We need you short story to put on the record concerning your
experience with the VA.
Let me explain.
US Navy Veteran, Kenneth Lackey, has been having increasing poor
health due to possible
Agent Orange. He has Type II Diabetes which has been ignored by
the VA since 1998. He
has severe problem with sores on his feet and legs that will not
heal properly. The VA in 2001
wanted to remove his foot above his ankle on one of the sores. He
requested a second opinion
but was refused and further told that he could loose his
disability because of this request.
The chronology of events are not correct but the content is.
Joe Adair, the Director of Jackson Regional Office, told Mr.
Lackey that he could make more
money by switching over to an anueity payment instead of compensation, so Joe Adair, did
that. The problem was, Adair neglected to tell Mr. Lackey that he
would have to pay taxes on
that payment which obviously reduced the actual amount that he
received. When he contacted
them about it they stopped all payments including the survivor's
benefits he was receiving due
to the death of his son who died of cancer while in the Air Force.
That reminds me of what the VA did just after his son's death.
They had on the record that
Kenneth Lackey was dead not his son. They, the VA, cut off his disability due to that too.
Needless to say, Mr. Lackey was the least extremely PO'ed.
Things got worse from there. The VA in Jackson would not help him
get his eyes fixed. Even
though he has diabetes which we all know can and usually does cause eye damage if not
treated properly in time.
A littile over two years ago, Mr. Lackey was bitten on his upper
back by a Brown Recluse
Spider. Mr. Lackey, suffered with this problem for months while
trying to get the VA to restore
his disability and get them to provide medical care for his
diabetes and related ailments.
Finally, the VA Medical Center in Biloxi, MS admitted him into the
hospital for the diabetes
and the spider bite.
They started out treating him with respect until they sent him to
New Orleans for an eye exam.
He was determined to be blind due to the lack of treatment for the
diabetes. It was determined
that the VA Med Center in Jackson, MS caused the problem. Instead
of owning up to causing
this the VA started harrassing Mr. Lackey. They constantly talked
down to him trying to get
him to check himself out of the hospital. After several months of
this and after his back was
well on the way to healing Mr. Lackey did check himself out. He
left completely disheartened
with the VA again...
He tried to get the VA to help him but all they would do was get
him angry by refusing to
provide medical treatment and not reenstating his disability. He
could not work, could not see
anything but large objects, and was in extreme pain.
I don't remember all that happened but I believe you all get the
point. His anger grew and grew
to the point that he believed that something had to be done to get
the attention of the VA. He
has told me on many many occasions that it's not about him
anymore. The VA has gone past
that now. His health is too far gone to recover but he wanted to
do something that would bring
attention to the plight of other Veterans. He is afraid that a
Veteran will go off the 'deep end'
day and attempt to get even with the VA at the Medical Center or
the Regional Office. But, if
a Veteran gets so angry to do that he, that Veteran, could hurt or
even kill fellow Veterans in
the process of getting even.
Please note, I do not condone what Mr. Lackey did. I do however,
understand why he did it.
Here's what he did, one night last year at about 11:30 PM, while
no one was in the building
Mr. Lackey drove his van to the VA Regional Offices in Jackson,
MS. His intention was to run
into the planter in the front of the building to cause some damage
in an effort to get the VA's
attention and then drive off. He had no intent to hurt anyone or himself!
What happened next was unexpected, Mr. Lackey's van brust into
flames, destroying his van
and severely burning him about the arms chest and head. The police
came and arrested him
and the Federal Government attempted to charge him with
destruction of government property,
terrorism, attempted suicide, and a couple of other things. During
the trial the Federal
Prosecuters, fabricated lies about Mr. Lackey and produced
witnesses that obviously lied
on the stand. The jury came back with a verdict of only guilty of
destruction of government
property.
The purjury by the proscecutors may never be followed up on but
we, as Veterans and Veteran
Supporters have an opportunity to present to the Federal Judge,
for the Record, supporting
letters relaying to the Judge that Mr. Lackey's actions to get the
VA's attention is not an
isolated case. One day the pressure on a Veteran will be too great
and someone including
other Veterans will get hurt or killed. Mr. Lackey realizes that
what he did was illegal and
dangerous. He will take the punishment that comes to him but he
wants more to come of
this i.e. 'Use this opportunity with this Federal Judge to put "on
the record" other similar
problems (health or otherwise) that Veterans receive from the VA.
By putting stories in the
record concerning the way the VA for the most part treats it's Veterans and the pressure
Veterans have due to the VA's delaying, denying and deceiving
tactic we can more easily
change the way the VA Bureaucracy operates.
Please consider email me back your stories or stories of others
you will share. Or you may
send your story to the Federal Public Defender who will present
all correspondence to the
Judge. The Judge has required that any comments and concerns be in
writing so that they
will be part of the record in this case. The Judge has recognized
that there is some "Tom-
Foolery" going on with the VA in the case of Kenneth Lackey and
apparently wants to
offer us a forum to aid in our fight to get what is due us.
Mr. Lackey's sentencing hearing will be on Nov 16th, 2005. I will
be there myself beside
Mr. Lackey. Please shoot a quick email or letter out briefly
telling your story. Any comments
will show that there is a problem with the VA and will help all of
us to promote correction
of these problems.
Send emails to:
Lewis Randall Garvin
garvin2k4@yahoo.com
or call me toll free at 1-866-758-1990
or Snail Mail to:
Omodare Jupiter
Assistant Federal Public Defender
Federal Public Defender's Office
200 S. Lamar St
Suite 100-S
Jackson, MS 39201
Phone: 601-948-4284
Fax: 601-948-5510
Thank you all, Brothers and Sister,
Got Your Back,
Lewis Randall Garvin
Firebase Pinebelt
www.firebasepinebelt.com
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