Find Unit Records?

[Buck52]

How would a veteran go about finding his in-service records from Vietnam that showed what he did, for instance he did not do his MOS but was assign to another type job, how would he prove this?

And was still with this same unit, Would those records show what he did ? or keep him at his MOS Although that's not what he was assign to.

Would he contact St Louis NRSP and see what the records show/? were trying to find out how to prove what he did in Vietnam.

He has old record of in-country travel orders that had to be renewed every 60 days & Sign off by his CO

This was his new assignment Recovery of US Disable Vehicle's from the field/ mechanical failure or demolished from acts of war.

Thanks in Advance

....................Buck

Edited June 27, 2015 by Buck52

[Buck52]

Ms Berta,

In that BVA Docket # 94-08 832 in your opinion what is your opinion that made the VA change there mind and award this veteran?

I gotta make a run to my VAMC be back after lunch.

Thanks

......................Buck

[Berta]

The BVA never denied the claim, the dumb RO did.

94-08 832

The veteran had medical records, both private and VA, consistent with treatment of an anxiety disorder.

He also had 2 tours of duty in Vietnam and the stresssor regarding the Buddist Monk, that I am sure could be verified, as he killed the Monk to stop his misery from the fact he had been doused with gas and lite on fire..

Also this could have been verified:
"In an April 1996 statement, the veteran reported that, while
serving in Vietnam, he was caught in a fire fight between Korean
and Vietnamese troops, who were shooting at each other by mistake."

Command had to have a report done on that.

His description of his "depersonalization" feelings to a T., were consistent with severe trauma.

"He also said that during his second tour of Vietnam, he was
hospitalized for psychiatric symptoms as well as for his drug
addiction."

I am 100% sure this was the same veteran and the remand,prior to the above granted of benefits.

http://www.va.gov/vetapp96/files1/9606362.txt

This stuff makes me sick:

The remand was for all the stuff the VA should have done in the first place:

1. The RO should obtain the veteran’s
complete service personnel records from
the National Personnel Records Center.

2. The RO should contact Dr. Thrall at
the John Dempsey Hospital in Farmington,
Connecticut and obtain a copy all of the
veteran’s treatment records not already
associated with the claims file,
including any of the supporting data
relied upon by Dr. Thrall in rendering
her diagnosis of PTSD.

3. The RO should contact the VA
Readjustment Counseling Service at the
Hartford Veterans Center and obtain a
complete copy of the veteran’s file.

4. The RO should contact the Social
Security Administration and obtain all
medical records upon which the September
1993 award of Social Security disability
benefits was based, for association with
the claims folder.

5. The RO should contact the veteran and
ask him to provide a statement relating
as many details as possible about his
traumatic experiences while serving in
Vietnam. Specific dates, places, units
and names of individuals should be
sought. Thereafter, the statement should
be forwarded to the United States Army
and Joint Services Environmental Support
Group, 7798 Cissna Road, Springfield,
Virginia 22150, for attempted
verification of the claimed stressors.

6. After completion of the above, the
veteran be afforded a VA psychiatric
examination by a board of two
psychiatrists to determine the nature and
extent of any psychiatric disability now
present, with particular reference to the
diagnostic criteria for PTSD. Clinical
findings should be reported in detail.
Psychological testing should be
performed. If PTSD is diagnosed, the
examiners should identify the specific
stressors and symptoms relied upon to
support the diagnosis. Irrespective of
what the examining physicians conclude as
regards PTSD, in view of the above noted
clinical findings in service medical
records, they should express an opinion
as to whether an acquired psychiatric
disorder (irrespective of diagnosis)
developed during service or is related to
service. Their attention, in this
regard, should be directed to the last
paragraph on page 3 of the June 1993
report of VA psychiatric examination.
The claims folder should be made
available to and reviewed by the
examiners prior to the veteran’s
examination.
7. After the development requested above
has been completed to the extent
possible, the RO should again review the
entire record. If the benefit sought on
appeal remains denied, the veteran and
his representative should be furnished a
supplemental statement of the case and be
given the appropriate opportunity to
respond thereto.

Thereafter, the case should be returned to the Board, if in
order. The purpose of this REMAND is to procure clarifying
data. The veteran need take no action until otherwise
notified."

Upon return of the claims file (I assume the RO denied again)
the BAV fully granted this claim.

Unfortunately BVA decisions do not contain description of every piece if evidence they entail.

As I recommend here from time to time, maybe the vet followed the remand themselves and wrote to thee ESG for verification of those stressors.

"5. The RO should contact the veteran and
ask him to provide a statement relating
as many details as possible about his
traumatic experiences while serving in
Vietnam. Specific dates, places, units
and names of individuals should be
sought. Thereafter, the statement should
be forwarded to the United States Army
and Joint Services Environmental Support
Group, 7798 Cissna Road, Springfield,
Virginia 22150, for attempted
verification of the claimed stressors."

JSRRC ( Joint Services Records Research Center used to be called the ESG regarding Army inquiries, and also is called CURR in older BVA decisions.

I will check that address but I think it is the same one I posted here in this thread.

I think the main points the BVA hit on was

1.

his inservice treatment for drugs problems and Psychiatric issues.

The remand called for ALL of his Personnel files, so maybe that meant his SMRs were never obtained by VA either.

2.I dont know what his SSDI award was for but it could have been solely for PTSD.

3. consistent treatment records and IMOs that supported the PTSD claim (but could not support verification of the stressors, of course)

4. and perhaps verification from ESG, but that is not mentioned in the award.

I also am assuming that his SMRs had to have been with the SSA in 1993 and maybe they had been 'retired' to St Louis records depository.

In any event the inservice MH hospitalization certainly was probably the key evidence for the PTSD award.

During the Vietnam War , PTSD was not a diagnosis.

Obviously his private MH providers had already ruled out schizophrenia, bi polar, pre -war causes for the trauma, or any

other MH diagnosis except for PTSD.

[Berta]

This is the JSRRC contact info I gave here about a week ago in a link:

We have a lot of info here on JSRRC but I had trouble searching for their contact info so best to post it again:

All Branches except for Marine Corps-

US Army and Joint Services Records Research Center
7701 Telegraph Rd,Kingman Building Room 2CO8
Alexandria VA. 22315-3802

1-703-428-6801

Marines-

Go to the Marine Corps University Archive Site http://www.mcu.usmc....CRCweb/Archive/

Or contact to the Commandant of the Marine Corps
Headquarters USMC Quantico toll free 1-800-268-3710
Fax 11-703-784-5792

For stressor verification- give as many details as to date and place and unit as possible.

to add... sometimes VA will say they contacted JSRRC and the stressor could not be verified, but they didnt even try.

I have seen claims like that.here and locally.

Knowing the VA will pull that BS, is one more reason veterans should write to JSRRC themselves.

If the stressor can be verified by JSRRC, they will have documented evidence of it from JSRRC that could save them Years at the BVA,if their claim has to be remanded for the VARO to do what they should have done in the first place.

[USMC_VET]

We had a "Special Ops" 'vet' here a few years ago and right away PR and I knew something was fishy.

We asked a few pertinent questions and he never came back to hadit.

Stillhere, I realized that when a vet asks for help and they do not follow through on valid suggestions, and expect the person helping them to try to do too much, it probably means they are a wannabee.

I have no reason to believe that the vet Buck is helping isnt a real Spec Ops vet.

But I sure have had some surprises, particularly even from a few widows who came here over the years, thinking their spouse had

combat or exemplary non combat service and they only found out the truth when the vet died and they tried to get DIC

Years ago I asked one widow to email me a copy of her spouses DD 214 and found out he had been incarcerated when he died, because he stole lots of cash from the Army., and he had gotten a dishonorable discharge.

And other widows were not even 'widows' of the veteran they claimed to be,so wannabes are not limited to 'veterans' at all.

Those folks usually dont do their homework other than a few wikipedia searches and what they see in movies. Usually bombastic talk and constant interjection of them being special forces, etc gives them away. Those in that community dont talk about it all that much unless its actually pertinent and dont bring it up every 5 seconds.

Anyone that has been in or knows folks who are in that community know the "type" of person it usually attracts as well as their demeanor.

usually any detailed questions or even fake leading ones like "were you with 15 batt in the rangers" and when they say "yeah" or dont immediately go "there is no 15th batt", reveals who they really are.

the community is small and it takes only a few phone calls to check and see if so and so is really a airborne ranger navy seal green beret.

[Quibley]

I went through this thread and your original questions and answers seem to change every time someone gives you an answer.

1) First he was Special Operations in Long Binh

2) Then he was special operations in the 9th Infantry

3) Then he was in a special operations transportation unit (which has never existed at any time in any branch of the US miitary).

4) Then he witnessed this special operations unit run over Vietnamese children - which, was the mission of the special operations transportation unit.

5) Then when he wasn't watching children being run over, he was pulling guard duty in bunkers and some NVA/VC were killed and he witnessed said action.

What a load of $*&@

First off, Long Binh, besides being the headquarters for USARV - United States Army Vietnam, was also the home to the 1st Logistical Command, IIFFV - II Field Force Vietnam and the 1st Aviation Brigade. Geographically, Long Binh was in the III CTZ. III Corps tactical Zone, of which there were 4 in Vietnam. I CTZ, II CTZ, III CTZ and IV CTZ.

IFFV-I Field Force Vietnam controlled I CTZ and II CTZ.

IIFFV controlled III CTZ and IV CTZ.

The 9th Infantry Division was located and headquartered in the Delta, in the IV CTZ.

A very simple request to NPRC https://vetrecs.archives.gov/VeteranRequest/home.html with an additional request for the service member's complete OMPF will produce, among other things, a DA Form 2-1, also known as a personnel qualification record.

A 2-1 is used to keep track of a U.S. Army soldier’s information and records, such as overseas service, assigned units, awards and honors, or job details. This form is important as a member of the Army can have many different titles and positions throughout their military career. They may also serve in many different places and participate in active duty tours. This form will ensure that the records of this soldier are kept up-to-date.

This form is constantly updated with any changes to the member’s education, training, and assignments.

Given what I've listed so far, your friend's recollections are all over the place, and not one piece of information that your friend supplied or any information you supplied passes the smell test.

Maybe other people don't want to say it. But I will.

My educated guess is that your buddy was a REMF assigned to some type of combat service support unit in the 1st Log, IIFFV or the 266th Supply and Service Battalion.

I was assigned to many units in my brief military career and I've never forgotten the designation of the units I served.

I call bull*hit

Edited July 7, 2015 by Quibley

[Berta]

Look, even Secretary Bob got in trouble by telling a
"Spec Ops " vet that he too was in Spec Ops.Forces.

The Secretary was in the Rangers school I think , but I felt he was only trying to reach a common ground with this vet....

There was a big broo ha ha over what the Sec said but personally I still wonder if the "Spec Ops vet " he was talking to , was really a Sp Ops.

Believe me I hear what you are saying.But this vet;s actual MOS and experience in this thread has been identified better since the first posts here on this claim.

The transcript and video of Sec Bob and the SF vet is in this link.

http://fellowshipoftheminds.com/2015/02/24/new-va-secretary-robert-mcdonald-lied-about-being-in-special-forces/

I used to be at the local Bath NY VAMC a lot, either volunteering or going to the appts with my husband.

Lots of the NSC DOM vets there tried to BS anyone from the outside as to their military experience.

Many would say they were 'retired' but they were not Military retirees at all. Many of them claimed MOS's that were ridiculous and one saved an Admiral from drowning but I still cant figure out how he got from cooks quarters to be that close to an Admiral, who was that close to the ship's railings.

Oh yeah I forgot, he also said he was a Navy Seal

We have to extend Benefit of Doubt to every vet here, and can only go by the information that they have posted.

If VA requires proof of a stressor and they cannot get that proof, the VA will deny their claim anyhow.

You guys are attacking the advocate, Buck , who is trying to help this vet.

It has often taken me many weeks and even months and years in some cases, to get the whole story from veterans, two who I knew personally, and I wish this vet would come to hadit himself because it is VERY difficult to help as Buck is doing, by bringing the info he has ,from the veteran here.

One of those 2 friends finally won mega retro after almost 10 years , NSC to 100% P & T Sc ,and the other one won after 8 years, BVA twice, CAVC twice, and he finally won because I helped him, but in both cases, a lot of ohone calls and emails and meeting with them took place over those years to draw them out to specific details they needed.

I don't do what Buck is doing anymore. It is too time consuming and difficult but no service officer or vet rep will do work like that for any of you.

If you read that BVA case above you will see, as I myself experienced, that even so called state and county Vet orgs dont have a clue either.

The Long Bihn stressor has potential proof of verification. But the dates are wrong.

Buck, he needs to be sure of that date, and even the month.

Was it before or after the monsoons season?

What was happening in the 'world' in Stars and Stripes at that time?

What were letters from home saying about current news?

What was Hanoi Hannah talking about as happening back home?

What was the closest American Holiday to this incident?

What dates were his Travel orders for ,that you mentioned?

Edited July 7, 2015 by Berta