Conditions

[landend]

I been talking to a friend about when we at basic training and I remembered that there was a heat wave going on and back in 1970s there was no ac ,so everyone was really cranky and tried from to hot to sleep well.

Sickbay was full and the med staff were really cranky and tired.

Also there was a really large forest fire going on and the smoke was really thick and hard to breath and fire trucks 24 hours a day for weeks,started moving people around.

There was also a bunch of guys caught selling and using weed, drugs

Really a confusing time and still try making it through basic, so I thought that this should go towards claims for state of mind on awol,the way you were treated

Just a thought for some that might need some things to go with the claims

[Berta]

"so I thought that this should go towards claims for state of mind on awol"

I dont feel any if this would be a good enough reason to try to change bad paper-if that is your point.

[landend]

I just thought that ,in my case 17 years old and assaulted and went awol,so the Va is deciding character of discharge, this would be a contributing factor, but I'm new at this and there is no doubt that you have forgot more about claims than I will ever hope to know.

[Bonzai]

I guess I am confused, as you have "yes" instead of percentage listed as service-connected disability, so why is character of discharge being brought up. The VA must have already decided that you are eligible for benefits, in order for you to be service-connected.

[Berta]

During this heat wave time frame in the USA , thousands of men and women were suffering from tropical heat with no AC in Vietnam -not to mention the Agent Orange that was still being sprayed on them and the fact they were in a dangerous combat zone.

If you can prove you were assaulted in service, and went AWOL due directly to that, this would possibly be a factor the VA would consider for the Character of Discharge-

if that is what you are concerned about.

[Berta]

I hope you were not offended by that post I just made-

I am simply making a logical point-as to the best evidence you would need-as to a contributing factor.

Did the VA send you a VCAA letter for the Character of Discharge claim?

Have you applied to the BCMR yet?

[john999]

Considering the conditions at Ft Benning where I took basic in July 1969 all of us should have gone awol. Consider the guys in Vietnam humping 80lbs on their back in 100 degree heat you just won't get sympathy on that issue. You have to do as Berta has said and connect your awol directly to the MST. If you drag in drugs, forest fires, and being tired that is going to hurt you more than help. When you are in basic you are supposed to be tired and miserable. Those loving souls at BCMR will laugh at you if you say you went awol because you were tired and some people were using drugs.

[Berta]

John -when my daughter was in Basic at Lackland,Texas, she called me up (one of the few calls I got when she was there) and told me she had been hospitalized overnight due to dehydration during a manuever exercise.I was horrified!

Another call I got -she told me they were doing some sort of war game exercise and it was so hot she threw up in the bushes but continued the exercise and it was lots of fun.

When she was in Vietnam a few years ago some people she was with almost passed out in the War Atrocity Museum.

The Vietnamese are so acclimated to the heat that when they are in running and bicycle marathons, they refuse water.

I imagine everyone here encountered either devastating heat or blistering cold weather during their service wherever they were.

[john999]

Berta

When you see old photos of grunts in Vietnam most were walking scarecrows due to weight loss from horrible conditions. You wonder how a 140 lbs grunt can hump a 80lbs rucksack in blazing heat eating food not fit for a dog. The reason they drafted 18 year olds is because only the very young can tolerate and recover from those insults to their bodies.

[Notorious Kelly]

. The reason they drafted 18 year olds is because only the very young can tolerate and recover from those insults to their bodies.

John,

Ya, that and cuz we older guys would tell em to stuff it!

[60-man]

Ain't that the truth!!

John,

Ya, that and cuz we older guys would tell em to stuff it!

[packrat]

What were you eating to make 140? I clocked in at 124.

[john999]

Packrat

How tall are you? If you stretch 140 lbs over a 6'1" frame you have nothing but bone and some skin and hair.

[stillhere]

I went across the country with a friends family in 69. We lived in Williamsburg, VA at the time and his dad was getting transferred to White Sands, Missile range in NM.

It was a cool trip and I had it fixed so I could report in El Paso for induction. Well talk about HOT here you have a little east coast young man at 19 set to take basic in the desert Ft Bliss Texas where on bivouac we went out a couple days before and shot jack rabbits and strung them up to protect the water.

Man that place was hot as Hell June-August for boot and I feel passing that was exactly what got me ready to survive in Nam. That and a feisty drill Sgt. who was back from his third or second tour and made sure we were ready!!

[john999]

Stillhere

Where did you go for AIT? Probably Ft Polk am I right?

[stillhere]

Nope Ft. Belvoir,VA Vietnam training at AP Hill.

[landend]

I hope you were not offended by that post I just made-

I am simply making a logical point-as to the best evidence you would need-as to a contributing factor.

Did the VA send you a VCAA letter for the Character of Discharge claim? I got a letter back in may that stated I need a couple of records, which I sent. Than I called and they said they were waiting for facts and circumstances??

But just the one letter,but they did tell me that, they never seen a case like mine, that there was no punishment, just administrative discharge without character,

Have you applied to the BCMR yet? Yes I have.Been almost 8 months and have not heard anything.

You did not offend me, I just thought that it would help, The other reason for me was when we were doing our test in the first week the class room was full of smoke and many distraction with fire trucks, and my score was a lot lower than it should have been as were many others, so we were tested again and my scores were a lot higher like for some reason they flagged the GT and the AE score,what ever they mean, but they were 120s on first test and 148 and 149 on the second,and than They started asking questions about my goals??However with dementia setting in now a days I have to think about everything I say.But Thanks For all the great knowledge I have gathered here and from you and all of the others.

[packrat]

Packrat

How tall are you? If you stretch 140 lbs over a 6'1" frame you have nothing but bone and some skin and hair.

5'9" except for our height, we must have looked like twins. Don't know about you but at that weight you should have included your eyes. I know mine were huge in every pic of me.