Veterans: Don’t give up on compensation

Features

Discussion

July 6, 2010

By JOSH NEWTON Press Staff Writer The Tahlequah Daily Press Tue Jul 06, 2010, 11:40 AM CDT

TAHLEQUAH — Veterans trying to get on disability often find it’s not a quick process, with guaranteed approval.

Many who apply are denied on their first attempt, said Sharon Mullen, junior vice of the Disabled American Veterans Chapter 31 in Tahlequah. Instead of pressing on after an initial rejection, many veterans just give up, she said.

Mullen and her sister, Vera Royce, both of Bartlesville, travel to Tahlequah on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month to help veterans work file claims so they can receive that disability compensation.

But few veterans are seeking their services, Mullen said. The most who have ever stopped in for assistance on one particular Wednesday at the Veterans of Foreign Wars building is two, said Mullen - and she’s been doing this for eight years.

“A lot of veterans think it’s like welfare, but it’s not,” said Mullen. “This money is their money. It’s been set aside for them. You know, we had Agent Orange in Vietnam, and they were sprayed with Agent Orange in Korea, which we didn’t know about. New things are popping up that we just didn’t know about.”

Mullen would especially like to see more veterans returning from Iraq check into what’s available.

“A lot of them have suffered head injuries, or [Post Traumatic Stress Disorder],” said Mullen. “We’re here doing claims so they can get compensation for injuries or illnesses they got from the service. I do want to be able to reach as many veterans as we possibly can. This compensation money is the veterans’ money, not a hand-out.”

Mullen and Royce are at the VFW building from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on their monthly visits. Mullen also works claims over the telephone, but said a face-to-face meeting is still necessary for paperwork and other details.

“We’ll need their DD 214,” said Mullen, referring to the certificate of release or discharge from active duty, “and any marriage licenses or divorce papers.”

Once the process begins, she said, it can take 60-90 days to get things started. If a veteran is denied disability, Mullen can help begin working on a second attempt as soon as that veteran brings her the denial documents.

“Our paperwork is sent to the DAV headquarters in Muskogee, and they look it over before it’s sent to the Veterans Affairs,” said Mullen.

For those who can’t make it at the designated times on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month, Mullen said she can always arrange other times to assist veterans.

“I do come down to go to a meeting on the fourth Tuesday, so I can also set up appointments that day if needed,” said Mullen. “Just call me.”

Mullen also hopes the DAV service work can eventually be housed in its own building, either through purchasing one, or perhaps someone will provide a building. Fundraisers will be conducted soon to help in the purchasing efforts, she said, and donations will also be taken.

In the meantime, Mullen said, a new sign is being used to grab attention outside the VFW building on Water Street.

Text Only

Features

Be careful when floating your boat
With a countless number of families expected to enjoy this Memorial Day weekend at the lake or in swimming pools, The National Safe Boating Council Inc. and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are urging everyone to step up their safety awareness while in and around a water environment.

May 23, 2012
Glenn liked Tahlequah’s ‘weirdness’
For Eddie Glenn, playing music at the 2000 Cherokee Medal of Honor awards and having James Earl Jones compliment his singing voice is the memory of a lifetime.

May 22, 2012
Summer chock-full of blockbusters
There is no season quite like summer. School is out, baseball season is in full swing, Tenkiller Lake is full of boaters, the Illinois River is ripe for floating, and soon, the summer blockbusters will hit the theaters.

May 16, 2012
Tanning today could mean trouble later
Questioning, and sometimes even ignoring, authority is a hallmark of youth, and can often teach valuable life lessons.

May 16, 2012
Veterans groups have busy schedules
Cherokee County boasts several active veterans organizations, with overlapping members – and some of them are rising to prestigious positions.

May 9, 2012 1 Photo
Volunteering gives Smith skills, confidence
Volunteering has taught Tonya Smith to use power tools and given her confidence.

May 8, 2012
Art a sublime experience for Emerson
Growing up in Tahlequah, Judith Emerson didn’t imagine she’d return as an artist and writer. But she has – after living in New York, raising her daughter and traveling.

May 1, 2012
Class teaches cultural tradition
As any good fashionista knows, a leather purse is a wardrobe staple. But leather purses were first crafter for functionality, rather than fashion.

April 30, 2012
Expert gives program on shell mounds
University of Oklahoma’s Department of Anthropology assistant professor Dr. Asa Randall has spent years studying archaic shell mounds, particularly those along the St. Johns River in Florida.

April 30, 2012
Library kicks off new Living Green series
These days, more and more people want to know where their food comes from, and many prefer a source close to home.

April 23, 2012
More Features Headlines

What do you plan to do over the Memorial Day weekend?

Features

Search Results

Discussion

Veterans: Don’t give up on compensation

What do you plan to do over the Memorial Day weekend?

Site Map

Contact Us