After 31 years of service with Southern Bell / AT&T, I retired on 30Jun98. My career began as a telephone installer in North Miami/Opa Locka/Hialeah, Florida. I moved into business sales in Oct. 1969, sales management in May 1972, and then to Southern Bell HQ in Atlanta, GA in June 1978 as a Market Mgr. for State & Local Government. Transfered to AT&T HQ handling Strategic Opportunities & Pricing for the State & Local Government Markets. In 1994 I transferred to Washington, DC as the National Director for State, Local, Tribal & U. S. Territorial Governments, and in 1996 promoted to Division Mgr. of Market Sensing & Planning - Government Markets. After retirement I opened my own business consulting company in Atlanta...The DI Nicholson Group, Inc. Specialized in business plan & market plan development, sales channel effectiveness, business function analysis. Retired again in 2002. �I now spend my time trading stocks & options.
In October 2009 I was diagnoised with renal cell (kidney) cancer. With no prior family history of cancer I filed for VA disabilty due to exposure to the herbicide, Agent Orange along with other hang-nail injuries incurred while in service. I now began an 11 year trek through the DVA's claim and appeal process.
In early 2010 I was awarded an 80% disabled rating for my numerous other injuries, but denied my portion of the claim for the exposure to Agent Orange as renal cell cancer was not one of the 11 pre-determined diabilities credited to Agent Orange exposure.
As of 7/11/2017 my 8+ year VA appeal case resulted in me being assigned a 91% disablility rating which now includes a 60% rating for the loss of my right kidney. My VA appeal claim, filed in October 2009, for Renal Cell Carcinoma, secondary to herbicide (Agent Orange) exposure while serving in Vietnam was approved for the Contaminated Water Supply at Camp Lejeune as the causative factor for Kidney Cancer and not Agent Orange, My attorney filed another appeal.
As of 5/1/2018 my disability rating was finally approved at 100% P&T. I can't believe that I lived to see it, 8 years and 7 months of fighting with the VA.
As of 8/1/2018 Veteran's Law Judge, Paul Sorisio, Federal Board of Veteran's Apeals signed the Docket that favored the Board's ruling which determined "that the competent and probative evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's renal cell carcinoma, to include residuals, is due to in-service herbicide agent exposure"; thus, ending my fight that my renal cell cancer was a result of my exposure to the herbicide Agent Orange and not the Contaminated Water Supply at Camp Lejeune. That now provides for a retroactive increase in my benefits back to the filing date in 2009. Oooh Rah! Only one more phase of my appeal is remaining on the table.... the retroactive payment for "Unemployability" from Oct. 2009 to May 2018.
Finally, DVA Order dated 7/23/2020: Entitlement to a total disability rating based upon unemployability (TDIU) is granted Accordingly, and resolving all doubt in the Veteran's favor, the Board finds that entitlement to a TDIU is warranted. Oooh Rah! This now covers the period from Oct. 2009 to May 2018 when my disability rating was increased from 90% to 100% and the payment of past-due benefits of over $100,000.00. For all of you veterans that are working through the disability claim process I strongly recommend the services of the law firm Chisholm, Chisholm & Kilpatrick, LTD in Providence, RI.
Â
Other Comments:
Besides practicing getting old I have been spending the last several years trading stocks & options on-line. I'm trying to keep in shape & healthy at the gym while spending some time taking cruises and other international travel. For local entertainment, I completely restored my 1982 Corvette (Gold), chromed the entire engine, and now take it to local car shows on the weekends. I also have a 1993 40th Anniversary Corvette and a 2011 Corvette Grand Sport (Supersonic Blue). I still live in the Greater Atlanta area.� Children: Daughter - born 1965 Son - born 1973, Stepson - born 1974, and two grandchildren - born to son & wife.. Grandchildren: Maddox & Cassidy Rose Nicholson.
