to maintain minimal personal hygiene OR Serious suicidal act with clear expectation of death.

0 Inadequate Information

Now that you have an idea of what the PTSD is doing in regards to your life functions you can compare that to the rating percentage guidelines to see APPOXIMATELY what your rating COULD be. REMEMBER there are other factors involved so your rating could be higher or lower than indicated here.

[The following will approximate the Board’s decision/findings for a rating:]

0% Neurotic symptoms which may somewhat adversely affect relation-ships with others but which do not cause impairment of working ability.

10% The psychoneurotic disorder produces mild social and industrial impairment.

30% The symptoms result in such reduction in initiative, flexibility, efficiency, and reliability levels as to produce definite industrial impairment There will be definite impairment in the ability to establish or maintain effective and wholesome relationships with people.

50% The veteran’s ability to establish or maintain effective or favorable relationships with people is considerably impaired. By reason of psychoneurotic symptoms the reliability, flexibility, and efficiency levels are so reduced as to result in considerable industrial impairment.

70% The disability severely impairs the veteran’s ability to establish and maintain effective or favorable

relationships with people. The psychoneurotic symptoms are of such severity and persistence that there is severe impairment in the ability to obtain and retain employment.

100% The attitudes of all contacts except the most intimate are so adversely affected as to result in virtual isolation in the community.

Total incapacitating psychoneurotic symptoms bordering on gross repudiation of reality with disturbed thought or behavioral processes associated with almost all daily activities such as fantasy, confusion, panic, and explosions of aggressive energy resulting in profound retreat from mature behavior will be present. He or she will be demonstrably unable to obtain or retain employment

[ Doc’s Thoughts: Most who are rated 100% for PTSD are most likely somewhere between the above 70% and 100% ratings.

The inability to retain employment is a large factor, as well as the diminished capacities of concentration, task completions, and social interaction on a regular basis.

The control of anger episodes and managing depressive episodes are vital.  

Keeping projects ongoing and finding constructive diversions would seem key in the therapeutic environment.

Volunteering time and efforts produce very positive feelings and is a key element in maintaining a sense of self worth and dignity.  The focusing on others needs waxes beneficial.]

Page 8 (Printed version)

Page 9 (Printed version)

Disability Commission

Coming to a Town Near You

The Veterans Disability Benefits Com- mission made public its anticipated field-hearing schedule on January 20th.  The first city to be visited will be Tampa/St Petersburg, Florida on 15 -16 February and will include participation by the entire commission.  The Com-mission plans two sessions that will be open to the public -- a "town hall" meeting the evening of the 15th and a public meeting scheduled for the 16th.

The Commission then plans to visit one city per month over the next eight months.  At each of their stops, com-missioners will meet with VA representatives, military treatment facility personnel, and interested veterans.  The schedule includes visits to San Antonio (March) followed by Chicago (April), St. Louis (May), San Diego (June), Seattle (July), Boston (August), and Atlanta (September).  We'll provide the specific dates as soon as they're available.

The Commission chairman, LTG James Terry Scott (USA-Ret), highly encourages interested veterans, retirees, survivors, and currently serving members to join them and be heard. 

Many of the details are being finalized. Additional information on the Disability Commission and upcoming field hearings may be found at:

http://www.vetscommission.org/index.htm

Fwd:      by Doc Don Judd  K/3/3 67-68 (Cdr/USN/ret)  from MOAA Newsletter

(Following reunion 2004)

Our leadership was once again above the call.   I am still amazed at their stories/speeches and sincerely appreciate them and how they managed to honor all of us. I wish I had it taped. I know my family and I will never forget their words.

I was uneasy with going to my first reunion and wondered if I was making a mistake of bringing up all the old memories.   Yeah, I made a mistake all right and that was not going earlier. I had a wonderful time and appreciated seeing everyone.

Semper Fi!                        Ray Calhoun

This response is not about the photo, but about the remarks from Ray, as well as [others].   I have attended all of the reunions I could; the exception being those interrupted by sickbay & being on the binnacle list (the Doc's will understand this).  

After my first one in '88 on the beach I pledged to never again miss another.   The reason for this is clear.   It was not because of the good times had wherever we happened to hold the reunion, and the good times were plenty.   The real reason, indeed almost the only reason, is seeing and being with the incredible Marines we all knew then, and now, their families.

Ray -- your words are right on the mark, as well as those below.   I started this message earlier but can't handle this infernal machine and heaven only knows where the incomplete message ended up.

My comments are simple in response to what   you said, as well as others below.   I am attracted to these reunions for exclusively one reason, despite all of the

(continued next page)

3/3 RVN Newsletter  Vol 1, Issue 6