Army veteran travels from Germany to Tampa to receive help with his claims during American Legion national convention.
Army veteran Rodney Moore traveled from Germany to Tampa, Fla., just to attend the special claims clinic for veterans held during The American Legion National Convention.
“I found out two weeks ago about this claims clinic while listening to my man, Mr. Civ Div on YouTube,” said Moore, a paratrooper who served from 1987 to 1992. “Here's this golden opportunity. It's a rarity that you're going to be able to get all these things that you normally would get done in the VA that takes a year if not years.”
The American Legion and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) conducted the special six-day claims clinic, Aug. 22 to Aug. 27, for all veterans at no cost.
A steady flow of veterans attended the claims clinic. Each veteran first completed intake and consultation sessions to pinpoint their specific needs. On average, each veteran would meet with an accredited service officer, complete a compensation and pension (C&P) exam, and receive clear follow up instructions on their claim. Depending on the complexity of the case, updated disability ratings can be issued in a timely manner.
For many veterans attending this claims clinic or seeking assistance elsewhere from accredited American Legion service officers, the outcomes are life changing. They improve access to care, increase financial support and lead to meaningful gains in overall quality of life. In fiscal year 2024, American Legion service officers generated more than $21 billion in claims for veterans.
Moore’s claims had been accepted for his back injury, but a separate claim for his hips had been denied. The one-stop shopping approach at this week’s clinic gave Moore a sense of optimism.
“It feels really good to actually be able to complete this journey,” he said. “It's a long journey to actually meet your objective. And sometimes as it is with my journey, it's fraught with difficulties and disappointments. So every little victory feels good. Today it feels super amazing because I'm able to get all these things done at one time.”
Marine Corps veteran Mario Rivera, who separated in 2007, was also among the more than 300 veterans who received service during the claims clinic. He was seeking help to start a claim, which he attempted to do last December but rescinded it.
“I've been very uneducated the last 15 years,” he explained. “I always thought VA care and VA disability was more for combat veterans and people who went through a lot of traumatic things. I've gone through my own traumatic experiences. I feel like I've been minimizing them for the last 15 years because I didn’t feel like I deserve what I rated. Hopefully I get properly rated, whatever that may be, and keep getting care.”
Rivera is seeking help with a traumatic brain injury, mental health, breathing issues, sleep issues and pain. “I'm really grateful for The American Legion being here,” he said. “And no matter how I'm rated, I look forward to supporting organizations like this so they can keep helping veterans in the future.”
Rivera was so impressed with the clinic, he became an ambassador.
“I've told a lot of people about this, and I'm hoping the more we tell people about this, the more the organization does this, then more veterans who are just silently suffering out there could get the help they need,” he said.
Moore left Tampa with eager anticipation for his claims decision and a sense of gratitude for The American Legion.
“The American Legion is in the right place to get a lot of these things done for veterans,” he said. “It feels good to actually see all of these veterans from all over the country coming in. It's emotional for me to see that even outside of the military, we're still a family. We still come together. We still help each other out. Nobody's getting left behind. And that feels really good.”
- Convention