VA"s letter offers sympathies for death of veteran who"s very much alive - VIDEO: VA"s mix-up

A disabled Army veteran’s wife received a letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs this month extending its sympathies on the death of her husband, James Fales.

The problem? James Fales was the one who opened the letter.

“At first, it was kind of a shock; then it became humorous, to a point,” Fales, who served 11 years in the military and retired as a sergeant, told “Fox & Friends” Sunday.

The VA letter, dated Jan. 8, 2015, to Dee Fales was meant to offer condolences and to include information about death benefits and burial expenses that will be covered by the Department of Veterans Affairs, KFSM-TV reported.

CLICK TO READ THE VA’s LETTER TO DEE FALES.

When James Fales called the VA to alert them about the error, “They asked to verify who I was calling about, and I told them ‘By the way, this is me!’” Fales said. “And the only response I got on the phone was, ‘Oh boy.’ So now they are processing me to put me back as alive in the VA system.”

During the interview with “Fox & Friends,” Fales said that while the benefits division of the VA had him listed as deceased, the VA health care system had him very much alive.

“Since the government says I’m dead now, can I stop paying taxes?”

- James Fales

“I was still making doctors’ appointments,” said Fales, who is being treated for post-traumatic stress disorder and an ankle injury, according to KFSM.

Fales is unsure how the mixup may impact his medical care and says he and his wife are optimistic the VA will fix the error.

The Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks issued the following statement, according to KFSM:

“We do apologize and regret that this error has occurred, and want to reassure our Veterans that we will work diligently to assist them in any way we are able to in order to resolve the issue.”

Being listed as dead hasn’t killed Fales’ sense of humor, however.

“Since the government says I’m dead now, can I stop paying taxes?” he joked.

View the original article here

VA"s letter offers sympathies for death of veteran who"s very much alive - VIDEO: VA"s mix-up

West Indies Cricket Board offers sympathies

Sport

Tuesday, December 31, 2013

ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC — The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has sent condolences to persons in the Windward Islands affected by recent heavy rains which caused flooding, landslides and claimed lives.A statement from the WICB said President Dave Cameron has offered sympathies to the affected islands of the sub-region on behalf of all members and stakeholders of the West Indies Cricket Family.The rains and strong winds are being blamed for deaths and damage to roads, bridges and houses, especially in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, where at least 15 were confirmed dead.“We have heard about the deaths and we…have seen the magnitude of the devastation which has affected our brothers and sisters in St Vincent & the Grenadines, St Lucia, Dominica and also in Grenada,” Cameron said.“This is the time of year when everyone is full of joy, but that is not the case with some members of our Windies Cricket family who have been dealt a hard blow”.St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves says his country suffered estimated damage in the region of EC$150 million as a result of the December 24 storm.“I want to offer our deepest sympathies to those who lost loved ones and also reach out to those who are in need at this very difficult time,” said Cameron.“We want them to know that the WICB and the West Indies Cricket family are by their side and we want to bring some cheer as we close out 2013 and prepare for the New Year.”CAMERON…we want to bring some cheer

HOUSE RULES

1. We welcome reader comments on the top stories of the day. Some comments may be republished on the website or in the newspaper – email addresses will not be published.

2. Please understand that comments are moderated and it is not always possible to publish all that have been submitted. We will, however, try to publish comments that are representative of all received.

3. We ask that comments are civil and free of libellous or hateful material. Also please stick to the topic under discussion.

4. Please do not write in block capitals since this makes your comment hard to read.

5. Please don’t use the comments to advertise. However, our advertising department can be more than accommodating if emailed:mailto:advertising@jamaicaobserver.com.

6. If readers wish to report offensive comments, suggest a correction or share a story then please email: community@jamaicaobserver.com.

7. Lastly, read our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy

comments powered by

View the original article here

West Indies Cricket Board offers sympathies