Struggling local veteran wins hard-fought victory
MALTA -- It took Roger Lefco 17 years to believe his flashbacks about the Vietnam War were more than just bad dreams. It took him far longer to convince the government. Twenty-eight years after filing his first claim with the Veterans Administration (now the Department of Veterans Affairs), the 67-year-old Malta resident has finally done just that. U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., announced on Thursday that the government will grant Lefco unemployment benefits based on a claim that his three years of service in Vietnam provoked his post-traumatic stress disorder. The compensation follows a pair of requests for disability and unemployment aid that led to lengthy battles with the government over whether his symptoms were severe enough to warrant federal aid. The first request was filed in 1983; the second was filed in 2007. "I'm pretty elated," Lefco said from Texas where he was vacationing with his three children. "It's been a lot of years to get to this point. I don't know how to explain it. It's a big step for me." Lefco was tasked with picking up fuel and explosives while based at Phu Bai between 1963 and 1966. He said the experience later prompted flashbacks and a constant feeling that he needed to be on guard. "I would always have my back to the wall in crowds," he said. "I was just combat ready all the time." Lefco said it took time for him to acknowledge the symptoms and to admit he needed help. When he turned to the government for aid, though, he got nowhere. Even after providing the government with journals, photos and statements, he got no relief. Last year, after the government relaxed the standards for providing benefits to veterans struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder, Lefco turned to then-U.S. Rep. Scott Murphy, D-Glens Falls, to plead his case again. The effort led the government to confirm Lefco's struggles were indeed related to his time in the service. They agreed to provide him with disability payments but left unresolved the issue of unemployment. Lefco, who left his job at Verizon Wireless in 2001, went to Gillibrand's office for help finishing the fight. This month, his unemployment appeal was granted. Lefco will now receive more than $40,000 in retroactive benefits, $2,600 a month going forward and full access to medical care through Veterans Affairs, according to Gillibrand. "Mr. Lefco served our country with honor and courage, and these benefits are long overdue," Gillibrand said in a prepared statement.
