Department of Indiana service officer Bryce Hullett (right) assists a veteran at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Photo by Hilary Ott /The American Legion

Legion takes claims assistance to racing fans

Bryce Hullett was able to spend five days at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) during the month of May. And during the track’s Aug. 11-13 Brickyard Weekend – which featured races involving the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, INDY NXT, and NASCAR and its Xfinity Series – Hullett was there all three days.

Hullett loved the opportunity, but it wasn’t because of the action on the track for the admitted auto racing fan. It was because of his ability to assist veterans with their Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits) as The American Legion Department of Indiana’s Assistant Director of Rehabilitation working out of the Legion’s “Be the One” INDYCAR truck.

He said he’s had contact with roughly 45 people – veterans and family members – while working at the track during racing events.

“With us being able to be out here, we’re not just connecting with our Indiana veterans. We’re connecting with veterans across the nation,” said Hullett, a member of Kenneth N. Dowden Wayne Post 64 in Indianapolis and the Sons of The American Legion squadron commander at Speedway Post 500, located across the street from IMS. “To be able to set up like this, we can get that (claim or intent to file) submitted now. And when they leave, I can get them a confirmation number … so that when they walk away, they’re like, ‘OK, someone listened to me. And someone did something for me right here and now.’ That’s one less thing they have to worry about now.”

With the deadline looming to receive retroactive benefits through a PACT Act claim, Hullet was able to file an intent to file for one veteran while at the track on Aug. 11, and was expecting to file another later in the weekend. He also was able to complete a high-level review of a claim.

Hullett said the August 2022 passage of the PACT Act, which expands benefits and services to toxic-exposed veterans and their families, has created a boon in business for his office.

“I don’t know how many PACT Act claims I’ve done or our staff has,” he said. “But since the PACT Act deadline got extended, our call list went from a 40-person call list to over 100 people on our call list waiting for us when we go to work. So it has probably quadrupled our workload.”

But that’s fine with Hullett, a U.S. Navy veteran. “It’s allowed us to get that service connection … and it’s easier to do that (with the PACT Act),” he said. “But then, once we get them service-connected, we’re allowed to fight for them and maybe get them an effective date (of the service connection). That’s very helpful for me. And it’s just great to be able to help people.”