Duluth Veteran Receives $177, 186 In Retroactive Disability Benefits

As we approach Veterans Day this Wednesday, there is good news for a Duluth man who is battling cancer as a result of his service during the Vietnam War.

The unidentified man was denied his disability claim when first filed five years ago.  At the time the government claimed there was a lack of proof of his service. Earlier this year, St. Louis County Veterans Service Officer Wayne Suliin re-opened the claim on the man's behalf. Utilizing an Air Force commendation medal summary, he was able to build a case,  Veterans Affairs reviewed the case and agreed, declaring the man 100 percent disabled as a result of his cancer, and sent him the retroactive check.

The St. Louis County Commissioners will recognize Suliin at their meeting in Duluth tomorrow at 9:30 AM.

This is the second large retroactive check issued in the last two years to a Vietnam veteran in the area thanks to the work of the St. Louis County Veterans Service Office. In 2013, the VA issued a check for more than $300,000 to a veteran in the northern part of the County who'd been previously wrongly denied benefits.