‘the Biggest Thing I Do Is Give People Hope’
Helping veterans obtain their benefits is a gratifying experience, Graham said.
“There’s people in Oklahoma that’s starving to death, and we can change them a little bit. We can improve their lives,” Graham said. “You take these folks, and they ain’t got nothing. And when you get through, they got a little ‘walkin around’ money.
“I’m doing what I want to do, and I’m helping people. The biggest thing I do is I give people hope.”
Benton, who lived for years in a ramshackle Tulsa house, was just one of the veterans whose life was turned around by the organization. He started his claims process in February 2020, and in November, he learned that his compensation had been approved.
He’s put that money to use. In April of this year, he bought a new home in Yukon. The house is painted white and surrounded by lush grass and trees. In front is a smooth concrete driveway, where he parks his 2021 Kia Seltos.
It’s a far cry from the living situation he knew in the years after he returned from Vietnam.
“I felt like, for almost 20 years, that I was just right there on the edge of being homeless,” Benton said.
Now, a few days each week, Benton drives to the foundation’s office to help other veterans. He dons a red Marine Corps hat and a shirt with the foundation’s logo embroidered on the front.
Military And Veterans Records At The National Archives
Military records can be valuable resources in personal and genealogical research. We are the official repository for records of the U.S. Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Coast Guard and other government agencies. These records include:
- military personnel service records
- textual documents including unit reports and rosters maps and plans photographs posters motion pictures and sound recordings and electronic records.
Note that most military records, including veteran’s military service records, are not online. There are casualty reports, and other selected military records available in our collection of Online Documents for Veterans.
Claims Process Leaves Veterans Suffering
Oklahoma has more than 330,000 veterans, many of whom are eligible for veterans benefits including healthcare and disability compensation. And like veterans across the nation, many have struggled to obtain those benefits because of lengthy backlogs at the Department of Veterans Affairs and the National Personnel Records Center, said Jon Foti, the foundations CEO.
Veterans who transition out of the military have to file a claim before they’re given their VA benefits, and that’s where the foundation steps in. It has filed more than 25,000 claims in the last five years, said Graham, the organization’s founder, who started helping fellow veterans in 1989.
People come here from all 50 states, Graham said. Ive had them from China. Ive had them from Australia and the Philippines. I even get them from New York City. Ive had people from Boston. People fly down here.
We’re going to try to take this nationwide. I’ve been wanting to do this for a long time. We’re actually pretty good at what we do.”
The foundation acts as veterans power-of-attorney during the process, which can take months to complete. The Veterans Benefits Administration, a division of VA that serves more than 5.2 million veterans and their family members, has more than 500,000 pending claims, according to July data from the agency. The administration has about 185,000 claims that were filed more than 125 days ago.
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Monday Event Helps Vets Start Process
The number of veterans the organization could help dropped during the pandemic, a trend the organization hopes to reverse soon.
In 2020, as coronavirus lockdowns were imposed across the nation, volunteers had difficulty contacting veterans, especially those without internet access. The organization hopes to help some hard-to-reach veterans with an event on Monday, where volunteers will help new clients start the claims process.
The organization hosted its first client intake event July 12, and more than 200 veterans attended, Foti said. He hopes even more will show up between 9 a.m. and noon Monday at the Moore Norman Tech Center, 13301 S Pennsylvania Ave.
Those who attend should bring certain documents, including: a DD-214 form, which is a military discharge document recent VA claims letters and, if available, a signed VA Form 0966, which is used during the claims process.
Dale K Graham Veterans Foundation Ready To Assist Veterans At New Okla Facility
NORMAN, Okla. A crowd of more than 100 people, consisting of legislators, city and county officials as well as veterans and their families, gathered Tuesday morning for the grand opening of a veteran service organization’s new home in Norman.
The Dale K. Graham Veterans Foundation has assisted over 25,000 veterans across all 77 counties in Oklahoma, 45 states and four foreign countries in the process of filing for claims such as VA disability from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
John Foti, CEO of Dale K. Graham Veterans Foundation, said as their outreach grew in recent years, so did their need for a larger facility than their prior office on Interstate Drive.
According to the organization’s website, many veterans need help submitting medical or other types of documentation that support the veteran’s request for service connection to a disability or an increased rating on a pre-existing service-related disability.
Foti said the old facility had 45 workstations to serve veterans. The new location has 120.
“We certainly need it,” Foti said.
Foti estimates there are about 330,000 veterans in Oklahoma and said more coming to the state means the need to reassess their resource allocation.
Graham has represented tens of thousands of veterans in the claims process and brought in hundreds of millions of dollars into the state through VA benefits, ultimately changing the lives of veterans and their families.
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Simplifying The Va Disabillityclaims Process
The Dale K. Graham Veterans Foundation seeks to make the VA Claims Process accessible to every veteran and veteran family member in Oklahoma and across the United States.
By working with The Dale K. Graham Veterans Foundation, you will be working with a highly trained non-profit team member to submit YOUR claim. For information on our Appeals Process, click HERE.
Serving Veterans And Their Families
At the Dale K. Graham Veterans Foundation, we proudly serve military veterans and their families by sharing our collective knowledge and experience to assist with the Veterans Administration disability claims process free of charge.
Our primary program assists veterans with filing pension and other benefits claims through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs We are committed to making sure every veteran and their family gets the benefits they need and deserve to protect their future.
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Research On Veterans In Military Records
There is no simple explanation for how to begin research on veterans. Your path will depend on whether your research is personal, genealogical or historical in nature and on aspects of the veteran’s service such as: which branch of service, which conflict, what dates, whether Regular Army or a volunteer unit, whether they were an officer or enlisted personnel, and whether there was a pension application.
Research in Military Service Records Military service records are the primary source of information on individual veterans. These include Official Military Personnel Files for recent veterans, and compiled service records and pension files for older veterans.
Veterans Outreach Has The Primary Mission Of Respectfully Honoring And Serving All Veterans Each Veteran Has Unique Needs We Use Our Program Resources To Offer A Hand Up Not A Hand Out To Benefit Veterans And In Turn Communities And This Great Nation
Perhaps you are a veteran, have a loved one that has served, or you are just passionate about helping veterans. In any case, this country and much of the world has depended upon the brave men and women who were willing to risk their lives to protect America and freedom around the world.
No other warrior in history can compare to the American soldiers compassion and strength for answering the call to duty. They have endured the blood, guts, and glory of war worldwide, without complaint.
Take your time looking at our site and check out our Facebook page as well. Take a moment each week to read our Spotlight of the Week. It will grip your heart every time when you realize these are real veterans lives that we touch daily.
Veterans! Florida Atlantic University is inviting you to participate in an online research study. The purpose is to examine dog types and their impact on veterans health and well-being. Inclusion criteria:
- US Military Veteran 18+
- Have a service dog, emotional support dog or a companion dog
- Have access to the internet
Compensation up to $100
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What Vehicle Donors Are Saying
Donors Share Their Experience with Donating a Vehicle:
“I wanted to take a moment to email the two of you to express how easy this process was to donate my car… took the time to answer all my questions, allowed me to contact directly when I had follow-up questions, and even helped me by phone fill out the necessary forms that I needed to complete the transaction with the DMV.” – Monica M.
California Office
4669 Murphy Canyon Road, Ste.200
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All donations will be a charitable benefit to one of thousands of our nonprofit partners and CARS , a 501 nonprofit that provides transportation solutions for seniors.
‘i Was Going To Help People’
Graham, a lance corporal in the Marine Corps, spent about two years in active duty with the 3rd Combat Engineer Battalion in the 3rd Marine Division. He was discharged in 1967.
Graham struggled with his mental health after the war, so he joined a program helping veterans transition back into civilian life.
“I’m in this class with about 13 people, and I realized, ‘Hell, I wasn’t the only one,'” he said. “Everybody in there was messed up. I decided, when I was able to, that I was going to help people. That’s what I’ve done.”
In 1989, he started helping veterans file their claims by setting up a shop in a barn. He named the shop “Veterans Corner.”
The scene there was different from the organization’s current home. It’s an office in Norman, 1268 N Interstate Drive, filled with desks that are stacked with papers and computers. Flags from different military branches hang on the wall.
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Dale K Graham Veterans Foundation
Norman OK | IRS ruling year: 2015 | EIN: 47-5518844
OUR MISSION IS TO SERVE MILITARY VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES BY SHARING OUR COLLECTIVE KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE TO HELP WITH THE VETERANS ADMINISTRATION CLAIMS PROCE … OUR MISSION IS TO SERVE MILITARY VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES BY SHARING OUR COLLECTIVE KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE TO HELP WITH THE VETERANS ADMINISTRATION CLAIMS PROCESS. DALE K GRAHAM VETERANS FOUNDATION IS COMMITTED TO MAKING SURE EVERY VETERAN AND THEIR FAMILY GETS ALL OF THE BENEFITS AND PENSIONS THEY’VE EARNED.
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Dale K Graham Veterans Center
Jul 17, 2020 | News
The Dale K. Graham Veterans Foundation was awarded a $25,000 grant from the Masonic Charity Foundation of Oklahoma to provide support for programs that help veterans and their families as well as operating costs. Dale Grahams mission is to serve military veterans and their families by focusing on sharing their collective knowledge and experience to help with the Veterans Administration claims process. The Foundation also provides onsite mental health counselors from the veterans centers, legal aid representatives, and assistance and guidance when a temporary source of food, rent, utilities, shelter or transportation to and from medical facilities is necessary for veterans and their families. All services at the Foundation are provided free of charge. Lora Malone, Executive Director for Dale K. Graham Veterans Foundation, said, It is a complete honor to accept this gift from the Masonic Charity Foundation of Oklahoma due to the fact that our missions are parallel in the goal of giving back to Americas Heroes. This gift will provide so many with the opportunity to heal and be appreciated. The Masonic Charity Foundation of Oklahoma is proud to provide continued support to our Oklahoma veterans.
The Dale K. Graham Veterans Foundations office is closed now due to Covid-19 but to learn more please visit their website at https://dalekgrahamveteransfoundation.org/ for more information. You may also contact them at 405-550-8806 for information .
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Difficulty With Social Interactions Impairment Issues At Work And Insomnia Are Some Signs You May Have Undiagnosed Ptsd
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Difficulty with social interactions, impairment issues at work and insomnia are some signs you may have undiagnosed PTSD.
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Difficulty with social interactions, impairment issues at work and insomnia are some signs you may have undiagnosed PTSD.
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OKLAHOMA CITY
The images coming out of Afghanistan this week are tough for anyone to watch, but the trauma is even greater for veterans especially those who served there.
The Dale K. Graham Veterans Foundation in Norman says the health and wellbeing of vets in Oklahoma is its main focus.
“If you haven’t been in combat for 10 years, maybe you haven’t seen some of those images of Kabul since you left,” said Jon Foti, CEO of the Dale K. Graham Veterans Foundation. “And now, seeing all of that territory that you fought for being overrun by the Taliban, it’s confusing.”
Emotions surrounding the images from the Taliban takeover are triggering for some.
“It’s, of course, emotions around the images. But many times, it’s also just reliving and kind of regurgitating up all these chemicals that are associated with PTSD that may already be there from events that you experienced in service,” Foti said.
Difficulty with social interactions, impairment issues at work and insomnia are some signs you may have undiagnosed PTSD.
“It’s very different for a lot of veterans, but often it gets bad enough it can start manifesting physically into your life,” Foti said.
What To Expect
With the help of over 200 volunteers, we serve more than 300 veterans each week. Start the process by filling out our intake forms on our website, and soon after someone will contact you to make an appointment.
We pride ourselves in assisting veterans and their family members gain access to the benefits the government has already earmarked for them. From determining what is available and which forms you may need to simplifying the arduous steps of completion and submission, we walk with you through the entire process and know how to get the job done.
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Who We Are
The mission of Dale K Graham Veterans Foundation is to share our collective knowledge and experience to help military veterans and their families with the Veterans Administration claims process. Our goal is to get each to their maximum disability rating. From determining what is available and which forms are needed, to simplifying the arduous steps of completion and submission, we walk with them through the entire process and know how to get the job done. And there is never a charge for our help. In addition, we help our low-income clients by providing: Vouchers for medical testing Transportation to medical appointments Assistance and guidance for a temporary source of rent, shelter, utilities and food
What We Do
Hundreds of veterans line up for help early every Tuesday and Thursday morning. No appointment is needed. Doors open at 5:30am and they are greeted by 40+ volunteers who are highly trained and ready to help. Clients bring their military records and separation papers, along with any supporting documentation for their claim. We assist with ordering additional records. It takes on average 3 visits to complete the process. We have greater than a 90% success rate for claims filed. We help veterans and their families deal with the impact military service has on their lives. Exposure to nerve agents has caused long-term heart damage. Hearing loss from exposure to noise and vibration is common. Just over half of all post-deployment health visits address pain in their back, neck, knees or shoulders. Veterans are more likely to experience homelessness, and have a higher risk of traumatic brain injuries and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Every day men and women of our military encounter coerced and abusive sexual contact, aggravated sexual assault or rape. With unprecedented numbers of deployments and redeployments over the past 10 years, we are seeing the effects in substance abuse treatment needs and increasing suicide rates. Dale K Graham Veterans Foundation has proudly served more than 22,000 clients since 2016. Our clients represent all 77 counties in Oklahoma, 48 states and 4 foreign countries.
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