Hi All,

I need some help. A friend of mine is a Korean era vet. He has been having trouble getting VA benefits for back problems stemming from injuries received while he was stationed in Germany in 1952. He keeps getting the same "your records are missing" when he tries going through the va here in Raleigh. Are there other avenues we can try? I know there was big fire and yes his name would be in that series. Any help would be appreciated.

quote:

Originally posted by 21930323:
Hi All,

I need some help. A friend of mine is a Korean era vet. He has been having trouble getting VA benefits for back problems stemming from injuries received while he was stationed in Germany in 1952. He keeps getting the same "your records are missing" when he tries going through the va here in Raleigh. Are there other avenues we can try? I know there was big fire and yes his name would be in that series. Any help would be appreciated.

"THE FIRE" has been a little overrated and blamed a little too much..NOT taking away from what you stated, so:

IF your friend has a DD214 or the "other" Honorable Discharge form they may have used, then that is all he needs to prove his service to the VA, and it is the VA's responsibility to locate his records. If they were in the fire, then the National Archives will know and certify it as such. The VA then in turn will either grant or deny his claim based on the C&P they must then order with the "Fire Certification from the St Louis Archive"

My question to you is if he served during the 50's...IT IS GOING TO BE HARD INDEED to file a comp claim 50 some odd years after the fact. WAYY too much time...I cannot see how a nexus can be made between his service and present "NOW" back problems..Based on the hard fact that with age...comes natural degeneration of bone matter, like back issues etc.,

BUT,,,I do wish you the best of luck though.

Eres Tu!

Freddy is right. Even if he had an injury in the 50s in the service, back problems tend to be a fact of old age, and secondary to other issues. It is very hard to prove a 55 year old case, when no claims was filed before on the issue and the VA has provided no treatment since discharge.