By Tito A. Cortez
A Veteran who, while serving in Vietnam, as one therapist worker in writing this Veteran's Nexus letter, served with the "First Cavaliers ... and the Rice Patties".
Being a Vietnam War Disabled Veteran myself, and if you served at all, you can tell by now that he served with at least the First Cavalry Division, and in fact, engaged in some firefights, not in rice patties (hamburger anyone?) but in rice paddies.
Or just by looking at this write up, you could also guess he could have served with the 101st Air Cavalry Division. This "Therapist's" writing resulted in this Veteran receiving a denial for his service connected disability claim for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Even though this Veteran didn't received an award for PTSD, he decided to remain with this agency with the hope of having different result the next time around. The next time around was no different. This Therapist, who claimed to be a Navy Combat Veteran having served aboard a Destroyer, wasted his time, the Veterans time (3 more years before rated) and most of all, wasted the VA times. This Therapist works for the VA and he should know better.
Somehow through word of mouth, this Veteran found out about us. He came to see us on April 9, 2015. What we found out was a highly decorated soldier and in his record, this Veteran served with Co. A., 101st Aviation Battalion, 101st Air Cavalry and later on to 3rd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, not "First Cavaliers". When we looked at his record, he wasn't even diagnosed with PTSD even though this Therapist declared otherwise.
As most us should know in order to be approved with service connected disability based on PTSD, the Veteran has to be diagnosed, preferably by a VA Psychiatrist not a "Therapist". Additionally, the Veteran must complete a stressor validating the traumatic events he was claiming. His previous claims contained neither of these.
So when this Vietnam War Veteran came to us, our first step is to arrange for him to have an appointment with a VA Psychiatrist and be diagnosed. The next thing was to assist the Veteran in completing a Stressor and partner with him the rest of the way until his mission was completed.
He came to us on April 9, 2015, and by June 6, 2016, he received his 100% service connected disability compensation. Even those who served with "First Cavaliers", sometimes when corrected could received what they richly deserved.
Whatever the governmental slogan is in helping us, Veterans, to this "Cavaliers" VA staff, helping our veterans is a job, a career and money to pay the bills. To us, on the other hand, it is our mission. We don't get paid to help others reach their mission. We go with them and accompany them along the way until the mission is accomplished.
And we tried very hard not to be a time waster.