Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Eddy County’s Veterans Service Officer, Julie Shrock, has been hard at work helping vets and their families get the support they’re entitled to.
That became evident for at least one individual in Eddy County when Shrock was giving an update to county commissioners earlier this month.
Shrock told the story of an Eddy County widow who was denied benefits by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) when her husband, a Vietnam veteran, passed away.
“I have permission from a widow to share some of the details of her story,” began Shrock. “There was a local person whose husband died in 2016 from cancer. He was in the Vietnam War … and he died of a cancer they said was unrelated to Agent Orange.”
Agent Orange is a chemical herbicide that was commonly used during the Vietnam War and has been linked to multiple cancers and diseases commonly suffered by Vietnam vets.
For those who suffer from those ailments, financial assistance is offered by the VA. And if a veteran passes away due to one of those cancers or diseases, the family left behind is also given financial assistance.
However, that didn’t happen for one Eddy County widow.
“I contacted her and asked if I could look into it because I had heard she didn’t get anything when her husband passed away,” said Shrock.
When they tried to appeal the VA’s decision, Shrock said the problem was revealed that the cause of death was listed as cancer unrelated to Agent Orange.
What his death certificate didn’t account for, however, was ischemic heart disease – one of the ailments linked to Agent Orange.
Shrock said that when she went through the veteran’s medical records, she discovered the VA had already been giving him compensation for the heart disease, which narrows arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle.
“So through Tom Sauby here at our funeral home and this widow, we were able to track down the person that signed the death certificate,” said Shrock. “… it has to be the same person that signed it initially to make any amendments, or it just won’t happen.”
Shrock said she sent over the necessary information and medical records, and the person who initially signed the death certificate agreed that the disease was overlooked as a contributing factor.
The death certificate was then amended, a new claim was filed, and the widow has now received the benefits she’s entitled to as a widow of a Vietnam veteran exposed to Agent Orange.
“She will now have medical benefits … and educational benefits if she chooses to use them,” said Shrock. She’s eligible for ANA (American Nurses Association) benefits, so if her health starts to fail she can get somebody to help her.
“She’s also eligible for a financial stipend of roughly about $1,400 a month for the rest of her life, tax free,” added Shrock.
Last but certainly not least, the costs associated with her husband’s burial were also reimbursed to her.
Shrock added that they’re currently awaiting another appeal that she believes is likely to give this widow even more benefits, and commissioners expressed their happiness to hear how the situation was resolved.
Before concluding her report to the commissioners, Shrock also gave a more broad update on her activities in the past year.
Between July 22, 2022 and July 23 of this year, Shrock conducted 42 outreach visits (some to the same veteran), filed 20 ITF claims and 18 FDC claims, and completed 12 claims with one denial currently in the appeal process.
She also reported that, altogether, the county’s veterans are now receiving $5,800 more per month in benefits than they did a year ago, and that $99,250 in one-time payments have been received by Eddy County veterans in the past year.
