European Vacation
Story and photos by Rachel Howell, Austin Texas Veterans Commission
“I can give thanks to the Texas Veterans Commission for what you see here.”
Mr. Byron Tollet is looking out the back window in his home in Robinson, Texas, near Waco, Texas. Though it’s a rainy day Mr. Tollet’s demeanor is anything but dark and cloudy. His voice is filled with warmth and appreciation as he recalls how he was helped by the Texas Veterans Commission in Waco.
“It’s just a blessing. What they did for me is the difference between me living here independently and being in a nursing home. I wish I could convey the feeling I have when I talk about it because it’s truly changed my life.”
Separation turns to Desperation
While serving in the Navy at the end of World War II, Mr. Tollet had shattered his leg and was severely injured. Starting in February of 1946, he was in the hospital for 19 months followed by 14 months of bed rest and recovery. He left the Navy with a medical discharge and 25% service-connected disability rating from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Mr. Tollet decided to put all things Navy and VA behind him and made a life for himself in Texas.
“Things weren’t very pleasant then towards veterans as far as benefits,” Mr. Tollet recalled. “I swore when I left McCloskey [Veterans Administration Center which has since been renamed the Olin E. Teague Veterans Center] in Temple, I’d never go back.”
He opened his own business selling automotive parts and was very successful until large automotive parts retail chains put him out of business. In 2000, Mr. Tollet had run out of options and savings. His businesses were closed, and he was starting to get desperate. His son-in-law, who was a pharmacist for VA in Waco, talked him into going back to VA to file a claim to bump up his disability rating.
He did not start at the Texas Veterans Commission, and the first place he went to wasn’t very helpful. When Tollet brought in his papers, the counselor told him that there wasn’t anything they could do for him. He was becoming despondent and didn’t know what to do.
New Hope
He later ran into one of his friends who encouraged him to try again, this time with the Texas Veterans Commission.
As soon as he walked in, he knew this was a place that cared for veterans. His new counselor took the same paperwork he had taken to the first counselor and started the filing process. Since that day, through a continuous relationship, the Texas Veterans Commission has helped him receive a disability rating of 100%, a large back payment, and a motorized scooter all through VA. He is able to afford his home and a nurse who checks on him daily.
“Texas Veterans Commission from the time I opened the door to the last time I was there, every time I go in I get a warm feeling. It’s more of a family atmosphere.”
Have Joy, Will Travel
Mr. Tollet’s love for traveling began when he started his automotive parts business. One of his suppliers would put 3% of each purchase into a travel fund because he knew that Mr. Tollet would not take a vacation otherwise.
When he began having financial difficulty, traveling was one of the first things he cut out of his budget. Thanks to the Texas Veterans Commission’s commitment to getting him what he deserved, Mr. Tollet is able to again follow his passion for adventure. His scooter is collapsible and breaks down in less than minute. He is also able to bring his daily nurse along with him.
They have traveled all over the world from the beach in Hawaii to the Alps in Germany. In his office he has hung a map of Switzerland so he can plan his next trip to Europe.
“I don’t want to give up, I want to keep living, and the life I have is because of the help I’ve received from the Texas Veterans Commission.”
Byron Tollet at home in his office.
Mr. Tollet’s living room and backyard where he is able to live because of his disability compensation that provides for a nurse to check on him daily.
A pair of Dutch clogs that Mr. Tollet purchased in Holland during one of his travels.
A map of Switzerland hanging in his office that he is using to plan his next adventure.
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