Please read the following "professional" email chain. This is what can be so frustrating for many veterans applying for their benefits. Unnecessary walls and barriers for us to climb, masked as stupidity. Please share on any social platform you may use. Reddit, FB, IG, YT, etc. We need to fight for this cause while also understanding real impactful change usually takes longer than expected.
May 27th 2026 Good morning I would like to apologize for your experience thus far in seeking your claims benefits through the department of Veterans Affairs. While we at the state level do not adjudicate the claim we do assist veterans like yourself with claims evidence collection, claim preparation, and submission, as well as assistance through the appeals process if needed. I would like to review your claim file to see if any errors were made at any level during your initial claim process and assist you with any other benefits you may be entitled to. Please send me your contact information along with your claims file number in order for my staff and I to contact you once review has been completed.Respectfully
J. Lee Abersold J.M., USMC Ret.
North Carolina Department of Military and Veterans Affairs
Director of Veteran Services
Veteran Service Officer VA Accreditation Number: 51021
john.abersold@milvets.nc.gov
336-608-7594
May 27th 2026 Good evening Mr. Abersold,
I want to thank you for offering any kind of apology and assistance, it's not common language for most. As requested: Naim Taijo Harvey. Email is my only communication method. claims file number . I look forward to hearing from you or your staff in the near future.
Respectfully,
Naim Harvey
June 1st 2026 Good morning I have reviewed the case file number provided and have found that the NC Department of Military and Veterans affairs does not currently hold a POA for you with the US Department of Veterans Affairs. Unfortunately, without a POA neither I nor any of my staff can review your claims file with the US VA. If you would like for us to assist you further and review your claim file, please contact Ms. Stacey Jones (DMVA accredited VSO and Appeals Specialist). I am including her in this email as well. She can assist you by building your claim profile in our system and sending you the required documents electronically for you to sign. Once this is completed she and I will review you claims file and discuss with you how best to proceed. I look forward to assisting you further. Stacey- Please contact Mr. Harvey to complete the VA form 21-22, establish POA, and review the claim file for next steps.
Respectfully,
J. Lee Abersold J.M., USMC Ret.
June 1st 2026 Good morning Stacey, I am following up from Mr. Abersold's last email to establish you as my POA. I would like to move forward with y'all, once sent, I will sign and send back the required documents as soon as possible. Thank you for your time and assistance.
Respectfully,
Naim Harvey
June 3rd 2026 Good afternoon Stacey, I am following up from Mr. Abersold's last email to establish you as my POA. I would like to move forward with y'all, once sent, I will sign and send back the required documents as soon as possible. Thank you for your time and assistance.
Respectfully,
Naim Harvey
June 3rd 2026 Thank you for reaching out to me. There was no phone number given and I tried and it’s no longer in service. You can give me the number to call, or you can reach me at the number below. I have opened the rest of my afternoon to speak with you.
Stacey Jones
NC Department of Military & Veterans Affairs
Veterans Service Officer
State Service Officer
Federal Building
251 N. Main Street
Winston-Salem, NC 27155
Phone: (336) 251-0667
Fax: (336) 631-5028
E-Mail: Stacey.Jones7@Va.gov
June 3rd 2026 Hello, Unfortunately you are correct, my phone number has not been in service for several months now. I do not have an easy way to call you today, but I am more than happy to communicate over my primary method via email. Please ask, inform, or send anything necessary for us to begin.
Respectfully,
N.H.
Hello Stacy, Believing I have signed the proper documents, please confirm with me if you have received my required signatures.
Respectfully,
N.H.
June 4th 2026
As I understand your communication is only by email. I just sent the POA form, confirm the information is correct. If not, email me the correct information.
Stacey Jones
Good morning Stacey, Yes, everything is correct on those forms. Please send another since the links on those previous emails have expired, thank you.
Respectfully,
N.H.
Sorry, I had to send the document again. My computer froze up and I was having issues. Sign again for me so I can get your account opened.
Stacey Jones
I must apologize for yesterday. My computer decided to breakdown and could not forward my messages until this morning. I have received everything we need for me to look at your case. I see that you are and have the following issues, bilateral pes planus, left shoulder strain, cervical strain, lumbosacral strain, IBS, tinnitus, headaches (all service connected with a rating). You have left foot fracture repair, bilateral dry eye syndrome, and left food scar (Service connected with no rating). How can I help?
Stacey Jones
Hello Stacy,
I need help with correcting the situation involving how my mental health was initially filled, documented, adjudicated, and the continuous pursuit of said claims'.
I initially claimed "Insomnia, PTSD, Depression, and Anxiety"
I am now claiming "PTSD and MDD"
I have continuously pursued a proper rating for my mental health impacts/impairments caused by/severity increased due to my time in the military.
I expect to have an outcome resulting in a backpay dated rating for PTSD and MDD to September 2023. Meaning the proper adjudication of my claims' for mental health.
We can achieve this expected outcome by any means you deem most appropriate for immediate action.
I ask you to please take me seriously and do your best to ensure this veteran is being taken care of, and that no further stress is incurred during this process.
Respectfully, N.H.
Please confirm you received this message. Thanks.
Stacey Jones
Good morning Mr. Abersold,
Please honor your extension by providing me with a more "seasoned" VSO. To ensure my sensitive case is handled with the utmost care and consideration.
Perhaps someone not working from home, or that doesn't carry such a great amount of technical difficulties.
Stacey has reported to me 4x that they have had "some sort" of difficulty assisting me in a timely and accurate manner.
Hello Stacey, I understand.
Respectfully, N.H.
Good morning Mr. Harvey. I understand your frustration with the recent technical issues. As I understand the situation the issues were with the state operating software and not the user. I can ensure you that Stacey is one of our best VSO’s and has extensive training and experience with claims appeals. She works out of the appeals office and is not authorized to work from home nor does she have the capability to work from home as that office is not issued laptops. It is my understanding that the POA has been completed and filed despite the technical problems. Once the Federal VA processes the POA we will be able to begin reviewing your case file and discuss how to proceed at that time. I do ask for your patience during this process as all our VSO’s carry a heavy case load and have to prioritize those with upcoming appeal hearings. Stacy will continue to keep you and I advised of the process at each phase. Please contact me at my state email (listed below) as I do not have access to my VA email as I travel to various locations across the state. I look forward to assisting you and ensuring that you receive all the benefits that you are entitled to. Respectfully, J. Lee Abersold J.
Mr. Harvey, are you ok with me proceeding with your issues:
Hello, Stacey,
Are you okay with proceeding with my case?
This does not bother me at all.
I can wait as long as it takes for you to do your job to the best of your ability.
All the truth and facts are plainly laid out in my favor for proper adjudication.
Respectfully, N.H.
June 5th 2026 First, see attached the “Your Right to Seek Review of Our Decision”, this is included in all decision paperwork sent out by the VA. It explains the supplemental claim, higher-level review, and the board of appeals. For an example, if you file a claim for anxiety and was denied, then our next step would be to make sure we have the following elements to show evidence to support your claim which are 1) current diagnosis, 2)documented event in service, and 3) a l ink between the Two (1 & 2) which is the opinion of your doctor on your anxiety issues (called a Nexus).
I see in the file where you have requested a High-level review which means they will review ONLY the information you have brought forward and if there’s no new evidence then there’s no way to review any information. We must show NEW evidence that your anxiety is tied to your military career, the nexus letter will do this. This is where you are getting frustrated by filling out paperwork that has no NEW evidence.
Secondly, you stated you wanted to correct your mental health condition. It looks like you filed a claim for anxiety, schizophrenia, PTSD, and depression which are all in the mental health category. If you have a PRIVATE doctor, I suggest making an appointment to talk with them and tell them what you have been going through and how this is linked by the military and ask that doctor if he could write up a nexus letter for you (see the sample attached).
If you could get this nexus letter and get it to me, I can then get it to the VA. Please be patient with the process and keep me in the loop with the nexus letter. Let’s tackle a little bit at a time.
Let me know what you think. Have a wonderful weekend. Stacy Jones
Good afternoon Stacey, As stated in previous email chains, I am seeking presumptive service connection for PTSD and MDD. My Fully Developed Claim was submitted on September 14th 2023 with the assistance of VSO Brenetta Washington. Attached are links for all further mentioned clear facts and evidence. Indicated on Section V: Claim Information, under Current Disabilities line 11 " DEPRESSION/INSOMNIA/ANXIETY/PTSD". Requested Claim to be Filed: HLR for PTSD and MDD based on Difference of Opinion DOO, using Private Medical Opinion received April 6th 2026 Element 1: Current diagnosis of PTSD and MDD as of April 2, 2026 by LCSM Jennifer Becker. Element 2: Documented event of the death of a service member, while I was stationed in the same zone. Documented global news event of Evacuation of American Troops out of the Middle East. Documented event of Equal Opportunity Formal Complaint filled in service. Documented event of speaking to Chaplain in service. Element 3: Presumptive-; additionally Private Medical Opinion received April 6, 2026. I have also added in clear facts and evidence that has already been decided in my favor to include but not limited to:
Statement in Support of Claim for Service Connection for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder received September 15th 2023
Personal Statement received February 20th 2024
Buddy letter from Service Member dated November 17th 2024
Not attached - I have previously scanned at FedEx and submitted to the Winston Salem Regional Office in person with Satchel Graves multiple copies of the Private Medical Opinion received April 6th 2026. I am fully willing and able to produce those documents again if your still unable to complete anything alone. I suggest we end the charade and get started working on my backpay ASAP. Respectfully, N.H.
Google "Improve Economic Inequality and Healthcare For Service Members" or visit Change.org/SupportTheTroops This is the same platform that demands justice for Vanessa Guillen and helped get UPS drivers AC. The Petition I created on May 18th serves to not only help service members, but also retirees, veterans, spouses, and their families. Help advocate for the veteran community, no more homelessness, no more delays, lower barriers of entry. We need better healthcare, better service, and better claims' adjudication. Veterans never want to ask for handouts, we want to take care of ourselves. Signing up on my Petition can get us to that goal of self sufficiency quicker and more efficiently than anything else. #OneTeamOneFight #SupportTheTroops #MarineVeteran #VeteranBenefits #EconomicJustice #HealthandWellbeing