Vietnam Service Verified

[rthomass]

I have a document initiated by the Veterans Administration Medical Center to the Veterans Administation Regional Office. VA form 10-7131. In the remarks section it states (top of form block 6) " Vet claiming agent orange exposure. States he was stationed in Nakhon Phanom Thailand. States they sprayed Agent Orange around the perimeter of the basse, which is located 4 miles from the Ho Chi Mihn Trail".

The VARO replied back to the VAMC " Birls shows VADS verified." (BIRLS and VADS are data bases) "Records also show Veteran has Vietnam Service".

I also have via a Freedom of Information Act request have Birls Veteran Information data screen report showing Vietnam Service "Y" (for yes). This was from the Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Benefits Administration, Washington DC.

I have to the best of my knowledge never stepped foot in Vietnam; but I do have a Vietman Campaign Medal and the Vietnam Service Medal. I am one confused Veteran.

Berta...Vike17 any help?

Edited July 30, 2007 by rthomass

[rthomass]

If you got AO than who gives a rats but where you were (IMO), you didn't get it at Mcdonalds. However, I don't think (and I certainly not saying you have) turning a blind eye if the VA makes a mistake and say you had "boots on the ground" and you were never there, is not the right thing to do. You should try other legal means. That is still fraud.

To many Vets paid the price for that reconition. I personally would rather take on the system, than claim something that so many of my brothers died and suffered for.

It seems like you paid a price for servce as well, but not in Vietnam, and if that's the case I'm sure your not the only one, what about others in your unit? You should all bring this up legally and get the recongniton you deserve.

It's like the soilders in Kuwait right now, they get the GWOT service medal, but not the Iraq Campign Medal, unless you were doing "missions" in Iraq for combination of at least 30 days, or saw combat, and not just being a passenger in a helo or plane.

Were there any type of Medals during the Vietnam War for the supporting units deployed in Thiland or other areas like the GWOT service medal of today? or did everyone get the Vietnam Servcie Medal?

I have never stated I knowingly had service in Vietmnam. There is no deception on my part. I have buddy statement pertaining to the spraying of Agent Orange around the base and along the Mekong River and over the Ho-Chi-Mihn trail that was four miles from our base. Base was in Nakhon Phanom Thailand and adjacent to the Mekong river and the infamous trail. In addition have a medical statement from my Oncologist. This constitutes direct service connection which does not require "Boots on the Ground in Vietnam" I do have the Vietnam Commendation Medal and the Veietnam Service Medal. NKP was a foward deployed unit in direct support of combat operations in Vietnam, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. Did you ever think that perhaps The Service in Vietnam means Va has info that I don't have? I was med-evaced by a C-9 Nightingale medical evac airplane that I assumed made the grand circuit just in Thailand bedore going to the Air Force Hospital at Utapao Thailand. It is possible we picked up med-evac patients in Vietnam although I have no meomory of this since I was in alot of pain and on medications.

[rthomass]

Ya know VN service may just mean served during the VN conflict. My ex's father's gravestone says VN on it and he was in Korea in the mid 60's - never set foot in VN. I think it could just mean that you served during the conflict period. Serving during a period of war has specific VA benefits, such as pension eligibility. Just a thought.

pr

Perhaps we should not try to interpret what it means. It will come out in the wash.

Edited August 8, 2007 by rthomass

[rthomass]

Ya know VN service may just mean served during the VN conflict. My ex's father's gravestone says VN on it and he was in Korea in the mid 60's - never set foot in VN. I think it could just mean that you served during the conflict period. Serving during a period of war has specific VA benefits, such as pension eligibility. Just a thought.

pr

then again served during the "VN conflict should be cited". It is self evident I served during the Vietman confict whether I was in Thailand, Vietnam or a state side Air Base. I believe that their data base record and written statemnet means that what it says "Veteran had service in Vietnam". I never stated in my claim service in Vietnam.....but a I previously stated in another reply VA may have more infothan I do...3o years and the fog of war makes ond dubious as to exactly where they were....damn few border signs...never saw a Welcome to Thailand sign let alone a sign in the jungle stating this is the sovereign border of the Republic of Vietnam. Let the lawyers hash this out and yes I was smart enough to hire a Lawyer.. VA has plenty.

Edited August 8, 2007 by rthomass

[Berta]

The VSM Vietnam Service Medal was listed some years ago by NVLSP in the VBM as denoting combat or service in a combat zone.

We discussed it here and I emailed NVLSP and they corrected this in the subsequent VBM-

The VSM criteria is here:

http://www.history.navy.mil/medals/vsn.htm

The fact that

"The service medal was awarded to all members of the armed forces who service in Vietnam and contiguous waters and airspace between 3 July 1965 and 28 March 1973.

In addition, personnel serving in Thailand, Laos or Cambodia in direct support of operations in Vietnam during the same time period also were eligible for the medal."

has caused some veterans to receive AO disability and some NOT too-see below ***

Haas is a good case in point-

Haas was Commander of ship in contiguous waters. CAVC SCed his disability as due to AO.

All Blue Waters vets with presumptive AO disabilities deserve the same service connection award if they were aboard ship in contiguous waters during the Vietnam War.

Those of us who are advocates in the electronic vets community posted and emailed as many vet orgs and Blue Water vets we could to make sure their AO claims were filed-we knew the VA would impose a moratorium and they did-

the claims filed during and after Haas but before the moratorium will be adjudicated under Haas- the rest???

This is still in court and both VA, NVLSP, and an Amicus Curie lawyer have filed briefs recently on it.

I cant wait for Haas to succeed- and will be devastated if it doesn't.

It would be unconscionably unfair to thousands of Blue Water vets exposed to AO who suffer from AO presumptives.

Ironically Haas is not the first case like this-

a widow was going to take her claim as high as she could go many years ago- same premise as Haas-

at the last minute VA granted her claim. Johnson V Principi.

Apparently she was not involved with any electronic vet communities or organizations-

and the VA feared an award at the CAVC would establish a precedent-

She was determined to hold VA to the regulation regarding the VSM as to contingous waters.

"Six days before the scheduled oral argument the VA made the surviving spouse an offer she could not refuse." VBM NVLSP page 175 VBM.

They gave her DIC with retro to date of death if she dropped her appeal.

The case was decided with no precedent established.

Beverly Nehmer however-another tenacious widow claimant - is why AO vets get retro unlike any other claimants.

and she won-

*****from June 1 , 1999 to Feb 2002 the VSM was conceded by VA to show Vietnam service unless the veteran flew over Vietnam at high altitudes. page 175 VBM 2006

After Feb 2002 no one has successfully challenged this in any public VA record (CAVC) since Haas did.

Vets outside of Nam have successfully won AO claims and I posted some here with links to the BVA case itself.

These claims were successful because the veteran proved that they were exposed to Agent Orange outside of Vietnam.

Edited August 8, 2007 by Berta

[RockyA1911]

The Vietnam Campaign Medal (Green and White with 60- device) VCM eligibity criteria is the veteran must have served "IN COUNTRY" in Vietnam for at least 6 months to receive the that medal. Neither the VSM nor VCM are listed as a conceded stressor medal. But the VCM is evidence of "Boots on the Ground".

[mobie16r]

rthomass,if you served at any of these places in Thailand,you are edgible for these medals vietamese service medal and vietamese commandation medal.

Don Muang, RTAFBKo Kha, RadarKorat, RTAFBMukdahan RTAirfieldNakhon Phanom, RTAFBOSI BangkokTakhli, RTAFBUbon, RTAFBUdorn, RTAFBU-Tapao, RTAFB.

mobie16r