My father, Bennett Howard Beverly, lost his battle with ALS on July 18th, 1992. It was also July 18th, 17 years later when my wife was reading a letter written to "Dear Abby". The purpose of this letter was to alert all veterans of a recent VA ruling. "On Sept. 23, 2008, Lou Gehrig's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, was made a presumptive condition for all veterans who served in our armed forces for at least 90 days." This means that the widows of those veterans who died of ALS in years past are eligible for the VA widows' monthly benefit. This has helped my mother and I hope others.