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Ptsd But Can't Prove Stressor

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Pete53

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  • HadIt.com Elder

I am helping a Veteran who definitely has PTSD but served in Navy. The VAMC diagnoses him with PTSD and Depression but the problem is he served in Blue Water Navy and was attacked on boat as well as exposed to bodies.

I went through trying to get somewhere in 1992 but he would no cooperate and VA would not help.

In my mind his safest bet is to claim Depression serviced connected. Has anyone ever heard of Major Depression with PTSD as a Secondary.

The Veteran is my Brother I gave up and it was easy to get him a Pension 5 years ago but it irks me that he is not getting full benefits.

Any suggestions will be appreciated.

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USS America received 5 Battle Stars during Vietnam War.

However she was ,from Jan to March in sort of dry dock status at Norfolk Navy Yards in 1971 and then proceded to Puerto Rico and then was in western Mediterranean until end of 1971.

This would be in conflict with her receiving any casualties in her ship's morgue-from Vietnam-it wouldnt make logistic sense-

could these dates be wrong?

Do you have his DD 214? and his SRB? (Navy- Service Record Book)

I dont doubt the fact he might have been with bodies- I just don't see where they came from - with the ship's destination and arrival intinery for 1971.

I will look for more info-maybe they did take on some heat-but in the Mediterranean Sea????

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  • HadIt.com Elder

Berta,

Good question. I was looking at my WestPac and Vietnam order of battle & couldn't locate the USS America in 1971.

Thanks,

Don

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Well I am in between on this but I know he Served in Viet Nam via Blue Water Navy. He said Ja 1971 till Nov 1971 I don't know. They kept bodies from crew refrigerated in the Galley waiting for pickup No he was with the cooks not the morgue. I am only going by what he told me and I thought on my own that being exposed to dead bodies was a Stressor.

I guess that you are just forked if VA says you have PTSD but you can't prove a stressor. There are a lot more circumstances that need to be dealt with but try and get someone who has PTSD to cooperate when they don't want too.

I was very happy when I got him a pension which was easy to get after all they know he has not had a real job since he left the Navy in March 1972

Why do I think he has PTSD

2 Failed Marriages

Living in jungle in Mexico for years

Would not talk to a VA employee for many years

Right now he lives on my wifes place in East Texas

Pays 100 dollars rent is always on time.

Owns a 1999 Ford Econvan that he sleeps in quite often.

Got a General Discharge from Navy

Many other symptoms.

He was a Brilliant Student Graduates at top of his class in High School and with Honors from Univ of Texas. Gets in arguments with anyone who approaches him. If he is stopped by Police he refuses to talk to them.

However to me he is the salt of the earth. I have always felot that I failed him when I could not get either him or the VA to look into Depression.

He jumped off his carrier at night because he wanted to end it all and the Navy said in his SMR's that he knew he would be rescued. You Navy guys tell me how often that happens. How can anyone know that they will be rescued.

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Yep:

"On 2 June 1972, three days before Amerzca was to sail, Admiral Elmo R. Zumwalt, the Chief of Naval Operations, visited the ship, and explained the reason why her orders had been changed sending her to the Gulf of Tonkin instead of the Mediterranean. Sailing on 5 June, Amerzca crossed the equator on 12 June and held the usual initiation of "pollywogs into the realm of Neptune."

what a difference a date makes!

http://www.historycentral.com/Navy/CV66America.html

I think he will still need a buddy statement or some proof that he was where the dead were-

I do believe it is very logical that-if he was a cook- they could have put bodies into a make shift morgue in the ship's refrigeration units-

I learned from mil unversity courses last year that warfare makes creativity a necessity-

Necessity - which is sure is the Mother of Invention-

he was definitely Blue Water -Pacific-Vietnam War -7th Fleet

I dont doubt this at all Pete- it is the VA who doubts stuff like this-that correct date is critical to his claim.

Edited by Berta
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