Lz Sally Hq.

[hookrunner]

Trying to help my neighbor find vets of 101st airborne 1-501 charlie co. 1969. Needing after action reports .

They spent most of their time in the bush at Black Virgin Mountain . He has a 11B10 mos ,and the air medal along with all the other stuff everyone back then got. The VA has turned him down due to lack of information in his stressor. Any idea's ?

[Berta]

"He told me yesterday that he was qualified for CIB but was not on his dd214 . The State Service office file a sf 160 for a updated dd215 but they only added the Air Medal and Army commendation. He was in country from 13 June 1969-Nov 19 1969. His parents got him out on a hardship ,but he still had to make reserve meetings"

Have you personally seen this vets DD 214 and DD215?

The DD 215 will be completely different from the DD 214 in size and format.

Was his discharge HD or OTHD?

I never heard of the form the vet rep used-

I use a DD 149 for DD214 corrections.

Does he have his complete military service records?

I strongly suggest that-since he trusts your help- to go to the NARA web site while he is with you and help him apply on line for his SMRs.

You will go to

http://www.archives.gov/ then to Military Service Records and get a SF 180.

I strongly suggest that, under the Request block you ask for ALL medical, personnel, and discipline records, and a copy of his discharge papers.

Print out the bar coded thing and have him sign it, copy it, and mail it.

It will take 4 to 6 weeks usually.

I hate to sound negative -but in cases like this-

dont do what I have done in the past-

knocked myself out for vets without seeing their DD214s and 215s and SMRs first-

then find out down the road -it was not what it all appeared to be.

Where and when did those specific mortar attacks and firefights occur?

I have war maps, and war history , links etc from the git go on Nam.

I have all the recent declassified stuff-there wasnt much left for feds to declassify.

There are Morning reports of firefights and mortar attacks and even COs can be found-for buddy statements- if he should have gotten the CIB.

Has he shown you his VA enrollment card?

During his period of incountry service something about Vietnam startled the American Public and caused returning DEROS vets even more stigma that they already had.

It was in Stars and Stripes and Hanoi Hanna news broadcast there and in all the media here stateside.

Upon his DEROS- he could not help of being aware of this- and probably definitely heard in Nam too-

This documented event would probably contribute to PTSD in any Nam combat vet who served there after Jan 1969.

It could be used as stressor to support his MOS which is as someone correctly said-was Infantry.

Berta

Edited April 2, 2006 by Berta

[hookrunner]

Thanks Bertha , I saw his dd214 and a letter from the dept. of the army ( I think it was ) that listed his medals that wasn't on his orginal 214 .

He is suppose to come over agin this week,I will read him your messeage here as well as the sites you listed on eariler post on 101 st AB.

I read some of the post on that site but, I was never " in country" so

[Berta]

Hookrunner- here is the CIB criteria- Army:

http://www.americal.org/awards/cib.htm

There is quite a bit at this link---

"2) A recipient must be personally present and under hostile fire while serving in an assigned infantry or special forces primary duty, in a unit actively engaged in ground combat with the enemy. The unit in question can be of any size smaller than brigade. For example, personnel possessing an infantry MOS in a rifle squad of a cavalry platoon in a cavalry troop would be eligible for award of the CIB. Battle or campaign participation credit alone is not sufficient; the unit must have been in active ground combat with the enemy during the period."

The Unit history would reflect the 'active ground combat'.

101st certainly saw fire during period he was there-I have their battle and campaign history-

If he states where the mortar attacks and combat was-

it would be easier to put him at actual place of stressors and establish a nexus- if this is a PTSD claim.

It is just very unusual to me that the CIB did not show up on the DD 215.

I know personally that they respond well to DD 215 (DD 149 requests)

and I suggest here that any vet who questions their decorations or medals should send a DD 149.

3 or 4 more showed up on my husband's DD 215-he never knew he had them-

And then the USA medals and ribbons came from the gov-but I had to buy the Vietnamese ones at a military base.

Berta