How To Prove Service In Rvn

[barbarap]

I am new to this site. My husband is the vet. He is trying to prove service connection for dmii based on exposure to AO in DMZ. He was AF and was TDY to a Comm Squadron in Osan, Korea, from Fuchu, Japan, for 30 days in March - May, 1968. During that TDY, under verbal orders of the commander (VOC), he was sent TDY to Vietnam twice or three times for a day or two at a time to courier crypto information for the AF. His TDY to Korea was extended several times until it turned into a one-year PCS. Our problem is that there is nothing that we can find in his service records (of which we received a copy from the VA) showing that he was in the RVN since his trips there were under VOC. He received injuries twice while in RVN - once in helicopter crash and second time from shrapnel from rocket attack. Went to dispensary after got back to Korea but all of his medical records from Korea are missing from the copy from the VA.

We need help trying to connect him to anyone in his unit that will be able to corroborate that he was in Korea and that he was in and out of RVN during that time period or something that we can use that the this was not an unheard of practice by the AF to send someone TDY under VOC when they are already TDY.

Has anyone ever run into a situation like this? We like to talk to anyone with experience in this sort of situation and would appreciate any guidance.

[gdsnide]

I am new to this site. My husband is the vet. He is trying to prove service connection for dmii based on exposure to AO in DMZ. He was AF and was TDY to a Comm Squadron in Osan, Korea, from Fuchu, Japan, for 30 days in March - May, 1968. During that TDY, under verbal orders of the commander (VOC), he was sent TDY to Vietnam twice or three times for a day or two at a time to courier crypto information for the AF. His TDY to Korea was extended several times until it turned into a one-year PCS. Our problem is that there is nothing that we can find in his service records (of which we received a copy from the VA) showing that he was in the RVN since his trips there were under VOC. He received injuries twice while in RVN - once in helicopter crash and second time from shrapnel from rocket attack. Went to dispensary after got back to Korea but all of his medical records from Korea are missing from the copy from the VA.

We need help trying to connect him to anyone in his unit that will be able to corroborate that he was in Korea and that he was in and out of RVN during that time period or something that we can use that the this was not an unheard of practice by the AF to send someone TDY under VOC when they are already TDY.

Has anyone ever run into a situation like this? We like to talk to anyone with experience in this sort of situation and would appreciate any guidance.

Does he have an RVN medal or a Purple heart medal?..GARY

[maxwell18]

Another record to check is his "airman performance reports". Have him try to remember who he was with for a buddy letter.

[Jayg]

Hi. I have similar problems with lost records. I still haven't all mine including removal of a shell splinter from my leg. That's no part of my claim, it was in fact little more than a splinter. The person (not sure it was even a doctor) dug it out and put a bandaid on it. Still, it should be in my records. At Ft. Ft. Knox I received most of my medical treatment (including a knock on the head) from clinics. I have none of those records. And in 1980 about, they lost my medical records from my entire tour in Germany. I submitted many requests to NARA and the missing records from Germany miraculously turned up in my mail box in 2005.

So don't quit if you don't get what you want from NARA first time around.

One thing I have learned. Hospital and clinical records are stored separately and a request for one will not bring the other. I had a link that provided all the different locations for this stuff but darned if I can find it know!

JAMES GOLUB It was suggested to me that I could obtain information through other records. I was told that “morning reports” were discontinued in 1974 to be replaced with “Personal (Personnel?) Data Cards.” As I understand it these records contain the returns of morning reports, how many present for duty, how many not, who and why, (i.e. on tdy or detached duty) that sort of thing.

Here's a link to the NARA site location to file a SF-180- http://www.archives.gov/st-louis/military-...d-form-180.html

Here's a link to the general NARA website... http://www.archives.gov/index.html

http://www.archives.gov/index.html

Edited May 21, 2009 by Jayg