Since its founding in 1997, HadIt.com has stood as a lighthouse for veterans trying to navigate the overwhelming world of VA disability claims. Long before social media groups, lawyer ads, or AI-driven legal guides, HadIt.com was already there — offering information, encouragement, and the one thing every veteran needs: community.
What started as one small website is now a powerhouse of collective wisdom, resilience, and hope — a community serving over 26,000+ registered members and having welcomed more than 43 million visitors over nearly three decades.
This is the story of how HadIt.com changed the landscape for veterans — and why it still matters today.
A One-Woman Mission with a Heart for Her Fellow Veterans
HadIt.com is the product of a mission, a calling — and one woman’s stubborn, unbreakable dedication.
Since its founding, HadIt.com has been created, nurtured, and almost entirely run by Theresa “Tbird” Aldrich, a Navy veteran who knows firsthand the loneliness, frustration, and confusion of battling the VA system.
Frustrated by her own experience, and determined that no veteran should have to “go it alone,” Theresa built HadIt.com by hand — teaching herself web development, research, writing, graphics, editing, and community management.
While a small group of volunteer moderators supports the forums, it’s Theresa who has carried the full operational and creative load for almost 30 years — often without recognition, certainly without financial gain.
Veterans who found HadIt late at night, desperate for answers, often say it not only helped them win their claims — it saved their hope.
“Leave no one behind — not on a desert trail, not on a jungle trail, and definitely not on a paper trail.”
That spirit echoes in every corner of HadIt.com — and it continues to guide new generations of veterans today.
Pioneering Firsts Started by HadIt.com
Over the years, HadIt.com achieved multiple "firsts" that helped redefine how veterans get support and fight for their benefits — long before the systems we take for granted today even existed.
-
1997: First Peer-to-Peer Veteran Disability Claims Forum
HadIt.com became one of the first spaces where veterans could talk to each other, share advice, and access real-world help outside traditional channels. -
Early 2000s: First Community to Teach DIY Claims Advocacy
Rather than just offering sympathy, HadIt taught veterans how to navigate and fight VA claims themselves — empowering them with knowledge. -
Early 2000s: First Public Analysis of VA Precedent Cases
HadIt members openly discussed and explained BVA and CAVC rulings, helping veterans become informed advocates for their cases. -
Mid-2010s: Among the First Veteran Disability Claims Podcasts
HadIt launched its Veteran to Veteran podcast, offering hard-earned wisdom, live discussions, and expert interviews to a growing audience. -
Throughout: First Strictly Non-Political Veteran Forum
HadIt enforced a "no politics" policy early, ensuring focus stayed where it mattered — on helping each other through the VA system.
The Need Was (and Is) Real
When HadIt.com launched, VA disability claims were an opaque, confusing, and frustrating process. Many veterans didn’t even know all the benefits they had earned, let alone how to claim them.
HadIt.com broke that silence. It connected veterans across the country. It showed that no matter how complex the system seemed, veterans helping veterans could light the way through it.
And it’s still doing that — every single day.
HadIt.com Timeline: 28 Years of Firsts and Milestones
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1997 | HadIt.com launches as the first peer-driven VA claims forum |
| 2000 | DIY claims advocacy culture expands through community sharing |
| 2005 | Public discussions of BVA and CAVC rulings begin |
| 2010 | Over 6,000 members; database of shared claims experiences grows |
| 2016 | Veteran to Veteran podcast launches |
| 2020 | HadIt.com surpasses 43 million visitors |
| 2025 | HadIt.com celebrates 28 years with 26,000+ members |
HadIt Today: Stronger Than Ever
HadIt.com isn’t just surviving — it’s thriving. The forums are active. The archives are deeper than ever. New veterans join daily, searching for what those before them found: real help, real answers, real camaraderie.
HadIt remains fiercely independent:
- No fees
- No politics
- No outside interference
It exists because one veteran decided that no one should have to fight alone — and because thousands of others picked up that mission and carried it forward.
Join the Legacy
🎖️ Are you a veteran starting your VA claim journey?
🎖️ Are you deep in the claims maze and need real answers?
🎖️ Have you won your battle and want to help others win theirs?
👉 Visit HadIt.com
👉 Join the Forums
👉 Share your story. Support your brothers and sisters. Carry the torch forward.
HadIt.com: 28 years strong. 26,000+ strong. And still leaving no one behind.
