After being honorably discharged from the military in 1989 I applied for social security disability. In 1991 the SSA medical examiner, Alfred Zamora, MD, determined that I am disabled. I was denied due to systemic incompetence & dishonesty. On REMAND the US Dist. Ct. ""Judge"" directed that the mis-application of a ""mechanical grid"" should be removed as it is appropriate only in cases of people with exertional impairments (mine is non-exertional as is many who suffer the misnomer Gulf War Syndrome). Instead of removing this grid, ALJ Donald R. Holloway went even further in the wrong direction. To justify his unfairness he asserted that the record lacked OBJECTIVE evidence, but then inconsistent with this reasoning he ordered a highly controversial SUBJECTIVE exam (MMPI). I respectfully declined, citing two published (J of Rheum) experts that report this exam is ""Inappropriate for non-exertional impairments."" The truth fell on deaf ears and ALJ Don R. Holloway denied me the help that is legally available. This M.O. was exposed by A CURRENT AFFAIR on June 18, 1993 in an investigative report: A SOLDIER'S STORY (Evans). The use of psychiatric exams, designed for people with exertional impairments (pain with movement ) to discredit people with knowledge of official misconduct was also exposed by world respected investigative researcher Gary Null in his documentary: Gulf War Syndrome. A disabled Colonel faces an overly adversarial & abusive VA claims process (exactly like what Kenneth Tennant faced with ALJ Donald Holloway and the Dept. of VA, who has since rated Tennant at 100% ""Service-Connected"" yet refuses to assign an Earlier Effective Date that coincides with his service dates and is consistent with ""Service-Connected."" Too many ALJ's treat disability programs as if it were their personal trust fund. REVOKE THEIR PENSIONS. Kenneth Tennant needs a fair & impartial Decision Review Officer to re-open his claim and correct the clear and unmistakable errors and award his disability benefits back to the date of application : 1991. Please share this story and pass it along to someone who can make it happen. God bless your honorable efforts.
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