Lettie Irons Connell, a behind the scenes warrior

Not all military heroes served on the front lines. One such who has served in the background is Lettie Irons Connell, Standing Rock Sioux. Connell, seventy-five is Lakota Sioux, of the Hunkpapa band from Standing Rock North Dakota. Her family, the Waggoner/Irons lived at Fort Yates on a ranch, horse people.  Her great great grandmothers Itatawin’s brother was in the Battle of the Little Big Horn.  Veterans run in her blood.   

Though she has not served in the American military forces, Lettie has worked behind the scenes for decades, a Veterans Service Officer (VSO) helping Veterans gain the full benefits to which they are entitled.  She has been recognized by the National American Legion for her work.

Though she grew up off the reservation, she has relatives there. Her sister, Victoria, raised and living on a Reservation taught her traditional ways. 

Lettie’s’ family were in the military: her father WWII Europe, Uncle WWII Pacific, Brother Vietnam and her Husband and brothers were in Korea and Vietnam.

She became a Police Officer in Los Angelos area, during the Vietnam era, one of the first women to do that and was promoted to a supervisory role, a first at that time. “Met a lot of bad actors there,” she tersely noted.

Hearing the stories or the non-stories of war always interested her. ‘I say non-stories because the WWII veterans did not talk about what happened to them, they were the silent ones. Dad was a Sgt. and platoon leader, he would have bad dreams, his knees would hurt so bad, from being frozen in the fox holes, during the winter Battle of the Bulge and the Liberation of France.” she commented.

In 1971 her Dad had a stroke from drinking. Only then did the VA finally help him file for benefits, his knees, and shell shock which they then called PTSD.

“That is when I became interested in trying to help Veterans, going to the VA hospital to visit Dad and see guys coming back from Vietnam on stretchers. One young man out in the hall had lost his legs, laying on his stomach on the stretcher, yelling for someone to help him, I rolled him where he needed to go for his meds, then went to see my Dad who had messed his bed. No one was around. That did it!

I got on the phone, talked to the authorities, and got my Dad brought home with some nursing care. I was told they just did not have enough nurses and doctors. To this day they still say they do not have enough help. I said you do not treat a human being like this, and damn sure not a war veteran.”

 In 2000 the Connells retired, moving to Arizona, behind the American Legion. Her husband Robert G. Connell joined, and she the Auxiliary. Anyone can join the Auxiliary if they have a family member who was in the Service and have a copy of their Honorable Discharge (DD214).

She volunteered as Post Service Officer, eventually becoming President of the American Legion Auxiliary. That group raised funds for Vets and their families; honored the Gold Star Mothers (one wo has lost a Son or Daughter in War); Blue Star Flags were given to families who had a family member serving in the military, displaying the flag until they returned. They stood in public places passing out Poppy’s on Memorial Day weekend for donations, all donations going back to disabled Vets who had made them.

Then, she joined the American Legion Riders motorcycle group, Rolling Thunder.  They held events at the VA Hospitals for those housed for varied reasons, health, mental, homeless. The Riders also raised funds, from rides across the country and other events were held for a Scholarship Fund to benefit children of military personnel killed in the line of duty.  Through the years they raised millions.

She is also a member of the Prescott Inter tribal Warrior Society, working for Veterans, especially those who need immediate help. 

They presented the Warrior Medal of Valor to over 10,000 Veterans.  This medal was first presented and made by Marshall Tall Eagle and approved by the Congress of American Indians to be presented to all Veterans on behalf of all Indian Nations to thank them for their service to this Country. 

“As part of that effort, in 2016 I was honored to meet with Clara Caufield, Northern Cheyenne, Winfield Russell Vice-President of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe and Senator Ben Night Horse Campbell at the Annual Battle of the Little Bighorn Event. There we presented thirty-five medals to members of the Cheyenne and Sioux Nations.

I wound up primarily helping my Native Brothers and Sisters.  They were fine with that, as most Indians just do not ask outsiders for help.”

She learned the forms needed, how they went through the VA system, appeals process and so on. 

She has worked with Navajo, Hopi, Zuni, Sioux, Cheyenne, Apache, Pueblo, Cherokee, Choctaw and so many more.  A lot of claims can be completed by computer if the Vet has such access.  In AZ, the Yavapai/Apache are in her hometown, thus she collaborates with them quite often.

Connell worked as a VSO, under the American Legion for a little over 19 years.  She went independent in 2015, passing rigorous exams from the
VA, in Washington DC, to become an Accredited Service Officer/Claims Agent.

The VA only accepts such agents, attorneys, or a Service Officer under the umbrella of a Service Organization to advocate for a Veteran.

Being accredited gives access to the full records of the Veterans who agree for her to represent them with the VA.  Once she gathers the information of what happened to them in the military to cause a disability or if they come under the Presumptive of the Wars, she goes into the system and go through their records with a fine-tooth comb, sometimes finding things that the Veteran had forgotten.  After discussing this with the Veteran, she files necessary forms.  Then the VA sets up exams, and rating.  It usually takes around 90 days for the first rating, but often longer.

Over the past eight years Connell has worked with over 2,000 veterans, obtaining   good outcomes for most.  Intent upon retirement, she is now training a young lady Navy Veteran, to become accredited.

 “I try to make sure they are taken care of medically, mentally, physically and get the benefits due them.  This has been life changing to many, no matter how much they receive.  As a note, I have always done this as a Volunteer, their thanks are my reward.”

One of her recent successes involves David Blair Morgan, of Sheridan, Wyoming, a homeless Veteran who commented, “I could not have done it without her. It is so complicated. I would have given up.  Yet, Miss Lettie, whom I consider my angel, tripled my benefits, game changer for me. Forty years after Vietnam.”

Lettie concluded: If you are an advocate for a Veteran, family member or friend, please contact the Veteran Advocate at your local VA Regional Office. 

(Contact Clara Caufield at acheyennevoice@gmail.com)

 

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