ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office in Atlanta awarded $375,000 for 100 percent back pay for 13 years to a Marine Corp veteran who suffers from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to veterans disability lawyer Eric Gang Gang & Associates Law Firm.
In 1972, Stone Mountain resident Lamar Johnson volunteered for the Marines. He was on temporary duty in Saigon protecting a Marine Corp air squadron that helped evacuate the city at the end of the Vietnam War.
“I got guard duty the first night I was there,” said Johnson, then 19. “We took enemy mortar fire all night. Many people died. It was the worst thing I ever saw.” After 30 days in Saigon, Johnson returned to California. He was discharged from the service in 1974.
After returning to Atlanta, the former Marine found it hard to hold a job, never staying more than six months.
“In 1975, I started having nightmares and waking up in a cold sweat. I could see the Viet Cong coming after me and I could hear the mortar fire. I could never forget the mortar fire,” he said.
Johnson was admitted to a VA psychiatric hospital. “The drugs made me feel worse. The doctors couldn’t find the right medicine for me.”
In 1988 Johnson filed a claim with the VA for service-connected PTSD, which was denied.
“The VA ignored Mr. Johnson’s claim for ten years and then he re-filed in 1999,” said Gang. “We just won his case after 23 years.”
Johnson, 59, said, “The VA never wanted to accept responsibility. It’s like a cover-up.”
Gang says the VA award was for the period from January 1999 to June 2012. He and Johnson are now appealing for benefits for the previous ten years, when the former Marine first filed his claim.
Gang offers a Veteran’s Guide to Disability Benefits, including 7 Costly Mistakes to Avoid When Filing for Veterans Disability Benefits. For a free copy, call (888) 878-9350.
About Gang & Associates, LLC
Gang & Associates, LLC, is a New Jersey-based law firm that represents U.S. military veterans worldwide in disability cases. Visit www.ganglawfirm.com.
Case Number: Vet. App. No. 08-3173