Winning Your Fight with the U.S. Veterans Administration  At the age of 18 while stationed in South Korea, I was sexually assaulted by another G.I. I did not go to my commanding officer for fear of being ostracized, made fun of by the others in my unit, or called gay and fear of my attacker, after 8 years in the military I was discharged as a pvt. E1 with a general discharge under honorable conditions.  There followed years and years of getting fired from jobs, 4 divorces and 7 months in a civilian mental hospital.  I checked into the Tuskegee VA Hospital in Tuskegee, Alabama.  There I related my experience of sexual assault to the Tuskegee V.A. Psychiatrist, my side of the story was not accepted very well and as a matter of fact my illness was diagnosed as Organic Brain Syndrome.  After 8 months in that facility I was discharged. Six months later I was again admitted to Tuskegee V.A. Hospital, this time my diagnosis was Paranoid Schizophrenia. It went on like this until 1996 when I was admitted to the Tuscaloosa V.A.Hospital, there I was again interviewed about my illness, and again I related my sexual assault experience in 1958 only this time the diagnosis was PTSD due to sexual assault while in the military, but yet and still it took me until 1998 to get my disability claim approved by the V.A. Regional Office in Montgomery, Alabama and they only went back to 1996.  My fight with the V.A. still continues because as I see it, they should have gone back to 1982 when I submitted my 1st claim for mental problems.  The upshot is this, if you do not give up, if you persist, persevere, you CAN win. [ Back ] [ Tell Your Compensation Story ] Your Very Own Veteran ID Card Veteran ID Card No longer will you have to carry around your DD Form 214 as proof of your military service.  The Veteran ID Card will quickly establish you as a veteran, along with other essential benefits.  More...