Bartlett, who served with the 14th Air Force, 449th Fire Squadron completed 35 missions. He left the Army in 1958 and never pursued any disability benefits until he needed hearing aids three years ago. He went to the Georgia Veterans Service office in Columbus only to be told he didn't qualify.

"I didn't know," Bartlett said. "I figured just like anything else that's how it went."

As he left, a security guard heard his story and suggested he write to his congressman. He did. Bartlett also had to retrieve documents to prove he served in combat.

"They had no record of me being shot down in China," he said. "I had a copy of my flight record and it showed I didn't return. I also had an article from the Ledger-Enquirer when I wrote to my family then."

And Bartlett said a friend who served with him during the war wrote a letter to the government saying that he did serve in combat and that his plane was shot down.

"He was on the same mission I was in," Bartlett said. "He was also shot down."

It took 18 months before Bartlett received his set of hearing aids. He applied for disability in February 2003 and was approved in August 2004. Now, the World War II veteran can also purchase prescription medication at VA discounts.

"I got my hearing aids -- that's all I wanted -- and I'm satisfied with that," he said.

By Angelique Soenarie