Proof Of Stressor

[MikeS]

Hi all:

I met a fellow vet at the va who was denied his first claim because their was no proff of a stressor.

He said the stressor was civilian casualties in viet nam.

He said that he was discharged honorably "for the convenience of the government" because his behavior had changed drastically after his return to his stateside base.

He also said that stomache pains and sleeplessness were documented after his return from nam.

What would be a good way for him to continue to fight his claim even though there is no record of those civilian deaths that he thinks about every day and dreams about almost every night.

Please help. This veteran is on the verge of accepting the va's denial.

Thanks,

Mike S.

[john999]

The story sounds fishy to me. Why would they need to send an airman into the field? He would be more of a burden than a help. He might have stayed back at some base and been on guard duty, but to send him into the field like a grunt woud have put all those around him in danger. The Easter offensive was stopped by Air Power and massive bombing. It was a NVA offensive not a VC thing like Tet 1968.

[Berta]

The Easter Offensive at An loc was very rough-

I dont work for amazon- but I think that if this vet is willing to take the time he should go to:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/155750830...glance&n=283155

The book (he can read some of it online) only cost 14-1500 dollars and they have used copies to0-

the author wonders about the fate of some villagers-at least that part popped up in Google-

and:

http://www.historynet.com/vn/bl-eastertide-offensive/

"In the official history of the Air Force airlift mission in Southeast Asia, author Ray Bowers describes the battle for An Loc during the 1972 Eastertide (or Easter) Offensive as "the most trying times of the war for Air Force C-130 crews." Historian Bowers' statement is well founded, because it was at An Loc that a relative handful of U.S. Air Force airlifters suddenly found themselves the sole salvation of the defenders of a besieged South Vietnamese city"

If he can pinpoint his unit at the same time on these direct ops or even if he did extractions, I would think

he has more than enough to prove stressors.

What he described certainly could have happened in Nam- it did happen- but he will have to dig a little to see if there is anything to corroborate it. Warfare is supernatural and ordinary people react in extraordinary ways -that makes sense at the time, yet has residual factors, once a soldier feels safe again.

This might help too- an extraordinary account by Tran Van Nhut-

http://www.ocregister.com/ocr/2005/04/28/s...icle_499094.php

Van Nhut was an ARVN and this could be the type of detailed accounts he needs to support what he saw-

I found plenty more about civilian casualties in An Loc Eastertide Offensive on the net-

such as : http://www.airpower.maxwell.af.mil/airchro...-feb/parks.html

He should also try to get his unit's web site for any buddy statements.

He might want to try Military.com for their Buddy Looking For area.

Edited June 22, 2006 by Berta

[MikeS]

Hi all:

The veteran was an intelligence operations spec.

He was sent into the field for a short time to witness field interrogations because that was the best intell at the time.

The murder of civilian females was not part of the training.

I'm going to try to find some collaborating info for him.

I found a va training video where the va uses other facts to corroborate a stressor without the stressor actually being on paper.

Going back 34 years is gonna be real fun.

The veteran has no computer and he has no computer skills.

I'll do what I can with your help.

Thanks!

Mike S.

[Berta]

Mike- I suddenly see a red flag there-for two personal reasons-

Have you seen this vet's DD 214?

Most (not all) USAF Intelligence Specs worked in Saigon in the Defense Attache.

The fact that he was an 'observer' in the field for a 'short time' during the Easter Offensive does not make sense to me at all - but this should be found in his USAF personnel file.

He was probably in the 7th Air Force- under General Lavelle and could have been part of communication ops.

Ask him for his DD 214 and who General Lavelle is-the situation Lavelle was in could support his claim.

I have a ROE regarding claimants-

if I find them links and tell them how to get their SMRs etc-

and they are unwilling to try to use a PC (the internet is user friendly for anyone) or they could even pay a high school kid a few bucks to search and download stuff for them-

if I find I am spending more time then they are in trying to support a stressor-

there is a chance that there might not be a stressor.

As an observer in the field, this would have generated a report of intelligence that went to a CO- he could attempt to find that report (Vietnam is all declassified now) or the CO who received the report.That would at least put him at the scene.

Not saying this is the case here but something does seem odd.John is right-

I am a civilian but I go to a war school-(Battlefield Command etc)

The Easter Offensive (nguyen Hue) was a horrific period of time in An Loc and other areas of Vietnam in 1972-

I sure would not want an intell observer from Saigon in the field, that I would have to provide cover for, during most of an offensive like this was-you mentioned "training"-today-

what training occurs during an offensive?

Think about it-what units did he observe? and Why?

I have the complete history of the Easter Offensive-

Many many civilians died.

Since this vet cannot use a PC, he surely can get to a library or buy some books from Amazon-the link I suggested is great and I am buying that book myself-there are books that could possible support his claim.

Edited June 23, 2006 by Berta