Army Records

[exlrrp]

I just got my Army records in the mail after applying for them 20 months ago (in conjunction with my VA claim)
Intersting sitting here reading them, I'd forgotten the year I spent in the Army Reserve as a construction diver (sorta ashamed of it, it means i enlisted TWICE!!!)(hides head sheepishly)
Well thats a long story and fits the story of my life: Seemed Like A Good Idea At The Time.
I see they actually changed my MOS to 05B2p (RTO) during my 6 months as a lrrp--this is amazing because:
A) I NEVER carried the radio as a lrrp, was pointman/asst TL almost all the time, TL a few times. I think my actual title was Scout, which was appropriate ( A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, er kind, jubilant, something else)
B) I didn't know there was an MOS lower than 11B other than Basic Trainee and prisoner.
C) I DID carry the radio but it was in the 101st--thats why I didn't want to carry it in the lrrps, you see

I have to get something off my chest I kept hidden for a long time-they never gave me the CIB--untill this summer
I was in 2 airborne combat units as a rifleman and a lrrp. I'm not claiming to be really brave there but I didn't have to be really brave to get the CIB, I just had to be really there--which I was--and this record proves it right there:
(stabs paper emphatically with finger)
Rifleman----A Co/1st Bn/327th/101st
RTO--- Co E LRP 20th Inf Abn
Close enough for government work, anyway.
I always assumed I had the CIB and wore it untill my discharge--nobody ever said anything to me about it and everybody else that did what I did had it--I assumed the Army had taken care of it but I assumed wrong, sure enough. When I was discharged, they told me There was no orders for it abd I was not authorised to wear it.
You Talk about pissed off and insulted--I left the Army cursing the day I ever saw it. It took me years before I could feel good about the Army and what I did in it, for that and other reasons.
I maybe coukld have gotten it straightened out then but all I was thinking was : "Just show me where I sign out of this chickenshit outfit, NOW!!"
it was just one more thing to grind my teeth about over the whole experience--I felt very fcked over and abused--talk about no thanks from civilians--there was no thanks from the Army either. The irony was not lost on me that Jane Fonda never did to me what the Army did to me
In 1996 I started out on the internet and a few yyears later found the website of my lrrp company. While getting in touch with some of the guys, including Sam P, the Assoc secretary, who I knew in VN(he was the company clerk while I was there) I mentioned that the Army never even gave me the CIB for my humble efforts--he was outraged
He wrote a letter for me applying for the CIB with all the stuff, some records, his statement about why I didn't get it.
I signed this and he mailed it off. First it went to the wrong place, then it went to the right place and got rejected byt Lt Col Deborah Ivory of the Army records section--not enough evedence. I framed that rejection letter.
She must have not looked in the Army record--what the hell DO they commision as officers, anyway?? THE EVIDENCE IS RIGHT FCKING HERE IN B&W!!!!!!! IN THEIR OWN FCKIN RECORDS!!!
(stabs paper again emphatically) With,I might add, EXCELLENT conduct and efficncy scores--well ,that was generous of them.
Thanks AGAIN, Army.
Then I got really pissed off and went to my Congressman George Miller--thank God he's my favorite Congressman.
I gave him a copy of my claim which has pictures and tetimony from my lrrp platoon leader an 2 other people I served with (pacos and my friend).
After almost 3 years of rejections, I was awarded the CIB June 22 by a Congressman--in th 21st Century--how many Vietnam Veterans can say that? Everything I do is a story
The orders were signed by Deborah Ivory--I took down the framed letter, lifted the curse I'd laid on her (frogs, locusts, disfiguring skin diseases)
I'm glad to get this off my chest, I sorta felt like a wannnabe for a long time--but it sure wasn't my fault--if I'd have known back then that I was supposed to put myself in for medals and make sure I got them, I'd have paid a lot more attention to it at the time, you betcha, oh yes, just like The Hack--who got his 2d CIB, an SS, a BSM wV and a dozen Air Medals while serving the same amount of time with this same 1st/327 Battalion*. They never taught that at the schools I went to (BCT, AIT, Basic Airborne, JOC Jungle School, MACV Recondo school) No, thats high level data you don't get untill OCS.
James


Happy just to be alive

(* I am NOT making this up!!)

[Andy]

That is an amazing story. All I can say is on my one sheet DD-214, there are 11 mistakes AND that was the third try. All I wanted was my name spelled correctly, offered to type it myself. People keep telling me to get all the corrections fixed but what's the point. ( The record shows that I was in Nam 2 years 10 months. Quite a trick when I was only in the service for 2 year 9 months.)

Don't know about you but I was too young and too horney to give a crap about the details - just wanted out. However a CIB would have been rather important.

Stay healthy,
Andy

[39mto39g]

Other than a CMH, the CIB is the most impotant trinket I can think of. Glade to see ya got it. Don't ever take anything the Army does for granit, bunch of ashole jurks.
I knew one guy that got put in for a CMH and didn't get it, At the time I thought, what the hell do you have to do to get it cause he was right next to me when he did what he did and I know he did it.
Reservist eah? Ill have to pass that on .
Ron

[1CAVCCO15MED]

I too joined the Reserves for a year. I can't remember why I did it but I do recall telling them I had a real aversion to guns and didn't want to handle any. They told me no problem since it was a medical unit. The only two things I remember about the year is forever cleaning M-14's and hiding from the officers. We were told if we didn't have anything to do we were in trouble and we didn't have anything to do since all the M-14's were clean and we better not be found. Ever try hiding all day from officers in a little armory?. It was the last year of my six year obligation so I got out. They really didn't understand why I would give up this wonderful job opportunity. :

[1CAVCCO15MED]

Several years later this unit was called up for Desert Storm as a MASH unit. They went to Saudi Arabia and when the war started they proceeded to go into the Iraqi desert and get lost due to the lack of training and experience. They spent the whole 100 hours of the war trying to set up their tents unknowingly behind enemy lines while the leaders pursued the females of the unit. From what I heard they caught a few. After the war they were disbanded and the leaders reassigned to non-leadership positions. And to think I turned all that down. A lot of the guys in the unit had joined the reserves to avoid going to Vienam. They all came home to a hero's welcome, parade down main street and all. I was standing there beside the road welcoming them.

[PHO127]

Try looking at my records, DMZ-LT and I both applied for PTSD at the same time. When I received my copy of records from the VA there were whole sections that were blanked out. There were no designations for MAC-SOG service, only an entry of reconance and surveilance officer. Awards section was one that was partially blanked out. Security clearance had been blanked out. only showed 18 of 42 months RVN service. Did not show service with 1/27th inf or any with the 23rd Div. When I was denied PTSD it was because my records did not show combat service. I wrote my Bn. Co. LTG (ret) Johnny J. Johnston for a letter to show that I had served in combat. We had a great phone conversation, got to go and see him soon.

[exlrrp]

well this is in the context of a PTSD claim I made Feb/01
Whats funny wbout this particular case is that I been goin to counseling for PTSD offf and on, mostly on since 1991 but I never filed a claim because I just did not want to deal with all this, jump through the VA hoops. I don't need the money (yet!!its the economy, stupid!!).
I had 2 VA shrinks tell me a dozen times each to apply for it but I never got around to it untill last year--BIG MISTAKE--They both diagnosed me with heavy PTSD--there's another VA contract counselor who said the same thing. All 3 of em sent in letters to the VA in support
When my claim came up, I had pictures, testimony from 3 people I served with, including my platoon leader in the lrrps. I had some orders assigning me to the lrrps. I had letters from my bbrother and sister, both PHD psyccologists, in support of my claim-I could have got a LOT more testimony.
They rejected my claim entirely, basically I don't think they ever read it. I did not have the CIB at the time hey started considering it and I now se this was a factor. I turned in the orders as soon as I got it but from checking the dates, they made the decision before this was entered.
They gave me a list of evidence they considered:
Completely missing was ANY letter from the VA shrinks--this was crucial to the case, provided the diagnosis. NONE ZERO NADA. No letter from any VA shrink or any but my family and friends. It is their job to gather inmformation from their own employees, not mine and they SOOO did not. I know the addresses and phone #s of these shrinks were given--they all told me they answered the inquiry as sooon as it came. This completely shot down the case--could only mean they never seriously considered it.This is the main reason for appeal--the incompetent sonsabitches did NOT follow their own procedures or even basic sense.
They also said they sent me 2 notices of a comp exam which they did not--I check the mail everyday and was looking especially for this-One letter might have gotten by me but not 2. They made no effort to folow up on this nor did my advocate.
The DAV is as worthless as tits on a boar, they did nothing but fck me up and slowly at that. Ive changed advocates now to a county service officer and things are improving.
My counselor BOB is helping me out with this too--he was REAL pissed because they completely blew of his opinion and made him look stupid--this was not at ALL what he said would happen. He started emailing--this was 2 weeks ago.
He is now in touch with Hoffscheider--his bosses boss on the West Coast.
He showed me the emails. Hoffsheider has started an investigation into this and inthe emails, he specifically stated I have a good case. Theyre rescheduling this now. When I turn in the appeal, I will have the testimony from ALL these shrinks put in there--I'm getting it myself.
I understood the VA was supposed to give a good faith effort to help you on your case--BULLSHT!!--Ive done EVRY bit of the work myself.
Thank God for the internet, if I didn't have this, I NEVER would have started this--(Thanks Al Gore LOL)--meeting up with old people has been SOOOO excellent.
I think my case is a slam dunk!! the more they fck wiith me, the more I determine to get effectiv. This aint over till its over and I have a lot of time and money to burn untill then.

James

[exlrrp]

The Congressman, Geo Miller has been real helpful to me so far, offering to do more--would this be a good idea at this stage or should I hold off on this? I think this is the kind of thing that gets settled with "pull"
James

Still happy just to be alive

[Arrow]

the incomepetent sonsabitches did NOT follow their own procedures or even basic sense.

and there it is...

[exlrrp]

Originally posted by 1CAVCCO15MED
I too joined the Reserves for a year. I can't remember why I did it but I do recall telling them I had a real aversion to guns and didn't want to handle any. . :

I joined the Reseves for one year as a comnstruction diver in a port battalion. I'd been wrking on and of as a professional diver, had gone to a school for it. I went down and toured the facilities, talked to the diving section head. Sounded all right, I was looking for dive buddies anyway.
he told me all about the great stuff they did.It turns out--I'm not making this up-that he was a pathological liar and you couldn't believe him if he told you it was Saturday.In almost one year, all I did was salvage a forklift that someone drove off a dock.Turned out I was the only one there with ANY training or experience as a professional diver.
This was the worst unit I saw--this was where I saw the CO whack himself in the nuts with a baseball bat while he was blustering and Bogarting in front of the formation-I told thhat story on vets.com. I fell down I was laughing so hard. the only time I ever did that in formation, although I was tempted other times.
I wound up walking away from this outfit the 2d day of camp--spent the first day with my head in my hands wondering how I could have been so stupid TWICE in one life.
Example-the first thing my new roomate said was: "Sure glad your not a nigr" (This was in CA!!)
Its a long story but I wound up just walking away from this unit, more or less flipping them the bird--Kiss my Ass, I already GOT an honorable Discharge!!--I jus spect I don't hav to put up with THAT sht twice in one lifetime--this was immensely satisfying--The Sgt Major tried to Bogard me and I looked him in the eye and told him to lay the fck off if he knew what was good for him--more immense satisfaction here, I'd never been so proud to have been a paratrooper in my life. .
I'm just not the military type, as I had to prove to myself more than once
James