Help Howard Chance, A US Navy Veteran

I joined the US Navy on my 18th Birthday in 1986, I figured I would follow in my father's footsteps. My father also served in the Navy during World War II and met my mother while in France. I was just like so many others, excited and honored to serve my country.

About two years in while I was deployed I had to assist in putting out a fire in the engine room, I was the number 2 hose man, and my job was to keep the flame and smoke of the number one nozzleman while he was fighting the fire. During the fire, some of the diamond deck platings melted off overhead in the walkway and fell on me. The falling plating injured the left shoulder, hip, and leg. In the end this was what ultimately ended my time in the US Navy.

Because of where this happened, how it happened, and that the mission still hasn't been unsealed and is considered classified. I spent the next 24 years being stonewalled, with no ability to get the proper treatment, even though my discharge what Honorable (medical).

During this period I continued to get worse and worse and finally lost the ability to hold down a decent job. That is when I contacted a group called Common Link to try and figure out what my options were. They help veterans with all kinds of things and in my case it was find some lawyers to take my case.

I was excited, I might finally have the medical benefits that I need to get healed up and my life back on track. But that wasn't the case, for the next 7 years I would hear from them every 6 months and they would tell me to hold on they are still looking. During the 7th year, they contacted me and said they found everything, everything about the mission, my deal, what happened to me, and they got me all the paperwork and told me to take it to the VA. And just like that, I got my benefits and the VA opened up for me.

I got my surgery scheduled and was feeling great that this was exactly what was needed, in the end, it was what finally crippled me all the way. The day I walked into the VA on the morning of the surgery and I have not walked more than 20ft at a time after the surgery. I now live in pain every day and am bedridden 99% of the time.

For the last 30 years, I've been living in the house of another vet who just recently passed away, leaving me in charge of the estate. The state has decided to not probate the will and the state is now forcing the sale of the property in order to pay for the cost of taking care of the veteran's son who is physically and mentally challenged.

This leaves me on the street, the VA will not own what they did and help supply housing or assistance. Which leaves me having to ask the world to help me figure this out.

I am proud that I served, and would not change anything that happened, but now I need help, if you can please donate any amount it will help me get into housing, put a roof over my head, and provide me a safe place to live out my days.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story and I wish you well.