Navy Veteran Dying and Denied Help by the VA and Others
This is another sad story of how some of our Military Veterans are treated after serving our country. Donald LeMaster is a former Nevada resident, current Arizona resident and Vietnam War Veteran who served during some of the toughest times in Vietnam. While serving in the U.S. Navy, Donald LeMaster was assigned to the USS Yorktown where he saw extremely bloody and sometimes mind numbing action both on land and sea.
Dead bodies were the norm for LeMaster who was attached to a unit (VRC-50 Navy and was a Plane Captain and worked out of Da Nang) that cleaned up the aftermath of explosions on ships that had our dead sailors on them (sometimes as many as 134 i.e. USS Forrestal) and on the ground after our soldiers were killed by the enemy.
Make no mistake about it, Donald LeMaster did serve in Vietnam and was decorated for his bravery and commitment to defend our troops. The VA says that he did not serve in Vietnam because they do not see it in his records, but yet he served in combat. The Veterans Service Officer that is helping Mr. LeMaster has submitted further proof via U.S. Navy orders that show LeMaster was assigned to a ship that was in a combat zone (USS Yorktown). He has also submitted official records that show Donald was on the ship during the time it was in Vietnam and he was boots on the ground with proof as well.
Now Mr. and Mrs. LeMaster struggle because the VA will not grant him his disability claim for his service related pension. They live on his social security and nothing else. His disabilities are literally killing him. Oh, by the way… Donald LeMaster suffers with Post Traumatic Stress and Dementia Lewy Body Parkinson, the worst case. He is bedridden, can barely move because he is too weak, plus he cannot care for himself at all. His wife (Melody) had to quit her job to care for him and this is a 24 hour, 7 days a week job. She has absolutely no time to herself and is totally dedicated to her husband. Donald cannot be left alone at all, cannot answer the phone, go to the restroom by himself, cannot feed himself or shower himself. He can hardly talk and when he tries, it is faint at best.
Voice of the Vet is putting out a Call To Action to the State Leaders in Arizona (he lives in Bullhead City, AZ), members of the House Committee on Veteran’s Affairs, Veterans organizations and anyone with a heart that is willing to help Donald and his wife. The VA has denied his disability benefits, healthcare benefits, medical equipment, and anything else that they could very easily provide. Let’s all band together and help this HERO and make the last days of his life a little better.
Donald LeMaster has very limited time left on this earth and we must work together to fight this misjustice by the VA. If we do nothing, Mr. LeMaster will die without any help whatsoever and this will be tragic not only to this Veteran, but also his family.
This grave miscarriage and complete lack of judgement by an agency that was designed to help our Nation’s Heroes needs to stop, and it needs to stop NOW. Please contact your Senator, Congressman, News Media, Veterans organizations and whoever you can think of, and let them know of this grave miscarriage and complete lack of judgement by an agency that was designed to help our Nation’s Heroes. Please contact us here at the Voice of the Vet with the names of people you have reached out to, as well as the date, phone number and their response and Voice of the Vet will also contact them for their response as we continue with this sad and preventable situation.
For more information, please e-mail Voice of the Vet at: info@voiceofthevet.us -or- call (702) 955-7005.
