article, please visit:
http://www.tampabay.com/news/report-camp-lejeune-water-contaminated-at-unprecedented-levels/2108929

If you are a veteran with questions about obtaining government benefits, contact Legal Help for Veterans, a practice group of Fausone Bohn, LLP, in Northville, Michigan at 800-693-4800 or online at www.legalhelpforveterans.com.

Kristina Derro
Veteran Advocate

Here at Legal Help for Veterans, PLLC, we pride ourselves on going the extra mile for our veterans. One example is that a veteran client of ours needed a wheelchair. We are currently working to get her service-connected for her orthopedic issues. Since she isn’t service-connected yet, VA will not provide her with the wheelchair that she so desperately needs for free. Since she is on a tight budget, it’s not possible for her to purchase one on her own.

As a result, we worked with the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) in Minnesota to determine that it had an “assistive equipment closet”. The DAV would then loan out the assistive equipment (ex. wheelchairs, canes, walkers, etc.) to local veterans. In this case, the DAV was happy to loan our veteran the wheelchair that she needed.

We find that many times resources are available to help veterans, but oftentimes veterans simply do not know where to turn or get too frustrated to solve the problem. Brig General Carol Ann Fausone (ret), who has contacts all over the country, notes “Whenever I ask a veterans service organization to help, it does not matter where in the country the veteran is located. I always find a partner to assist veterans”.

Our goal at Legal Help for Veterans, PLLC is to ensure that America’s veterans are taken care of. Even if the situation isn’t involving an area of law that we handle, we ensure that we assist the veteran in any way that we can.

Kristina Derro
Veterans Disability Lawyer

Heartbreakingly, a new report out from the Department of Defense shows that in 2012 more soldiers took their own lives than died in combat. Through November 2012, 177 active-duty personnel had committed suicide compared with 176 soldiers who were killed in action during the same time frame. Army suicides have increased by at least 54 percent since 2007.

Blame has been placed on the military culture in which soldiers believe they will be deemed weak and denied promotions if they seek mental health aid. There is also the problem that our soldiers today face multiple deployments during their service. However, the Army has referenced the anti-suicide strategy that that it put in place in April 2009 and claims that with the new programs in place it will just be a matter of time until they start making a dent in the issue. The Army stressed that soldiers are assured that seeking mental health counseling will not harm their chances at gaining a security clearance.

In July 2010, the Army released a report that purportedly explained its suicide epidemic. The report referenced loosened recruitment and retention standards due to the furious pace of repeated deployments. The Army claimed this allowed more than 47,000 people to remain in the Army, despite histories of substance abuse and misdemeanor crime. Obviously, this report only angered families who had lost members to suicide because it insinuates that those individuals were in some way “flawed” and prone to suicide, despite the fact that they served honorably. It also completely overlooked the fact that soldiers were subject to multiple deployments.

These findings only highlight the fact that the military culture is still one where mental health treatment is not fully embraced. It is also a sign that further programs need to be put into place in the military to prevent further suicides. Having our active-duty personnel being placed in harm’s way during combat is a necessary evil. Having them end up surviving combat, but dying once they get home due to a lack of a supportive military environment—the same military that sent them to combat—is atrocious.

Kristina Derro
Veterans Disability Lawyer

Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology has started a program that helps train veterans to become therapists who can help other veterans. The “Train Vets to Treat Vets” program has been funded for over two years by the state of Massachusetts with $250,000. The funds help the school reach out and train veterans to become therapists, as well as to allow veteran therapists to travel and visit college campuses around the state to promote mental health professions.

In the past decade, less than a half percent of Americans were serving on active duty in the military. This reduction in the population of active duty military personnel leads to a reduction in the population of veterans. As such, the population of veterans involved in the mental health field is decreasing. This has left many returning veterans feeling isolated while working with non-veteran therapists. Research has obviously shown that veterans feel more comfortable talking to other veterans. If the goal is acclimating recently-discharged veterans back to civilian culture, fellow veterans will need to be utilized. This program will provide veterans with the skills, training, and background to counsel these individuals.

Jim Fausone
Veteran Disability Lawyer

Camp Lejeune is a Marine base in North Carolina.  From 1957 to 1987, Marines and their families were exposed to contaminated ground water.  Health officials believe as many as 1 million people may have been exposed to the tainted groundwater at Camp Lejeune over the thirty years.

Last Monday, President Barack Obama signed into law the Honoring America’s Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act.  The bill passed with bipartisan support.

The new law provides hospital care and medical services to Marines and their families who were stationed at the base for 30 days or more.  The covered illnesses include multiple types of cancer, leukemia, female infertility, miscarriage, and others.  The law provides this care to Marines and their families even if it can’t be shown that they actually resulted from exposure at Camp Lejeune.

At a signing ceremony in the Oval Office, President Obama said that these men and women “protect our freedom, and it’s our obligation to do right by them.  This bill takes another important step in fulfilling that commitment.”

Sadly, this law won’t bring back those we’ve already lost, but it will honor their memory by making a real difference for those who are still suffering.

Brigadier General Carol Ann Fausone (Ret)

The VA may soon be required to open all of its facilities up to service dogs that accompany veterans. But not all service dogs are created equal.

The bill in question, HR 1627, requires that VA facilities give access to service dogs, but only if those dogs have been trained and accredited.

The problem is that many veterans currently use service dogs that do not have the required training or accreditation. Veterans that have been going to VA for years may no longer be allowed to enter the facilities if their dog does not meet the requirements.

Under the current rules, only seeing-eye dogs are guaranteed access. Access of other service dogs, such as those that accompany vets suffering from PTSD, is governed by local rules and inconsistently applied.

According to VA officials, the concern is that it is relatively easy to obtain a vest and bogus ID for a dog showing it is “registered.” There have even been reports of supposedly trained service dogs trying to attack people in VA facilities. These are the types of dogs the VA is trying to prevent from entering its facilities.

Christina Roof, a veterans’ advocate, said she believes a law allowing access to veterans’ facilities for all manner of service dogs is a step in the right direction. These disabled veterans deserve the same access to VA care and facilities as do blind veterans using guide dogs.

As a board member at service dog trainer Stiggy’s Dogs, and having worked with dozens of veterans with service dogs, I know there are plenty of well-trained service dogs helping our veterans. We should not create barriers for taking these therapeutic animals into VA facilities.

The bill was passed in the Senate and now moves to the House.

To learn more or to see the original article, please visit:

http://www.armytimes.com/news/2012/07/military-service-dogs-veterans-affairs-rules-071912w/

Jim Fausone
Veteran Disability Lawyer

Decades after one of the worst drinking water contaminations in U.S. history, affected Marines and their families may finally receive the health care they need.

Camp Lejeune is a Marine base located in North Carolina. Over the course of 30 years, up to one million Marines and family members were exposed to drinking water contaminated with human carcinogens.

The U.S. Senate recently passed, by unanimous vote, a bill that provides these soldiers with health care for diseases and conditions resulting from exposure to the contaminated water. This care will be available to those who lived or worked at the base from 1957 to 1987.

The passage of the bill was not without some apprehension. Senator Jim DeMint of South Carolina initially blocked the bill due to his concerns about opportunities for fraud. However, after amending the bill to address this, the bill passed unanimously.

The amended bill now goes to the U.S. House of Representatives for approval.

“After decades of denial,” said Sen. Kay Hagan of North Carolina, “this country owes it to them to ensure they are taken care of in their time of need.” We couldn’t agree more.

To learn more or see the original article, please visit:

http://hamptonroads.com/2012/07/us-senate-passes-bill-aid-camp-lejeune-marines

Jim Fausone
Veteran Disability Lawyer

Death certificates for veterans will be provided at no expense to the veteran’s family.  At the Council Meeting of June 4, 2012, the Westland, Michigan City Council passed their 2012-2013 Fiscal Year Fee Schedule which, in part, addresses the cost of birth and death certificates.

Upon the recommendation of the Westland City Clerk Eileen DeHart-Schoof and with the approval of Mayor William R. Wild, the family of any United States Veteran who dies within the City of Westland will no longer have to pay for any requested death certificates.

“Over the Memorial Day weekend, I tried to think of what I could do to show my gratitude for all that our veterans have done and given.  Eliminating the cost of death certificates for any veteran who dies in the City of Westland is just a small token to the families of those who have given so much for our freedoms and liberties”, City Clerk Eileen DeHart-Schoof said.  “I believe it is the very least and the last thing we can do to thank them for all they have sacrificed”, she stated.

We at Legal Help for Veterans, PLLC salute the City of Westland and Clerk DeHart-Schoof for this final tribute to veterans.  We suggest everyone reading this blog send it along to their local clerk and start a nationwide movement for this final tribute delivered after TAPS has faded away.

For additional information, please contact City Clerk DeHart-Schoof at (734) 467-3184.

Brig. General Carol Ann Fausone (ret)

A whopping $3 billion in assets is currently owned by American veterans who are too disabled or ill to manage their own money.  To remedy this, the Department of Veteran Affairs has a national program in place to appoint family members and VA-approved fiduciaries to manage these veteran assets.  Unfortunately, this program is plagued with fraud and theft.

In the past decade, the number of prosecutions for stealing from disabled veterans has doubled in Texas.  These crimes vary in severity – ranging from $5,000 stolen up to $2 million.

For example, Waco optometrist David Fran took $126,250 from a disabled veteran in order to build up his own private business.  Similarly, a Texas man and his wife allegedly stole $2 million from two dozen veterans in a pending case described as the largest rip-off ever reported in the VA fiduciary program.

Perhaps even more heartbreaking are the stories of theft when the fiduciary is a family member.  Rose Avila stole $180,000 from her veteran brother over a period of five years, all the while telling him his VA benefits were “being saved.”

Part of the problem is a lack of oversight.  In fact, some of the VA-appointed fiduciaries even have criminal records, but were still approved.  The VA has set up a new system to improve background checks and monitoring of fiduciary activities.  Unfortunately, with 96,000 fiduciaries assisting veterans nationwide, reports of theft still remain rare.

In an effort to deter this fraudulent conduct, Texas prosecutors are pursuing even small-time family scams.

We here at Legal Help for Veterans, PLLC, hear from veterans about fiduciary abuse.  At times, we are able to intervene.  VA needs a better monitoring system and a timely dispute resolution system when veterans complain.

To learn more or see the original article, please visit:

http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Disabled-veterans-in-Texas-fleeced-by-3571559.php#page-1

If you have questions on VA disability claims or fiduciary abuse, contact Legal Help for Veterans, PLLC at 800-693-4800.