Ihd Claims

[cbtvet]

I called my vso today to find out about my ihd claim. Even though i have not been notified he looked it up and said they turned it down because it was not service related. what does that mean? i don't have a disability or they think i was not in vietnam.

[Chuck75]

http://www.navsource...ves/14/5521.htm

"There is no DANFS history record available for YRBM-21 at NavSource" This may be the reason for your problems with the VA.

These sites show that the YRBM 21 was "brown water". Getting the VA to acknowledge that seems to be the problem.

http://www.mrfa.org/index.htm

http://brownwater-na...tnam/YRBM21.htm

Unit awards from the Navy awards site

YRBM 21 21-Dec-1968 to 21-Nov-1970 24/701 - RG , YRBM 21 05-May-1970 to 30-Jun-1971 14/422 - NU, YRBM 21 01-Jul-1971 to 30-Apr-1972 10/305 - NU -

If the Navy unit citation(s) mention "under fire", "enemy action", etc. and you were assigned during the eligibility period, then you are entitled to consideration as a "combat veteran". Unfortunately, the VA commonly ignores the difference.

I do not have copies of the actual citations and language.

Thanks chuck75 good input. this is strange . i was stationed on a floating pbr base. it is not on the ao ships list. please google yrbm 21 and tell me i'm not crazy.

[Berta]

There is a new bill regarding BWN vets that I posted here the other day (S 1629).

“I'd suspect that the VA does not have a good list of Navy Vietnam shore locations. “

I wonder if they even have a map of Vietnam.

I used maps of Vietnam for a few vets I helped years ago who were Brown Waters.I posted thumbnail to a nice Vietnam war map here years ago-it might still be here.

I am waiting some email for a good coastal map from JR ( BWN.org) as the new bill focuses on the 12 mile limit.

I agree with Computer Tech here:

If you served in Vietnam that should be in your 201 file which the VA should have. If you don't have a copy of you 201 file I would request a copy from St. Lewis.

Ask them for your pay records too. The SF 180 can be filled out on line at the NARA web site.

You will need to print off the bar coded thing, sign it, keep copy and mail it to where you are directed to on the site.

In the S 1629 post I made there is a link to VNVets site were there might be more info that can help any BWN vet as well as the BlueWaterNavy site.

However it appears to me you were definitely incountry Vietnam and all here gave great advice.

"I called my vso today to find out about my ihd claim. Even though i have not been notified he looked it up and said they turned it down because it was not service related. what does that mean? i don't have a disability or they think i was not in vietnam."

Best to wait for the letter. I do believe the VA ,when they see Navy, will deny any AO claim right off the bat sometimes.

[Chuck75]

One important thing that I noticed concerning the VA brown water "ships" list.

Some ships are on the list with specific dates or date ranges, others have no dates or date ranges.

This makes some sense, if you understand how the Navy operated in the Vietnam conflict.

It also makes sense if you consider that a ships fresh water system might have been contaminated for some time after a "brown water"

assignment or cruise. If a Navy veteran served on the no date or no date range ships, it would seem that the general A/O presumptive dates apply.

The ships I served on are on the "list" with no date or date range, even though they operated in both brown and blue water, using the VA's criteria. Specific dates

on one were researched gratis, when it was pointed out to DANFS that the ship's history entry was in error, and a seriously ill veteran (not me) had been denied compensation

as a result of the error. This happened a few years before the VA Nehmer reviews really started.

The other ship operated in brown water for several months at a time, made numerous trips to Vietnam, and actually "beached" to unload troops and equipment at various locations in Vietnam.

Until the VA ships list came out, even with "brown water" service, the VA was often asking for proof of feet on ground.

As to the VA's "blue water harbor" quibble - - - To me the Da Nang and Cam Ranh harbor are within not only the twelve mile limit, they in close proximity

to the shore, and the runoff from the shore. Da Nang harbor is a prime case. Heavy runoff from a river and additionally runoff from the USAFB certainly

existed, likely still exists at some level, and contaminate the harbor. Although some cases have been won on appeal, the VA is still trying to stick to it's stance.

Under the right conditions, a satellite picture should show at least the river runoff pattern, and how it flows in the harbor. Google recently reduced the resolution

of it's satellite pictures, so it's not a likely source. I'm sure DOD & NSA do have high resolution photos, unfortunately getting them might be a problem.

The next step would be to find a qualified "expert" to interpret the evidence.

There is a new bill regarding BWN vets that I posted here the other day (S 1629).

"I'd suspect that the VA does not have a good list of Navy Vietnam shore locations. "

I wonder if they even have a map of Vietnam.

I used maps of Vietnam for a few vets I helped years ago who were Brown Waters.I posted thumbnail to a nice Vietnam war map here years ago-it might still be here.

I am waiting some email for a good coastal map from JR ( BWN.org) as the new bill focuses on the 12 mile limit.

I agree with Computer Tech here:

If you served in Vietnam that should be in your 201 file which the VA should have. If you don't have a copy of you 201 file I would request a copy from St. Lewis.

Ask them for your pay records too. The SF 180 can be filled out on line at the NARA web site.

You will need to print off the bar coded thing, sign it, keep copy and mail it to where you are directed to on the site.

In the S 1629 post I made there is a link to VNVets site were there might be more info that can help any BWN vet as well as the BlueWaterNavy site.

However it appears to me you were definitely incountry Vietnam and all here gave great advice.

"I called my vso today to find out about my ihd claim. Even though i have not been notified he looked it up and said they turned it down because it was not service related. what does that mean? i don't have a disability or they think i was not in vietnam."

Best to wait for the letter. I do believe the VA ,when they see Navy, will deny any AO claim right off the bat sometimes.