My grandfather, Harold Crampton, served for nearly a decade as an electrician in the Navy during the Korean War. My father, Richard Crampton, served for over 21 years as a combat engineer in the airborne infantry, Hell on Wheels! He deployed on multiple combat tours during the Gulf War to Kuwait. I was born at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, my younger sister was born at Fort Cavazos, formerly Fort Hood. My mother served seven years as an Army Nurse. Many other family members, including great uncles, uncles, and my brother have served in different branches over the years. We have two family members interred in Arlington National Cemetery.
I witnessed firsthand the fight my father had with the VA as a combat veteran of The Gulf War. We have seen the misappropriation of funds and mistreatment of veterans first hand as a family. My father passed away October of 2022 from misdiagnosed and untreated Non-Alcoholic liver and kidney failure due to chemical exposure during The Gulf War.
His unit was exposed to chemicals and wartime gasses through both friendly fire and training, experienced multiple broken bones during airborne operations, hearing loss, and experienced severe Post Traumatic Stress symptoms, then was denied disability after retiring. He retired in the mid 1990s, and by 2022 had still only received a rating of 60% disability. With the new passing of the PACT act, he was eligible for increased disability but passed away three weeks before his VA appointment to go through the process for the increased rating.
My father was hospitalized many times over the last few years of his life for the same symptoms, where he received minimal treatment then was discharged home every time. Had he received the proper care and acknowledgment of symptoms from the VA, and adequate testing, they would have discovered the Cirrhosis before he reached Stage 4 of the disease and given him more options to extend his life and curtail his extreme suffering.
In honor of my father, I am continuing his fight with the gifts and methods God has given me. My partner, Will, and myself have come together to provide as many services as we can to bridge the gap between VA healthcare and what our service members, both retired and active duty, deserve. Mark my words: “Funneling huge salaries to corporate executives instead of providing decent healthcare and services to veterans is embezzlement and fraud.”
I pray you as a veteran get help and assistance from our programs
