The Gabber Newspaper | Gulfport Florida

A Marine Gives Back

By Leigh Clifton

Marines are tough, Marines are strong, Marines don’t cry and they never leave a man behind. But what happens when those same Marines return from the horrors of war, the sheer terror of the non-descript rock that turns out to be an IED that blows up half your platoon? How do they come back to a society that really has no clue how much terror that visual can instill in a tough, strong Marine? That loud noises make them jump out of their skin, and loving relationships turn to dust from the strain of civilian life after war?
Javier Centonzio knows. He’s a tough, strong Marine veteran, who, for nine years of his life, gave to his country. When he came home, nothing was the same; nothing would ever be again. He began the negotiating that all veterans must do to get benefits owed to them for help with issues that haunt them.
He decided on Stetson Law School to help others when he realized it couldn’t be done alone. So this past summer, working with Stetson Law Professor Charlie Rose, also a vet, Javier began to volunteer at the Veterans Appellate Rights Clinic Rose started as a solution to the lengthy benefits negotiating process. Another Stetson Law Professor, Jon Tuthill, also a veteran, runs the clinic that helps veterans start the appeals process. The Court of Appeals for Veteran’s Claims or CAVC is the next step in the progression of appeals. The clinic helps get the process started.
“Part of the problem,” Javier said “is that it takes so long for the benefits to be approved by the government. Meanwhile, vets who can’t get into counseling suffer with a myriad of symptoms, ranging from fear of crowds, over reactions to loud noises, migraines, nightmares and paralyzing fear. It affects their lives, their families and their jobs.”
With Javier, it took a year for his benefits to kick in.
“I hope that I can help another vet who’s going through what I went through. For me, it’s a constant struggle, but I am getting better. I want those vets to know there is help out there and people who do really care about what they’re going through.”
It’s an almost certainty that the VA will deny a vet’s claim almost immediately. Then the vet must appeal the decision to the CAVC. That’s where Javier and the Veterans Appellate Rights clinic come in. Located on Stetson’s campus, the clinic has a charter; to help the veteran with their appeals to the CAVC. Although no real legal advice is given, they give the veteran the information and the legal tools to negotiate the system. Javier says that he has learned firsthand and the experiences of other vets how traumatic and degrading it is to try and navigate through an already overburdened system. So he helps all he can. He is in his second year of volunteering at the clinic.
“The problem is that the system is understaffed and over-burdened. Every claim put in is rated subjectively. One person might read a claim of PTSD and evaluate the claim as substantiated, while another may deny it altogether. Two people can look at the same claim and get very different views. If there is a standard, it’s not applied.”
But Javier says that the VA is making efforts, especially for those veterans with PTSD claims because so many of them have returned after seeing major trauma and terror.
Before, the claims process involved having to write one “stressor” factor, detailed events about being in theatre. Also required was “proof” of some sort; a commendation for bravery, proof of injury or medal of commendation. The VA no longer requires this verification.
Javier knows about how PTSD works and that makes him a better counselor and consultant in the clinic.
“I went to law school because I wanted to help people like me who had fought for their country, who came back home and then were forgotten. If I can help one vet get his or her benefits, then I’ve done my job.
He came to Stetson because of the program.
The clinic is open throughout the summer and although Javier gets credits for his volunteering, he plans on working there after, as a volunteer. He has lobbied in Washington, DC, speaking before the Washington Higher Education Secretariat about the value vets bring to the campus and post-secondary education.
He says that so many vets don’t know what benefits are even available to them. The purpose of the clinic is to teach them what they’re entitled to and help them get the help they deserve.
“I encourage anyone who has issues with veteran’s claims to call us or email us. If you know someone who could use our help, send them to us.”
Javier Centonzio has served his country with distinction and honor. He continues that service by helping others who served. In doing so, he heals himself.
And that’s an everyday hero in my book. Semper Fi.
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Veterans Appellate Rights Clinic
727-562-7897 or

email vaclinic@law.stetson.edu
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