Veterans of Lakenheath AFB in UK

[quaintlady58]

My husband has filed a claim with the VA for diabetes, neuropathy, bilateral tinnitus, memory loss and just recently a mass in the pharyngeal space. VA denies all claims.

He was a jet mechanic with 48th Tactical Fighter Wing between 64-67. Homer Delarue and his brother Louis Delarue were there together and they had a friend named Don Morgan.

Our VSO is not very good but has suggested we try to contact fellow service members who may be suffering from the same health conditions(Don Morgan has diabetes) as the VA will take statements from fellow service members to verify that Homer did this kind of work.

Article in Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (1997:39 (7):623-632) I found this article in a yahoo group named Unified Veterans Coalition Disabled from an Allan Opie.

If anyone remembers my husband Homer and his brother Louis, please email me at quaintlady58@yahoo.com. Thanks

[TinCanMan]

quaintlady:

I don't think this is quite the information you asked for but it will be something you need to know. I'm a bit bewildered by your statement that your VSO has sent you on a quest to collect Buddy Letters" testifying to your husbands occupation. It seems to me that if the VA has your husbands DD-214, they know what his occupation was and can easily identify his known occupational exposures. Buddy letters can help when the official record is weak and inconclusive but they won't stand alone as proof of anything.

All successful claims have 3 elements:

1. Qualifying Service
2. A diagnosis of a disabling disease or condition by a qualified professional
3. A link or nexus between 1 & 2

Number 3 is the tough part. You have to prove that his service cause the disabling conditions.

If the VA knows your husband was an engine mechanic, they already know the occupational hazards engine mechanics are exposed to. Buddy letters can be helpful in situations where an air traffic controller is unofficially assigned to walk the flight line and is exposed to loud noise and suffers from tinnitus or hearing loss. On the other hand, all the testimony in the world won't help if you're trying to prove DMII and neuropathy as a result of exposure to dioxins unless you can come up with a picture of your husband with a clearly labeled container of herbicide. What you need is Air Force records showing that herbicide was used where your husband worked. As far as memory loss goes, I don't know the VA accepts exposure to any chemical as being causative. There were several Bills in congress over the past few years seeking to make Carbon Tet and several other cleaning solvents presumptive of memory loss but, as far as I know, all are dead. Lastly, lumps aren't a diagnosis of anything. You'll need to get a doctors diagnosis of a disabling condition for which the lump is symptomatic.

You have a very long road ahead. If you provide additional information we might be able to make more specific suggestions. One thing does come to mind. Examine the decision papers for the last denial. There should be a section labeled "Reasons" or Reasons and Bases". Examine that section. It will have information indicating the specific evidence the VA requires in order to approve the claim.