Proving Vietnam Service

[Kofoid]

My husband, Allan Kofoid, served with the 552nd Electronic Maint. Group out of McClelland AFB, CA when he was sent TDY to Taiwan and then rotated back and forth to Tan Son Nhut Air Base, Vietnam. There is nothing in the personnel or medical record from the Air Force indicating he was sent to Vietnam, therefore he is being denied disability benefits for prostate cancer.

The pay records are "missing"; the IRS doesn't have tax records for 1966; morning reports, unit or duty rosters; flight manifest or repair records for the Connie's he worked on; follow on reports or unit assignments; 552nd Command Chronology Records; and probably a few more have been requested and I've been told don't exist. I've contacted DFAS/Denver; NPRC/St.Louis,and beyond; Maxwell AFB, AL for AFHistory and on and on.

We are in contact and have received several letters from buddies; ops officer of Big Eye Task Force; officer who wrote a performence report for time he was in Vietnam but so far the VA has not said if they are accepting that as proof.

Does anyone have any ideas how his service can be proved? Please feel free to e-mail me at allankofoid@hotmail.com. He was in Vietnam from April 16, 1966 to July 30, 1966.

Thanks - Suzanne Kofoid

[trailblazer]

I went thru the same thing. When the va would not accept my DD214 as proof of service in vietnam. I contacted my repersentiative and demanded to know if I wasen't in vietnam at the time in question where was I. This action delayed my claim but it worked. You may want to consider doing the same. The records are avablable but they are hard to get. Good luck.

[john999]

I spent a whole year in RVN and it was on my DD214 and the VA tried to say I was not in Vietnam. I had all the "been there" medals. They told my congressman I was never there. I had medical records from Vietnam.

[jadill42]

I too had a problem with the VA not accepting irreputable evidence that I was in Vietnam. I contacted my Senator and it took a little while but I got results along with medals that I never knew that I had earned. The VA responded to my claims shortly after.

[Kofoid]

I went thru the same thing. When the va would not accept my DD214 as proof of service in vietnam. I contacted my repersentiative and demanded to know if I wasen't in vietnam at the time in question where was I. This action delayed my claim but it worked. You may want to consider doing the same. The records are avablable but they are hard to get. Good luck.

[Kofoid]

Thanks for the input. The VA is evaluating additional information sent and if that doesn't do the trick I'll use your advice. We filed originally in '06, denied in '07 and again in '08. I'm not giving up yet. Thanks.....

[Berta]

If the buddies were in his same unit and in Vietnam same time and place as well as with the performance report-the VA certainly should consider that as probative evidence.

The best thing you did in my opinion was to check for yourself on anything VA said they could not obtain.

Was his unit in support of any specific Ops of the Army?

Does the USAF have something similiar to the NAV 119- destination and arrival records in his personnel file?

(I should know that -my daughter is USAF vet but I dont know oif USAF does this and if you have ALL of his personnel files it would be there.

Did he ever send mail home from Vietnam that a family member or someone could have saved?

You sure have covered many potential ways to prove his service-

did the VA state specificaslly in the VCAA letter he got- exactly what they would accept as proof? such as buddy statements ?

They do accept them if the Buddy gives detailed account and has same MOS,Unit designation, etc same time and place Vietnam.