Disabled vets stuck in backlog limbo

[freshwest]

9. My BNL and sister are very grateful for their coverage. He was able to work for a while...

In the years following his service in Vietnam. My sister had to deal with his undiagnosed PTSD and what turned into a very heavy smoking addiction. I'm talking chain smoking all day and night long and not going to sleep at night.

He never admitted to having any problems, but was a gunner who took out people with machine gun fire from a plane close up. He described things people do not think about in civilian life.

But he never sought counseling for not being able to sleep, saying 'I just did my duty, so it didn't matter.' But as a generous and kind man and quite intelligent, I'm sure it affected him. He underwent special training, and they had to stop sleeping together for a few years because he was violent when not awake fully.

We nearly lost him and my brother, also a vet, a few years ago, who had a condition that paralyzed them from the neck down for some time and nearly killed them. They had to have surgery at the VA and then services began to pour in for both of them.

Not for the same causes of injury in service as my brother had none. My BNL's physical injuries were minor to him, but in retrospect, his mental injuries were very serious. He still refuses to talk of it.

I'm glad that your family is getting the help it needs.