Delay, Deny, Wait Till I Die: Number of Veterans Who Die Waiting for Benefits Claims Skyrockets

In an article written for the Bay Citizen, 2011 Ochberg fellow Aaron Glantz features the stories of World War II, Vietnam, and Iraq War veterans who died before they began receiving the disability benefits and pensions that they had earned. Glantz’s investigation reveals that in the fiscal year that ended in September, the Department of Veterans Affairs paid $437 million in retroactive benefits to the survivors of nearly 19,500 veterans.

Unfortunately this is one of many difficulties that veterans face when returning home, and one that journalists must be sensitive to. In 2011, the Dart Center hosted a two-day workshop entitled "When Veterans Come Home" to help journalists and news organizations report on veterans knowledgably, ethically and effectively. Audio, tip sheets and other resources from the workshop are housed on our site.