Veteran/child Of Nam Vet Exposed To Ao

[Andyman73]

Well, I done gone and did it. I was at Leb. VA for C&P for knee increase. While killing time I spoke with the Enviro. Health rep. Gave her a copy of my DD-214 and my father's. Also a copy of the page of my original VA rating letter that stated spina bifida of S-1. She is excited because I am her very first Child of AO. I also spoke with the Bennies counselor, who put in my AO claim, and officially stamped it as received. I am his first as well. Guess I'm #1, huh? I pointed out to him that my proof is the VA's own X-ray and rating letter!!! He said that the regional office for this type of claim is in FL. And he's got no idea what kinda time line we're looking at, here. She was talking to the other person in the Enviro health office, about medical workups and said that I shouldn't need the same kind that a non-Vet Child of AO would need, since I'm already in the VA's system. I'm nervous and excited to see how this will play out. I hope and pray that the burden of proof has already been met, with their own X-ray, and they accept and qualify my claim.

I wonder if this will then stand as proof for secondary SCD I may be dealing with. I welcome any and all comments. My Dad, on the other hand, is not sure if he wants to put in his own AO claim. Or any of the laundry list of SC and denied SC claims. When I spoke to him, he seemed like maybe he didn't want to face this giant one more time(VA). I think I may have opened a box that has been sealed and hidden in the farthest region of his mind. Just writing this now is making me feel horrible, what kind of son am I, to release that Dog of War in his mind?

Dang...

[Buck52]

chuck75

Did you have your 214  to state your service on it? if not did you write the Navy Board of Review of Records  to ask them to get it right? For US Army it's Arlington Va  but the US Navy and Marine Core are at a different Place.(I Believe its Philly Pa?

I did  wrote them at Arlington Va but still have not heard back  just some Colonel    saying we have received your request to review your DD-214 Form  for correction. please note we get thousands of request daily and work at a 1st come bases first it could take up to 3 month to a year. its been 8 months so for.

It had most of my medals on it and vietnam service from this date to this date but that was wrong  They never put my extended stay over there and therefore my term in service was wrong and my Service from Germany was not on there,,,,I don't care about  the boots on the ground service of RVN if they think I just floated in air over there let them think it.

For my claim I had records to say other wise. however I would like to get my DD 214 Corrected before I pass  its bothered me for 46 years now.

 

Edited February 6, 2016 by Buck52

[Chuck75]

1 hour ago, Buck52 said:

chuck75

Did you have your 214  to state your service on it? if not did you write the Navy Board of Review of Records  to ask them to get it right? For US Army it's Arlington Va  but the US Navy and Marine Core are at a different Place.(I Believe its Philly Pa?

I did  wrote them at Arlington Va but still have not heard back  just some Colonel    saying we have received your request to review your DD-214 Form  for correction. please note we get thousands of request daily and work at a 1st come bases first it could take up to 3 month to a year. its been 8 months so for.

It had most of my medals on it and vietnam service from this date to this date but that was wrong  They never put my extended stay over there and therefore my term in service was wrong and my Service from Germany was not on there,,,,I don't care about  the boots on the ground service of RVN if they think I just floated in air over there let them think it.

For my claim I had records to say other wise. however I would like to get my DD 214 Corrected before I pass  its bothered me for 46 years now.

 

The Navy 214 showed basic Vietnam Service awards, and shipboard assignments (Sea Pay)

But at the time, the ships, although they were amphibious,  were considered "Blue Water" by the VA. I was able to prove "Feet on ground". via, of all things, USAF records.

Actually, my A.O. exposure was likely the result of being in the water at various places, including rivers and just offshore.

More recently, when one of the crew members was denied, we got the Navy History operation that maintains ships records and writes the ship's history to come up with deck logs, and correct the history to show in country service. That was before the "Brown Water" list had more than a few ships on it. At a result of efforts by various veterans, the ships ended up on the list, one by name, and both by type. After that, I did obtain a DD 215 that showed combat related awards. Before I had that, I did send a copy of one of the awards in with a claim. The 215 to the VA made it and the others official. The 215 was generated by the records center at St. Louis. The process you mentioned was needed if the discharge character needed to be changed.

 

 

[Buck52]

oic

Is the 215 a correction of the 214?

[FormerMember]

R/T. I had to get mine updated w/ a 215 in 2013.

[Berta]

The pdf for a DD 149 is in this link:

http://www.dfas.mil/correctmilitaryrecords.html

Just state you are correcting for proof of your incountry Vietnam service and for any decorations/ awards that might be missing from your DD 214. .

You will get a DD 215, smaller than the 214, that might reveal additional decorations, etc you did not even know you had.

If any of them are from the Vietnamese Gov, they will send you the service medals/ribbons described on the DD 215, with a nice letter informing you that any awards from the Vietnamese Government will have to be purchased by you at a Bx,Px, etc because USA does not manufacture those awards.

 

 

[Andyman73]

Asknod,

I do realize that I'm standing at the gateway to some bronze age labyrinth that has fabulous treasure in the middle.  And I know all the paths lead to another gateway to the outside, and that what ever chance I have to successfully complete my journey will be fully dependent on God's hand, or pure accident. 

All of my life has been preordained by Him, but living it sure seems that it has been mostly ignored.  That is to say, no good luck, or bad, or even plain ol' dumb luck.  Nothing has ever fallen into my lap, and Murphy hasn't been chasing me with his "law" either.

Everything I have ever done has only ever been minimally successful, no matter the risk involved, or lack there of.  And in hindsight, even this path I have stepped out on, will most likely end in nothingness.  But even a dog gets to eat the crumbs that fall off it's master's table.

I take no offense to what was said, I know it wasn't offered in offense.  But I have to believe that as long as I don't give up, roll over and die, that I have some tiny shred of a chance.

In the end, maybe there will be some information learned, some knowledge gained, that would help somebody who's claim is truly legitmate,  and certainly more deserving than I.