diabetes Question About Blue Water Sailor?

[Marti]

Need to know if any blue water sailors got any benefits for Agent orange claims...i am helping a Vet with his claim...The problem is that he was on a ship that was not on record...secret shhhh! so basically the Navy has no records of the Ship..USS.Estes in 1966-67...He claims that they set foot in Saigon and he also was sprayed twice by Agent Orange on Ship...but no records...Also on top of that the VA can't find medical records...go figure!!! This Vet has prostate cancer and Type II diabetes...He needs benefits...and aid.....What should I do to get records or can I...All I am doing is getting all of his paper together and we got a lawyer..I just need records!!!!

Thank you

Marti:ph34r:

[Philip Rogers]

The navy ship logs will have all that info. I believe the navy keeps those down in the DC area. One of our swabbies (term of endearment) will respond, w/more, shortly.

pr

[Berta]

."The problem is that he was on a ship that was not on record...secret shhhh! so basically the Navy has no records of the Ship..USS.Estes in 1966-67..."

Ther is considerable info on the USS EStes on line under a google search.

The USS Estes had Vietnam service in 1965 however it does not appear on the recent ships list published by NVLSP in the 2010 edition of the VBM as to ships that docked in Vietnam or operated on inland waterways Vietnam.

If the veteran said his service was "secret" everything from Vietnam has been declassified or can be for VA claims purposes by JSRRC.

I suggest he write to the Commandant of the USMC (the contact info is available here under search of JSRRC)with details that could help verify his claim.

Also he should join the Blue WAter Navy site as they have updated ship info and ship's logs info.

bluewaternavy.org John Rossie Carol Olzanecki

Also Veteransinfo.org (snakecharmer) has detailed info on ship's logs and ships listed as having Vietnam docking or inland service.

The list at NVLSP states " ALL Landing ships (Tank) LST

All LCVP

All PCFs

All PBRs

All US Coast Guard cutters designated

WPB and

WHEC

as well as list of US ships and Vietnam service dates.

Also he might well need to consider getting buddy statement to prove he set foot in Vietnam or docked there.

There should be web sites for his unit and maybe even some reunion rosters that could help find a buddy.

"Also on top of that the VA can't find medical records"

What medical records would these be - has he applied for SSDI fairly recently?

Social Security gets all available medical records when they get a SSA disability claim.

His SMRs are missing? If VA said that he shopuld go to the NARA web site and to the Veteran's record's section and he cxan send them a SF 180 right on line.

He should also ask in addition to his SMRs -copies of his SRB ( Personnel and destination records)

[Berta]

Sometimes a google search brings up odd possibilities.

The name of this ship is familiar to me and maybe this is why-

Google brought up a book at Amazon written by this veteran:

About the Author

Elusive Honor is a first non-fiction book authored by retired US Navy Commander John Braxton Bartlett. John is a native of Grafton, West Virginia. He holds degrees from Alderson-Broaddus College (Philippi WV), and the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science. He received his Commission from Naval Officer Candidate School (Newport R.I.). His Navy Surface Warfare Officer career included assignments aboard USS Estes AGC-12, USS George Clymer APA-27, and USS Durham LKA-114. Tours of duty with these ships allowed for participation in the first Amphibious landing of US Combat Marines in Vietnam in 1965 and the last lift of US Combat Marines from Vietnam in 1972. CDR Bartlett participated in 7 of 19 combat campaign periods of the Vietnam War. He holds several decorations and foreign service ribbons and was awarded the Defense Superior Service Medal by the Secretary of Defense for his service. Following military retirement, John pursued a federal government career attaining the grade of GS-15 with the nuclear weapons arm of the Department of Defense. He retired from Federal Service from the US Department of Energy having served as the DOE Site Representative at Johnston Atoll and as Branch Chief of a US-USSR Treaty Compliance Inspection Team. He later worked with State of Hawaii Civil Defense and in overseas defense contract management. John is now a retired federal contract consultant and an active disaster assistance volunteer for the American Red Cross and Washington/County Emergency Management Services. He is a member of the Vietnam Veterans of America, VFW, and the Military Officers Association of America. John and his wife Carol live in the Seattle Washington area.

http://www.amazon.com/Elusive-Honor-Post-Vietnam-John-Bartlett/dp/1434329437

It doesn't give the dates of his USS Estes assignment but

“Tours of duty with these ships allowed for participation in the first Amphibious landing of US Combat Marines in Vietnam in 1965 and the last lift of US Combat Marines from Vietnam in 1972. CDR”

My husband was USMC Amphibious First wave landing in 1965 -Danang.

I need to find his SRB-however for the vet you are helping this Retired Commander might well have more info as to the USS Estes in Vietnam.It looks like he could be fairly easy to find and contact.

[allan]

Marti,

Here's a link to information on.............

Ships' Deck Logs; Research and Copying

http://www.history.n...aqs/faq73-1.htm

USS Estes (LCC-12)

ex

USS Estes (AGC-12) (1944 - 1969)

http://www.navsource.../10/01/0112.htm

USS ESTES AGC-12

USS ESTES ASSOCIATION HOME PAGE

http://www.ussestes....nfo/History.htm

Edited September 9, 2010 by allan

[Marti]

Thanks EVERYONE....let the search begin...

Marti