Do We Proceed With An Appeal?

[Spanky]

My husband received his rating decision dated 9-29-07. In this decision they gave him 0% for jungle rot for his feet and ordered an at once C&P. They stated they would evaluate after the at once exam and assign a higher percentage if warranted. He went to the C&P a couple days ago.

He has a gunshot wound on his arm and burns to his right hand for which he received 2 of his 3 purple hearts and he has tried to get these service connected even if it is 0% - the VA stated in this last decision these were not related to his military service and service connection remains denied. We just don't understand why the VA won't recognize his purple hearts as proof of his wounds. He has a 3 or 4 inch scar across his forearm due to the gunshot wound, but he does not have any scarring from the burns but it is noted in his personnel file that he had burns to the right hand and he has his purple heart for it. He originally applied in 1978 and didn't appeal. He just wrote a letter stating he disagreed. He wants to appeal this so the question is do we proceed with the appeal or do we need to wait until he gets a decision on his feet from this last C&P?

Thanks

[Pete53]

Does the Army still let someone who is awarded 3 PH's to go home?

[Berta]

It think it dependson the nature of the wounds Pete-

when Audie Murphy was recovering from a wound (his third PH) in 1945 he actually left the military hospital before his convalescence was really over and returned to his unit-and went on to do this:

"Audie Murphy received a severe hip wound from a German mortar on October 26, 1944. Tired of the monotony of hospital life, he took it upon himself to rejoin Company B. He was still in a state of convalescence on January 26, 1945 when Audie earned the Nation's highest tribute for action in the Riedwihr Woods near Holtzwihr, France. The Third Division was engaged in fierce fighting in the Colmar Pocket which consisted of a heavily fortified bulge stretching from the Rhine into France. At midnight on January 25, Company B moved through the Riedwihr Woods, but fierce fighting reduced the company to two officers and about 28 men. Despite five replacements, the company remained critically under strength. As the senior ranking officer, Audie was placed in charge of the company and was ordered to advance to the edge of the forest and hold the line until relieved. Company B was supported by two tank destroyers from the 601st Tank battalion which were attached to the 15th Infantry, but they would soon be out of action.

The frozen ground was covered with 10-12 inches of snow; it was impossible for the men to dig in. Audie's company was strung along a three hundred yard front at the edge of the woods. Company B was in a defensive position when at 1400 hours, on January 26, 1945, the Germans began a fierce attack from Holtzwihr. This assault consisted of six heavy Jagdpanther tanks supported by approximately 250 German infantry attired in white snow capes. The first tank destroyer slid into a drainage ditch and could not extricate itself. The second TD received a direct hit from a German 88 , killing the commander and gunner. Seeing that the situation was desperate, Audie ordered his men to fall back to an alternate position. At this time, Audie began calling in artillery supported by a field telephone through Battalion Headquarters. With his ammunition depleted, Audie decided to mount the burning TD and employ it's .50 caliber machine gun. After removing the dead TD commander, Audie sprayed deadly fire upon the German infantry. With the TD in danger of blowing up at any moment, the Germans gave it a wide berth. The black smoke streaming from the TD made it difficult for the Germans to see Audie, but it also reduced his view of the advancing infantry. At this point, Audie called in more artillery support even though it was dangerously close to his own position. For an hour, Audie managed to kill or wound approximately 50 to 100 Germans and confused the rest as to the source of the deadly fire. The German tanks, lacking infantry support, were forced to withdraw. Audie jumped from the burning TD only to hear it explode seconds later. Thus ended one of the most famous Medal of Honor actions of World War II."

from http://www.medalofhonor.com/MedalOfHonorAudieLMurphy.htm:

[Pete53]

Berta:

The Military allowed anyone who had 3 PH's to get out early but they had to ask. The more famous example would be John Kerry who left Nam 6 months early on his 13 month tour cause he was awarded 3 PH's.

PS. Audie Murphy is one of my favorites. He was born and raised less than 40 miles from me and they even have an Audie Murphy Museum in Greenville Texas. The Marines actually turned him down before he joined the Army.

Edited December 14, 2007 by Pete53

[john999]

If you get three PH's you get out of the combat zone. I don't know about going home.

[Berta]

Pete- I think it depends on the type of GSWs they got-Audie Murphy- convalencing from a wound that was his 3rd PH- got so antsy he left the hospital during his recovery- and returned to his unit-and then soon took combat actions that earned him the Medal of Honor.This should be in social chat but- last Christmas my daughter gave me a beautiful framed coallge she had made- photos of D Day invasion in Normandy- Patton,Eisenhower, the Enola Gay, Iwo Jima,, etc-and Audie Murphy-I cannot express how much this framed collage means to me.And of course there is no picture frame BIG enough to represent ALL of you veterans and the many types of service you all performed for the USA.Audie Murphy -who certainly had PTSD- suffered from the ravages of PTSD until he died.To think he became a National Hero and a great movie star (I had to watch one of his movies for a AMU assignment- the Red Badge of Courage-)and then fully exhibited the Post Trauma- that PTSD really is- well after the fact-it crept up on him and of course in those days- VA didnt know how to treat it.Pete- I think it depends on the type of GSWs they got-Audie Murphy- convalencing from a wound that was his 3rd PH- got so antsy he left the hospital during his recovery- and returned to his unit-and then soon took combat actions that earned him the Medal of Honor.This should be in social chat but- last Christmas my daughter gave me a beautiful framed coallge she had made- photos of D Day invasion in Normandy- Patton,Eisenhower, the Enola Gay, Iwo Jima,, etc-and Audie Murphy-I cannot express how much this framed collage means to me.And of course there is no picture frame BIG enough to represent ALL of you veterans and the many types of service you all performed for the USA.Audie Murphy -who certainly had PTSD- suffered from the ravages of PTSD until he died.To think he became a National Hero and a great movie star (I had to watch one of his movies for a AMU assignment- the Red Badge of Courage-)and then fully exhibited the Post Trauma- that PTSD really is- well after the fact-it crept up on him and of course in those days- VA didnt know how to treat it.Pete- I think it depends on the type of GSWs they got-Audie Murphy- convalencing from a wound that was his 3rd PH- got so antsy he left the hospital during his recovery- and returned to his unit-and then soon took combat actions that earned him the Medal of Honor.This should be in social chat but- last Christmas my daughter gave me a beautiful framed coallge she had made- photos of D Day invasion in Normandy- Patton,Eisenhower, the Enola Gay, Iwo Jima,, etc-and Audie Murphy-I cannot express how much this framed collage means to me.And of course there is no picture frame BIG enough to represent ALL of you veterans and the many types of service you all performed for the USA.Audie Murphy -who certainly had PTSD- suffered from the ravages of PTSD until he died.To think he became a National Hero and a great movie star (I had to watch one of his movies for a AMU assignment- the Red Badge of Courage-)and then fully exhibited the Post Trauma- that PTSD really is- well after the fact-it crept up on him and of course in those days- VA didnt know how to treat it.Pete- I think it depends on the type of GSWs they got-Audie Murphy- convalencing from a wound that was his 3rd PH- got so antsy he left the hospital during his recovery- and returned to his unit-and then soon took combat actions that earned him the Medal of Honor.This should be in social chat but- last Christmas my daughter gave me a beautiful framed coallge she had made- photos of D Day invasion in Normandy- Patton,Eisenhower, the Enola Gay, Iwo Jima,, etc-and Audie Murphy-I cannot express how much this framed collage means to me.And of course there is no picture frame BIG enough to represent ALL of you veterans and the many types of service you all performed for the USA.Audie Murphy -who certainly had PTSD- suffered from the ravages of PTSD until he died.To think he became a National Hero and a great movie star (I had to watch one of his movies for a AMU assignment- the Red Badge of Courage-)and then fully exhibited the Post Trauma- that PTSD really is- well after the fact-it crept up on him and of course in those days- VA didnt know how to treat it.

[Pete53]

My Dad had PTSD that was never treated. When he was living I did not know what it was either.In 1991 when I went to VA Hospital the VA would not let a Veteran who was drinking or taking drugs to be treated for PTSD.

And yet when In Patient Veterans went home on weekend leave they were tested for drugs and alcohol and many were kicked out.

Lewis Puller Jr had PTSD and worked for the VA but did not receive proper treatment just as thousands of OIG Veterans come home and are not treated. Hell the Army is sending Veterans into combat who have diagnosed PTSD.

I have Panic Disorder and my Brother has PTSD. My old shrink says it runs in families.

As far as Audie Murphy goes I love his movies and I am in awe of what he did and accomplished. It was a real loss when his plane crashed and he was killed.

Spanky I am sorry if we hijacked your thread and this is the last thing I will write about Audie Murphy unless it comes up again.