Help On Intrepreting Marine Vets Dd 214

[jessejames]

I knew a Marine Vietnam vet for probably 10-12 years, he and I were not close but I helped him file some disability claims and I had never seen his DD 214. I could not stand to be around him very long or for that matter ANYONE who BRAGS of all their Medals etc from Nam. He bragged constantly about his "Recon" duty in Nam, said he received 2 Purple Hearts, Silver Star amd other Medals, I always felt uncomfortable and felt he was doing a lot of exaggerating. His funeral was on May 28, 2007 and I attended.....the Preacher explained how he was a "Hero" serving not one but two tours in Vietnam and receiving two Purple Hearts. Anyway, his wife asked me to help in filing for the VA Life Insurance and Burial Benefits etc. I have his DD 214. It shows a total of 18 months active service with 12 months in Vietnam ending 11/24/1970..... so it was nowhere near the end of war. DD 214 shows NO Purple Hearts! It shows National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Marksman Rifle Badge, Vietnam Campaign Medal w/Device, Combat Action Ribbon.

My questions are:

1. Is the Marine Combat Action Ribbon the same as an Army Combat Infantryman's Badge?

2. After 18 months, he was transferred to Marine Corps Reserve with reason given in line 11. © MCO 1900.2F & MCBul 1910 of 8 June 70 21G CofG Par 6012.1a Marcorsepman

3. Under Line 23a (Speciality Number & Title 0311 Rifleman )

4. Line 13a Character of Service (Honorable) b. Type of Certificate Issued (N/A)

5. Line 15 Reenlistment Code (RE-1B)

Does anyone know what these mean?? I thought active Marine service was 3 years and Nam tour of duty was 13 months???

This DD 214 has a Seal stamped on it and came to him as a result of his request for Discharge Certificate DD 214 from Navy Reference Branch of the National Personnel Records Center, so I assume this is ALL they had on him.

[Berta]

My husband volunteered to join the Corps-at 17 years of age- he needed something from his parents to join-

He was I Corps 65-66-

you are right- the DD 149 correction form is right at the VA werb site and I have attached it here many times-

Any vet who feels their DD 214 is wrong should send it in.

Rod thought his was right but he heard they got the PUC after he came back to Quantico-

about30 years later a rep told him to send the DD 149 in-

he was surprised at what had been missing on the original one and also to find out what the PUC really was for-

He blamed himself- he said the Marines being mustered out in 1968 were all herded into a big room at LeJeune and told to fill out forms which would be used for the DD 214s. He could not remember everything to list and they all just wanted to dee dee out of there anyhow-

My daughter remembering all this made sure that her DD 214 clearly showed everything it could.

Being classified it doesnt have all info but all that should be on it.

I think they stress this as well as getting your SMRs before you leave the mil these days-

in the transition briefings.

[recruiterrick]

2 examples, berta's husband and I. we both had incomplete dd214's upon seperation.

this is a veterans widow needing help

[jessejames]

1. I AM helping the vet's widow, but she calls me twice a day.....she won't listen to me, ie the VAMC denied transfer to the VAMC from the Nursing Home when he was critical and dying---they told the Nursing Home to take him to a local Medical Center where he was never stabilyzed and died. I told her the VA was reponsible for payment for the ambulance and the private Hospital bill and I told her NOT to pay the Bills, but she goes and makes a deal with the private hospital to pay the bills herself if they gave her a 10% discount. She don't understand the bills will probably take nearly all the $30K Life Insurance. I am 100% PTSD with 70% other including a chronic severe back pain from a Booby Trap in Nam, I had said I was NOT going to do any more VA Claims because of the severe stress it causes me, but she had no one else to turn to. I have already got her $30K VA Life Insurance in the Bank, helped her file the Burial Benefit Claim, and one other Life Policy.

2. I don't like being lied to, ie TWO Tours of Duty in Nam with only 1 year foreign serrvice and total 18 moths active duty.

3. I don't like wasting my time and the stress this puts me under, as I said when I sw the DD 214 with the active service NOT matching what I was told, then I thought about the claim for DIC based on what she said he said, ie 100% PTSD since 1992....it makes me want to check this out too before filing the claim since she has NOT furnished an Award Letter.

That's my whole complaint, I'm straighforward and don't appreciate those who aren't!!!!!!!!!!

[Berta]

Jesse-I got burned out so many times by situations like this- I never give out my phone number or even my email addy if I can avoid that too-

She needs to spend the time of a paid service officer and not waste your precious time-

then again maybe she was told one story but the reality of this vets service was something else-

The last widow I helped -a local widow-

I knew her husband very well -we were both in the same fire department-

We talked about the Nam many many times-(PTSD and other disabilities)

The widow thought he served in Korea-

I know what it is like to get phone calls and over and over again you give the best advise you can -in this case I did considerable work to try to establish the claim-

I found out over a year later she had not even sent the VA the 21-534 application I sent her and never even opened the priority mail from me as to how to prove his death was SC. -I had even testified to a few things as I knew this vet very well in a letter I wrote -to be sent to VA with the claim-

Now when I see her number-thank God for caller ID -I just dont answer-

I have a rule of the thumb- when a vet or widow persists in 'bugging' me- I begin to doubt their story-

because they seem to be trying to convince me-

but what I think does not matter-

it is only evidence that wins claims and it is what the VA decides on the evidence that matters.

I bet this widow you mention might well be saying things as she understood them-

still-

your time is more valuable that getting stressed over this-

I think you should clearly ask her what is really what with the info you have and what you were told by the vet.

We have a wannabee locally- claimed to be a Navy Seal -highly decorated who saved an Admiral's life-yeah right----

One of my friends is Paul Barnes- if any of you know US Navy Seal Vietnam history you sure know who he is and read about him before-

He is a bonafide highly decorated Navy Seal (Vietnam)

I asked the weannabee's wife point blank if her husband was a Seal because his DD 214 was not registered in the county records.

She told me that she went along with this fabrication for years until she left him-

Although he was a veteran (Nam era)he was not at all anything like what he appeared to be.

Paul took off his artifical leg (lost real one in a saipan that they overran-and hit a wannabee on the head with it in a bar around here years ago- I hope it was this same wannabee.

In this case if the claim for DIC is valid- that is one thing- but perhaps this vet told her a story too- and as you said the DIC claim was dependent on facts you have not seen yet.

She should willingly show you his award letter if she expects your continued help.

Edited June 26, 2007 by Berta

[recruiterrick]

you can only base your advice and assistance on the information you have. and if you tell her that the awards and other evidence is not on the DD214, maybe she will quit driving you crazy.

you may or may not tell her how to fix it. i probably would not if she is that annoying. send her to her local marine recruiter for assistance. LOL

[stillhere]

You are only trying to help but don't get yourself in so deep that it becomes personal.

When I came back in 70 after 13 months in Nam no one wanted to talk about it then and I don't talk about it now.

My father-law a Korean vet SSGT was the same way but I won't forget one time up at his hunting cabin in george Washington National forest. He had a guest hunter and this guy had all this camo gear and talked about all these recon mission and ranger crap. Well turns out a little while later we found out the gut was just what we called back then a "weekend warrior" and a whole lot of BS.

Most of us brothers of Vietnam don't talk about it and when we do we can usual tell the truth from the BS!

Take care and help her as Long as you can stand it and if it is getting to you I would do as the others say bow out.

stillhere

PS. "weekend warrior" I means no disrespect to our fine units serving now.