Stressor Confirmation

[Vync]

Does anyone have any recommendations on how to locate former fellow service members in order to cooberate a stressor?

If the VA is told who the person is, would they try to track them down and confirm it or is that something which has to be done independently?

[Philip Rogers]

Vync - You can search the internet for your unit. Contact the NPRC for unit rosters for when you were in. Contact the NARA in College Park, MD, for ORRL's, daily journals, etc..

The only thing know the VA will do is contact the Records Research Unit (can't recall their actual title at the moment) and have them try to verify your stressor.

You're better off trying to get evidence yourself, as it would be faster and could save you yrs. You can do the research, at the NARA, in MD, yourself.

pr

Does anyone have any recommendations on how to locate former fellow service members in order to cooberate a stressor?

If the VA is told who the person is, would they try to track them down and confirm it or is that something which has to be done independently?

Edited April 28, 2010 by Philip Rogers

[Berta]

And go to your unit's web site- they probably have one- search for any reunion rosters or any "Looking for" forums.

Also the VA used to have this program- it worked when my husband tried to find his commander-but he didnt need it for stressor verification-

You might need to check with your VARO to see if they still do this-

You send the VARO a letter saying you are searching for a buddy- give them the Name, Unit, MOS and anything else you can think of (Hometown of buddy , age etc) and ask them if they could forward the enclosed letter to the buddy of this vet appears in the roster of VA Health Care patients.

Put a letter into an UNSEALED envelope -a brief letter stating who you are and you need to see if the buddy can remember you and verify an event in service and give all of your contact info.

Put stamp on the letter and your forwarding address.Send with the request to your VARO.

If the veteran is a VA patient the VA will forward the letter to the buddy.

As I said this worked for us- in a way-

one of Rod's stressors was when his Commander got hit and was pronounced dead. Rod had to put him into the BB and load him into the helo- he was the "old man" who kept them alive in Vietnam.

The Marines in his unit were devastated when the old man got killed.

When we went to the wall he did tracings on other buddys he knew who got killed in Vietnam.One was hs best friend killed rght n front of him- USMC Danang, ISTMARDIV Amphibipus tracter battalion.

But his Commander was NOT on the wall.

Apparently he was revived at Danang! This happened during the chaos of battle.A 'KIA' would in fact still be alive and could be treated successfully at a Mil hosp unit.Vietnam servicemen and women were never that far from transport to a good Med Unit-it was the Medvac helos as targets that hindered many successful outcomes of transporting the wounded.(I am former war student so I could gone on and on here on that..... incredible things happened during the Vietnam War and although the death count was hideous- there were countless lives saved too.)

The VA found a vet employed at the VA in Illinois who called Rod when he got the letter.Same unit, same time frame ,same age but wrong race- the Old Man was AfroAmerican and this vet was white.

It was disappointing to Rod it wasnt his Commander and we didnt know where to look after that.Still the Marine who called him made his day-they talked for hours about the Nam.

Buddys can be found! It takes leg work and creativity and even the VA might help you.as I mentioned-Check with your VARO on this.

One day I asked Rod (who was 18 when he was in Vietnam)just how old the "Old Man" was.Rod credited him with saving countless Marines in battle with his sage battlefield advise.

He was 26 years old.

He was with my husband until the day he died.His memory is even still with me.

Buddy CAN be found.The internet has made it far easier than it used to be.

Even a simple Google of their name might turn up who you are looking for.

or Facebook or any vet sites.

Edited April 28, 2010 by Berta

[Vync]

I'm trying to find someone who was in my basic training unit, so I don't think they will have a web site.

Berta, that's a very inspiring story. I will give it a shot.

I appreciate the tips!

[evandc]

You can try Lost & Found Site, this is one I've used

http://www.vietvet.org/lostfnd.htm

What are you S/C now?