[ad_1]
Conflict was nothing like the conflict that handicapped him and claimed countless lives on Afghan soil, but the battle Justin Elmer was fighting was just as long and protracted. I was exhausted and exhausted.
And finally, a retired military veteran living in Warsaw recently sifted through his mail and discovered a letter from the Army Commission for Corrections to Military Records, confirming his status as a recipient of the Purple Heart.
![Veteran Justin Elmer was injured in an IED explosion in Afghanistan in 2009.](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2022/11/10/PSPR/dcd9169e-b94b-4f6e-87fc-fb5399b1d813-Justin.jpg?width=300&height=464&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
Emery is 13 years away from the IED explosion that struck a one-man convoy during route clearance near the Pakistan border. It knocked him unconscious, eventually leading to a diagnosis of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder.
The medal, which was first rejected by Elmer before his appeal, arrived at his rural Missouri home last week in time for Veterans Day.
For Elmer, 39, a father of two teenage sons, this was a matter of validation.
“It means you’re acknowledging that you’ve been wounded in combat,” Elmer said.
more:20 Veterans Day events in the Ozarks honor those who have served our country
According to the filing, Purple Heart officials initially said they were unable to conclude whether Elmer’s TBI symptoms stemmed from his combat service or occurred afterward.
Medals are often awarded to soldiers with more visible wounds. According to the Center of Disease Control, more than 450,000 U.S. veterans have contracted his TBI from 2000 to 2021, but it has a very wide diagnostic spectrum and can impair several physical and cognitive functions. There is a nature.
After further investigation and more documented evidence submitted to the Army Commission for Corrections of Military Records, it delivered a different verdict.
“Traumatic brain injury is something that to this day they don’t even know how to deal with,” said Elmer, a graduate of Lee Summit High School. “Many veterans in my position give up. My hope is that they see my case and don’t give up.”
After being discharged, Elmer tried to pursue a career as a welder and a policeman, but his health deteriorated. His hands are still shaking and his back needs regular epidurals.
As with the Purple Heart application, it took years for Elmer to receive his benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs. With the help of attorneys at the Veterans Affairs Clinic at the University of Missouri Law School, Elmer was able to secure his interests.
more:Finally, a Hero’s Welcome: Vietnam Veterans Celebrated on Ozark Return Honor Flight
Brent Filbert, an attorney at the MU Veterans Clinic, helped compile documents proving that Elmer’s TBI and military injuries were linked. It ultimately helped Elmer secure a Veteran’s Benefit and a Purple Heart.
Elmer credits the Veterans Affairs Clinic’s support and tenacity in ending its long-standing dispute with the Army Commission.
“They knew they wouldn’t back down,” said Elmer.
[ad_2]
Source link