From Breakdown to Breakthrough
How one veteran’s breakdown sparked a 28-year mission to help others survive the VA system.”
The other veterans at the VA hospital used to ask,
“How you doing?”
I’d say,
“Ducky.”
Cool and calm on the surface.
Paddling like hell underneath.
Turns out, we were all ducky.
Coming Home with More Than I Left With
I came home from the Navy in 1990 after eight years of service—carrying more than I left with.
Some of it was visible. Most of it wasn’t.
PTSD. Major depression. Chronic pain.
Insomnia so bad, night after night, I’d do anything just to keep my brain from eating itself alive.
I wasn’t living—I was white-knuckling my way through.
Some days, just brushing my teeth felt like a win.
So, I worked.
Whatever I could find.
For whatever money I could scrape together.
I needed to eat.
I needed to quiet the thoughts screaming at me to give up.
Working meant surviving.
Anything to keep my mind busy enough to stay here.
The VA System: A Jungle Without a Map
Back then, trying to deal with the VA was like being dropped into a jungle with no map, no compass, and no backup.
I was broke. I was angry. I was alone.
The forms didn’t make sense.
The decisions felt random.
Nobody explained a damn thing.
I didn’t have much.
Skipped meals.
Stuffed envelopes in Veterans Compensated Work Therapy.
Counted pennies.
But I had one thing:
A dial-up internet connection.
And an idea.
The Birth of HadIt.com Veterans
I started working on what would become HadIt.com in 1995 or 1996—trying to make sense of the system and not lose my mind doing it.
Then came the moment.
January 1997.
I’d already been on hold with the VA twice—over an hour each time. Both times I got disconnected.
The second time, I slammed down the phone and yelled:
“I’ve had it!”
And just like that, I knew what to call the site.
HadIt.com.
At first, it was just a few bare-bones pages and a forum.
Nothing fancy.
But it gave me something I hadn’t felt in a long time: purpose.
And it gave other veterans something they hadn’t felt in a long time: a place.
We weren’t lawyers or experts.
We were veterans helping veterans—
teaching each other how to survive the very system that was supposed to help us.
I knew what it felt like to open a VA denial letter with shaking hands.
To see “not service connected” next to a condition that was ruining your life.
To fight for every damn percentage point.
To chase every overlooked word in a C&P exam.
And the community?
We filled in the rest.
No fluff. No gatekeeping. Just help.
Still Here. Still Fighting.
Twenty-eight years later, HadIt.com has helped tens of thousands of veterans.
It hasn’t been easy.
My body’s worn down.
My shoulders are shot.
But the mission?
Still here.
Still strong.
The Quiet Fight Begins
Now I’m expanding that mission with this newsletter: Tbird’s Quiet Fight.
It’s where I’ll keep showing up—just like you do.
Here’s what you’ll find:
Plainspoken breakdowns of VA policy, law, and how it affects real people
Personal reflections on life with a disability, and what the fight for benefits really feels like
Essays on survival, trauma, resilience, and why we keep going
Civic Fallout: how national policy quietly hits home for veterans and working Americans
For in-depth guides on VA disability claims, SMC levels, and how to build your case—
that’s what HadIt.com Veterans is for.
No Promises. Just Truth.
I’m not promising a post every week.
I’ll write when I can. I’ll rest when I must.
But you’ll always get the truth from me.
No bull. No fluff. No hype.
If you’re new here—welcome.
If you’ve been with me since the early HadIt.com Veterans days—thank you.
Either way—
You’re not alone.
The fight may be quiet.
But it’s never been weak.
—Tbird
💬 Want more?
Subscribe to Tbird’s Quiet Fight and never face the system alone.
Got VA claims questions? Visit HadIt.com
Want to talk to other veterans? Join the forum at Community.HadIt.com
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