Veterans' Claims Found in Shredder Bins

Audit Finds Veterans' Forms Ended Up In Trash At VA Regional Offices

(CBS)  This story was written by CBS News investigative producer Yvonne Miller-Halee for CBSNews.com.

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The Department of Veterans Affairs just confirmed that 10 documents mistakenly ended up in shredder bins in three regional offices: Detroit, St. Louis, and Waco, Texas. The mishap was discovered during a random VA Inspector General’s audit. The St. Petersburg, Fla., regional office is currently being investigated by the IG for improper shredding.

“We’re still trying to get a handle on how widespread the problem is and I can’t say with certainly that this has never happened before,” Alison Aikele, VA Press secretary told CBS News.

“This is potentially one of the worst cases of mismanagement I have seen in a long time,” said Joe Davis, a spokesman for the Veteran of Foreign Wars, the largest organization of combat veterans in the United States. “We have to believe that the VA will right this wrong.”

The documents were identified as any piece of mail that would require the VA to take action on a veteran’s file such as applications for financial benefits. It takes between six to nine months to have a claim processed and this type of error could place unnecessary hardship on the Vet awaiting financial assistance.

“There is no way for a vet to know if their claim has been shredded or misplaced,” says Aikele. The VA is urging all vets with pending claims to immediately call 800-827-1000 to verify the status of their claim.

“The VA's Inspector General is currently conducting an extensive investigation to determine that this is not a more widespread situation,” says Aikele. All 57 VA regional offices are currently under strict orders by the VA administration to certify in writing that they are taking the necessary steps to determine that they don’t have any documents in the shredder bins that should have been acted upon according to Aikele.

There are more questions than answers.

“We don’t really know how this happened. It was either done by an employee unknowingly making an error or it was put in there,” says Aikele.

James Peake, Secretary of the VA will ultimately take corrective actions once all the investigations are completed.

[koolcuebaby]

I work for a gentleman who is a veteran of WW2 & Korea...he is now homebound & because there is a vet center within 70 miles of his home, they refuse to allow him to go to a local doctor & the VA fill his prescriptions...he has dementia, totally incontinent, unable to walk & congestive heart failure, yet the VA has been stonewalling for about 5 months now...he doesn''t have the money to continue to pay for this...

[ussoldier73]

I am a OIF combat vet.I came home in 06.I had to fight to get treatment. I have been deemed 100% disable by doctors at the VA. I get 117.00 dollars a month from the VA disabitily.For two years almost three now. My life has been hell since I have been home due to my injuries, PTSD and finacses.my house was forclosed on my cars repoed I sleep on my friends floor cause I can''t leave NY till I pay6000 restuition.I was in the hospital for 4months at the va.Just got out.I have 3 babys my 62 mom takes care of 4 me.Cause I have no money. I just got ssd it only took six months to get that. The war was easy compared to coming [e-mail]

[ddnam68-69]

If anyone believe these are just a very few isolated incidents, they are either dangerously naive or incapable of processing logical thoughts. Documents and records have been disappearing from VA offices at least since 1971 (and most probably long before). No one has focused in on how many past investigations have been conducted and/or verified reports made of the destruction of veterans'' records. Some benefit claims and application have been missing for 10+ years while the veteran has been told they are being processed. The mismanagement of military and health records, and the blatant destruction of records, causing delays and denials of benefits, is part of nearly every veteran''s fears when dealing with the Dept. of Veterans Affairs. Look back over the past 40 years. Do your research, and report on this as the ongoing trend as it is, not as an appalling isolated event the way it is being painted. There is a long history of this that needs to be dragged out of the shadows and into the light of day. It is time for some reckoning.

[andykinla]

I bet the boys from Cheneyburton, er I mean Halliburton, KBR (Kellogg Brown & Root), and Blackwater ( - Google) don''t have to fight for their benefits. These guys are getting 3-5X the pay of our soldiers for tasks as minute as serving food or washing clothes, not to mention immunity from prosecution under almost any circumstance.

Blackwater - Cheney''s Mercenary Army - coming to a neighborhood near you. (Already in San Diego)

[k9usafret]

Smurf, you sound like mainstream media. This has been going on for years under every administration since WWI.

I ask everyone to go back to Jan 1, 2008. Claims backlogs of 800,000, using a paper system, untrained new people, and a philosophy of delay, deny, until they die. Massive numbers of suicides from all veterans as the VA turns troops away and covers it up (Ira Katz). Massive abuse of credit cards. Errors and attempts to collect for their error leading to suicide. Violations of international law in testing Chantix on PTSD veterans (ever heard of the Nuremburg Code?).

If only two documents were lost at the Waco Regional Office then why do I have a message asking what I asked for in a letter sent and acknowledged return receipt requested inquiry because they can''t find it?

Why are they using typewriters and a paper system to adjudicate claims where employees are told that they cannot have access to the medical records of the veteran who is making a medical claim? This is not the 19th century, or is it?

[slim1h2o]

The same sort of garbage is going on at the SSA.

Ya ever wonder why you need a lawyer, just to get what you are due?

This is (U.S.) one of the worse corrupted governments on the planet.

[libluv2cnsor]

this SHOULD STOP!!

our veterans NEEDS AND DESERVES better

[riptide213]

Where there is smoke, there is

Remember a now infamous March 20 email written by Norma Perez, a psychologist and coordinator of a VA post traumatic stress disorder clinical team in Temple, Texas:

Quote: Given that we are having more and more compensation seeking veterans, Id like to suggest that you refrain from giving a diagnosis of PTSD straight out, Perez email, titled Suggestion, says. We really do not or have time to do the extensive testing that should be done to determine PTSD.

Yet again, another unjust VA snub towards our US veterans.

I guess PTSD downgrade diversions did not work, so just shred VA claim records to make the mounting work load go away.

A top notch US military and ultimately any associated US veterans who serve to defend this great nation from all enemies cost money.

It is time, less US tax payer dollars for international aid, more for US first issues like US veterans, US health care, and now US bailout funds.

US programs and priorities must be funded fully and fixed before we send dollars by the billion abroad for low return foreign feel good ventures. Tax dollar charity begins at home and should end at home.

US government can no longer afford to be so overly generous with our hard earned US tax revenues.

Any US government is elected to solve our US issues. Times are rough, budgets are tight, so circle the tax dollar wagons and fix the home front.

Support our warriors and veterans.

Mend the VA once and for all.

[tincup356]

election next month, will you pull the straight party ticket vote?Think about it hard before you do,to do so will only extend the crappy representation that majority of taxpayers have now.The only way to straighten out our country''s mess is to go to the polls and start removing from office every single incumbent running, bar none take them all out.We need to have new faces in congress that WILL represent the people and not the great lobby dollar.I''ve grown sick and tired over the last 25 years listening to both parties promise the world and deliver nothing to the people.These career politicians ARE THE PROBLEM,they think they are so high above the citizens, and frankly are responsible for going to sleep at the wheel and running the ship aground.Time for change alright..change every face in every seat in congress,and we will "stay the course until our job is done".So if congress thinks they have problems now wait till next month when they start joining average Joe''s in the unemployment line.

[dbstevens]

When are people going to realize that government views their military as disposable pawns, expendable resources, not people. They seduce impressionable kids, toss them into extreme danger to fight their idiotic wars, then the ones that make it home are discarded for the rest of their lives. Wars should be physically fought between the heads of the countries involved, leaving the citizens out of it. Now there''s an idea...

[smurfcrusher]

Another Bush victory for the troops.