Vietnam vet's persistence finally pays off in settlement from VA
by Sara Hacking, Wadena Pioneer Journal

Left, Wadena resident Eugene Foster, a Vietnam War veteran, is looking forward to a better quality of life after recently receiving a settlement from Veterans Affairs for his post traumatic stress disorder. Photo by Sara Hacking
Persistence paid off for Vietnam War veteran Eugene Foster, 64, in the form of a settlement for post traumatic stress disorder. Foster, a Wadena resident, was awarded a claim of more than $65,000 and will receive $2,527 a month from Veterans Affairs for the rest of his life, he said.

“I don’t give up too easy,” Foster said. “I come from a long line of stubborn people.”

Foster filed the claim two and a half years ago, he said. It took three appeals to get his settlement.

“The only thing I can say is the system works,” said David Anderson, Wadena County’s veterans services officer. “This will really improve his quality of life.”

Foster is excited to get a better living situation, he said. He plans to move to a two-bedroom condominium with all new carpets, floor heating and dishwasher...




He will miss his current landlord, whom he describes as a friend, but he won’t miss the stairs to his apartment, he said. He uses a walker and a wheelchair to get around.

Foster had also filed a claim related to continuing knee problems he said stem from a shrapnel wound he sustained during the Tet Offensive in January 1968. He dropped that claim during the process of receiving his PTSD settlement, he said.

Foster served in Vietnam from July 1966 to May 1969. During the war, Foster lost his fiance, a Vietnamese national, when she was killed by the Viet Cong, he said.

For years, Foster used to try to drink his depression away, he said. He gave that up and he doesn’t even drink caffeine anymore because of his blood pressure. Now Foster takes medication to treat his PTSD and sees a doctor at a veterans hospital, he said.

Anderson said it’s important that Foster receives this settlement because he served his country in a war zone during an unpopular war. As soon as someone enters military service they no longer have a choice, Anderson said, they either do what they’re told or are discharged. And following those orders may mean giving the ultimate gift, their life.

Foster is grateful for his settlement, he said. But he knows not all veterans are as fortunate.

“A lot of people should be compensated that don’t have it,” he said.

He encouraged other veterans to not give up on their claims.

“Fight, don’t give up,” Foster said. “They deserve what compensation they get.”