Learn about the founder and mission behind Veteran Benefits Hub
My name is David Pray. I am the founder and creator of vetbenefitshub.org, a Marine Corps combat veteran and rated 100% P&T by the VA. My reason for creating this site was to provide a service all veterans can have access to that would help in their journey through the disability process and be able to access all of the benefits due them because of their service.
I left for boot camp in February 2002 and graduated in May 2002. I then went through Infantry School. After that graduation I attended Security Forces School in Chesapeake, VA and was then sent to my first duty station at Marine Corps Security Force Company Kings Bay, GA.
I spent 2 years there learning every post in the areas we worked. This is only a 2-year duty station, so after the 2 years, I was sent to 1st Battalion 5th Marines on Camp Pendleton, CA in October 2004.
Because of the security background in security, I was put in charge of forming the battalion commanders Personal Security Detail (PSD) platoon. The Battalion Commander who then was Lt. Colonel Eric M. Smith is now the 39th Commandant of the Marine Corps.
In 1/5 we were preparing to deploy to Iraq and were subsequently deployed to Ar Ramadi, Iraq from February through September 2005. Even though I was on the battalion commander's security detail, our platoon still conducted over 450 combat missions in those 6 months. Over ¼ of our battalion received purple hearts.
During that time I was also recalled and I spent 2 years in 2nd Battalion 24th Marines infantry reserve unit in Milwaukee, WI.
After returning from deployment, I decided to use my G.I. Bill and attend college. The PSD platoon was disbanded after the deployment, so I was able to get out of active duty 2 months early to start attend college in January of 2006.
I spent a total of 9 years in college and used up my G.I. Bill, Vocational Rehabilitation 2 times. The second time I was able to use Voc Rehab, I was 100% P&T and was not able to stay at my physical job or get a job in the field of my previous degrees.
My disability journey began as soon as I could get an appointment with a service office after leaving active duty. By the grace of God, I was able to find a VFW Navy veteran Service Officer that knew what he was doing. Every time I went to him to submit a claim, it was 4 months until I received my new rating and back pay.
One thing I tell everyone to look for in a VSO is someone that will ask you questions to clarify what you are looking to do and what is going on. They should also be filling out the forms they need to while you are talking with them. They are there to help you in submitting the paperwork the correct way, with the correct wording and filled out properly.
Other than my initial claim which was tinnitus/hearing loss and right knee ACL tear, I didn't actively go looking for claims to submit. I eventually had a great P/A at my local VA hospital. I would come to an appointment and complain about a certain issue and she would say something like, "that sounds like it could have been caused by … during your time in the service." I would then make sure she put that in her notes and then submit a claim after that.
After 15 years, in February 2020, I finally made it to 100% P&T.
During that time, and still to this day, I spent countless hours researching disability claims benefits and everything else that comes along with it. I would also try to help any veteran I knew or met with advice on submitting claims or anything else they might need help with. I wanted to make sure everyone would get what they were promised by the American government.
I want to give veterans a place to begin in their disability and benefit journey that will be a place they can count on to provide as much information in one place as possible. I know I can't have every resource on one site, but I will do my best to do that. I don't want any veteran to spend countless hours scouring the internet, asking people how to do this, that or the next thing, or just plain not knowing where to start or what direction to go after starting their disability/benefit journey.
Some of the resources that I have listed (YouTube channels) and other sites, I have personally found very informative and helpful. I do not have any affiliation with any of them, but I do recommend them to people I talk to.
I hope this will help you in your journey.
God Bless,
David Pray