CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A Clarksville veteran was declared dead — not once, but twice — by the federal government, cutting off the disability payments he and his wife depend on to live.
Juan Rodriguez proudly served as part of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment — the Night Stalkers — in the 1990s. He was drawn to the military from an early age, enlisting right out of high school.
"I remember seeing those commercials on TV. You remember the 'Be All You Could Be,' " Rodriguez said.
He became a helicopter mechanic based with the Night Stalkers at Fort Campbell. The youngest in his unit, he says his fellow soldiers raised him. But military service with the elite group also left a lasting mark. A battle with PTSD led to a disability determination in 2022, and the monthly payment became the main source of income for Rodriguez and his wife, Discie.
That income abruptly stopped in January 2026.
"You're not dead," Discie said.
"I'm not dead!" Rodriguez said.
Letters arrived one after another, expressing the government's deepest sympathies. Discie said the correspondence described burial benefits and surviving spouse compensation.
"And then they're telling me how I was gonna get the burial check and the surviving spouse compensation," Discie said.
A letter bearing the signature of President Trump followed.
"The United States of America honors the memory of Juan Rodriguez. This certificate is awarded by a grateful nation in recognition of devoted and selfless consideration to the service of our country in the armed forces of the United States signed by President Trump," Discie said.
With their main source of income gone, the stress mounted.
"I mean, that's a lot of anxiety — it's a lot of sleepless nights. I saw a sharp increase in his depression," Discie said.
Discie launched her own effort to fix the problem, first contacting the Department of Veterans Affairs, which she said could not provide a timeline for resolving the error. She then reached out to elected officials.
"Reached out to the congressman and the state senator and no response. You're the only one," Discie said told me.
In February 2026, I emailed a VA contact in Nashville, and the situation was resolved within days, and Rodriguez's disability payment was restored.
Then, unbelievably, it happened again on May 1, 2026.
"I'm still dead in the system — and then the letters start populating again," said Rodriguez.
A visit to a Social Security Administration office offered a possible explanation for where the bureaucratic breakdown began.
"They said that the gentleman that passed away on 12/25/25's name was Juan Morales Rodriguez. My husband's legal name is Juan Manuel Rodriguez," Discie said.
The social security numbers connected to the two men were not even close, Rodriguez said.
With Rodriguez still listed as deceased on paper, Discie reached out to me again. This time, resolving the error took weeks and required a call to the Department of Veterans Affairs in Washington, D.C.
"You kind of gave us a little bit of hope, because things started moving and people were starting to call us," Discie said.
With May's payment deposited into their account, the couple is hopeful the mistake is behind them. But Rodriguez, who thinks of the military as family, said the experience left him feeling forgotten.
Juan and Discie updated Carrie and said they received June benefits.
But they are speaking out for two reasons: they do not want to go through this again, and they do not want anyone else to experience it.
As of now, they still have not received any assurance that the problem is truly fixed.
Carrie reached out to the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Social Security Administration for answers.
Only the VA responded, writing:
"When VA receives incorrect information affecting benefits, it moves quickly to correct any errors. In this case, VA has resumed Mr. Rodriguez’s benefits payments and will ensure he is issued any retroactive payments he is owed. VA has also notified SSA to ensure they are aware of and can look into this recurring problem."
Carrie will keep you updated if the SSA responds.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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