August 5, 2009 - Matt Letterman says he has been trying to get his VA benefits for years. At 45, he's suffered two heart attacks in the past month, can't sleep lying down because of pain, and sometimes has to use a wheelchair, among other health problems. The cause of his multiple symptoms, he says, is Gulf War Illness. A clinical term determined by doctors and Congress to diagnose Gulf War Veterans who have presented with a range of symptoms that are unexplainable.

"I want to secure my family's future in case something happens to me," said Letterman, on Capitol Hill on Thursday.

But the way he got to the Capital, with the will and persistence of a soldier, surprised many Washingtonians.

"I came on a tractor," he said, "it was my only means of transportation...it was not a publicity stunt," Letterman added.

He pulled into Virginia at 3:30 A.M. Wednesday night, to be greeted by fellow Gulf War Veteran Steve Robinson. The two had never met before, but Robinson, so touched by Letterman's story, took him in for the night and to Capitol Hill on Thursday to help get his story out.

Letterman attended a Gulf War Illness research hearing on Capitol Hill on Thursday, and met with a top staffer at Senator Kit Bond's office. By the end of the day he secured most of what he had come for.

He now has a Compensation and Pension Exam scheduled for next week, and has been promised his case and medical records will be transferred to Washington. But Robinson says Letterman is not in good health after making the trip, more than 1000 miles, in a tractor. Letterman says he slept in his tractor and drove 16 hours most days.

While Robinson says both he and Letterman are happy with the progress made Thursday, it does not undo what has happened to him.

Letterman, who might be staying at a residential in-patient Gulf War program known as WRIISC, is waiting for his Service Connection, which he says will cover his medical bills and help to take care of his family.

Ozarks Fox tried to contact the Department on Veterans' Affairs for comment, but they were unavailable. They did, however, respond to Letterman through a letter, which is posted on his blog. Part of the letter, signed by Keith D. Stabler of the Department of Veterans Affairs, reads: "[I want] to assure you that Mr. Letterman's case was reviewed thoroughly, and with a great deal of compassion. There was simply no more favorable resolution possible at that time."

Last fall, Letterman testified at a hearing in the Capitol, and said he felt hopeful when he left, but he says nothing materialized from his trip. "Last fall I left Washington on a promise... but this time I won't leave on a promise. I will leave Washington, D.C. with my service connection," he said.

Ozarks First