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Veterans affairs red tape

Started by chain, November 17, 2014, 03:44:09 PM

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chain

Long story...Army lost my service records sometime in the last 90 days I was in active duty. I finally got paid four months later after swearing again that I was actually in service....not that I was in Ft. Hood at the time, not that I had served overseas for a year.

Fast forward, I remember finally getting a check and discharge..but after all those years I looked again at my discharge, it said honorable, it said I was in radio school at Ft. Gordon, it also said I was in the 54th Signal Battalion at Ft. Hood, correct...but nowhere did it mention my duty in an armored cavalry unit in West Germany! Nor did it have my final rank.

After fooling around with local Vet affairs offices...and little, 'don't bother me' answers like, "we can't do nothin' if you don't have your records."

I e-mailed my Congressman! So far his mail hasn't accepted! ???

gspren

  Good luck! I spent 4 years in the Navy and later worked for the Army as a DOD Civilian for a bit over 26 years and I don't get surprised with how complicated they can make a simple matter. Again, good luck!
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coxy

I hope you get it figured out   and thanks for your services                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      coxy

chain

Thank you all also for your support.

r.man

The army is just the same as the government, ever read about the hassles people have when they are declared dead prematurely? I suppose in that case the paper pushers are just trying to get a head start on some paperwork.
Life is too short or my list is too long, not sure which. Dec 2014

StimW

Do you have your DD-214 ??
I have mine from 1970 and it has gotten me home loan and VA Medical ID and treatment.
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chain

Yes, I do have a DD-214 and the very last statement at bottom of document says,"Separated from Service on temporary records and soldier's affidavit."

Strange, but they do mention my qualifications on marksmanship, the M-1 in basic, the M-14 which happened to be in W. Germany, no mention of my units in Germany. The last six months or so in service a group of us, all communication specialists, were shipped around and flown around from W. Germany to coast of France, to Stateside, then across to Ft. Hood , then back to the east coast to Ft. Stewart  during the Cuban Crisis. By the way, the highlight of my little military career was at the end of the Cuban Crisis, we were privileged to meet President Kennedy after his speech, was within 20' feet of him.

Gary_C

What units were you with in Germany and when?
Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.

pineywoods

Apparently it's not just me..I did 3 years in the army, discharged in 58 with all the usual stuff plus a couple of personal commendations. A while back, I decided I should check in with the va just in case I ever need to avail myself of my well earned veterans benefits. Zero, nada, zilch, was told I am too affluent rich. 200 acres of timber and a sawmill is apparently filthy rich..
:o  :(
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Nate379

Good luck.  I'm a disabled vet and I'm doing good to see a doctor in 6-8 weeks when I try to make an appt.
Last year I lost feeling waste down (I had a back injury in the service) so I called an ambulance and went to ER.  The VA tried to get me to pay since they felt it wasn't ER worthy.
Dunno, but having feeling in my legs in kinda important!  No I wasn't dying but no way I was waiting 6-8 weeks, let aloe 6-8 mins!

I was in the Air Force from 2001 to 2013.  Got med board as I was putting on e6 pretty much.... That took almost 2 years!

chain

Quote from: Gary_C on November 18, 2014, 10:09:56 AM
What units were you with in Germany and when?

Hqs. Troop 3rd recon Squadron 12th Cavalry, Budengen area, Gelenhausen CCB 3rd Armored [ I think 3rd armored Div.]

long time ago '61-'63', then, 54th sig batl attached to 1st armored [I think] Ft. Hood.

chain

Quote from: Nate379 on November 18, 2014, 12:46:44 PM
Good luck.  I'm a disabled vet and I'm doing good to see a doctor in 6-8 weeks when I try to make an appt.
Last year I lost feeling waste down (I had a back injury in the service) so I called an ambulance and went to ER.  The VA tried to get me to pay since they felt it wasn't ER worthy.
Dunno, but having feeling in my legs in kinda important!  No I wasn't dying but no way I was waiting 6-8 weeks, let aloe 6-8 mins!

I was in the Air Force from 2001 to 2013.  Got med board as I was putting on e6 pretty much.... That took almost 2 years!

I'm sorry about your disablement , Nate. Thinking back, one of the reasons I never filed for any benefits was because of vets that desperately needed help. I thought, who am I, I came through at the right time, I missed 'Nam, but Vet Admin did put a limit on my years in Service insofar as availabilities, etc. But today I do attribute most of my hearing loss to the military, i.e. tanks, armored carriers, cannons bamming, radios blaring and such.

But good news this a.m., the stars must have aligned, a young lady, [vet admin. office] heard my spill and believed me about my hearing problems. At least I do have an appointment with audiologist pending! Still waiting on records though.

Swatson

I am not a vet and never been in the military so obviously I have no personal experience with the VA.  But it makes my blood boil to hear of the issues our vets are having.  I don't care if a vet was a pencil pusher in a depot or a medal winner, they were promised benefits and they ought to get them and they should be hassle free and immediate.  Service in the military is honorable! I pay my fair share of taxes.  It a national shame of the squander of our government.  Ill shut up now before I really get going.
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Larry

Quote from: pineywoods on November 18, 2014, 10:40:19 AM
Apparently it's not just me..I did 3 years in the army, discharged in 58 with all the usual stuff plus a couple of personal commendations. A while back, I decided I should check in with the va just in case I ever need to avail myself of my well earned veterans benefits. Zero, nada, zilch, was told I am too affluent rich. 200 acres of timber and a sawmill is apparently filthy rich..
:o  :(

Congress did that for us not too many years ago.  Funny how they can change the rules in the middle of the game.
Larry, making useful and beautiful things out of the most environmental friendly material on the planet.

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gspren

  I'm in the same boat as Piney, I went to the VA and said I just wanted to register and get a card in case I need something now that I'm in my 60s. On the forms you need to list all your assets and incomes and if you own much property you will be disqualified. I have been told that the way around it would be to file a claim for a disability, usually hearing loss, and then you will probably get in if you push it. I haven't done that because I don't really want disability money, I just want a VA card like we were told 40+ years ago we would be able to get.
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ESFted

Quote from: chain on November 18, 2014, 07:52:29 AM....
Yes, I do have a DD-214 and the very last statement at bottom of document says,"Separated from Service on temporary records and soldier's affidavit."....

Last thing I did before separating was to review my DD214 for accuracy.  I had to attest to it's accuracy before it was processed.  I found and had admin staff correct several errors for which I had documentation.  You should have had this same opportunity.  If you did not and your 214 is incorrect and you have documentation to support corrections you can apply for a correction of records to make things straight.  A lengthy process, but worth it.
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chain

I don't think we ever had a chance to review the 214. There were ten or twelve of us with missing records, we just wanted to be paid! We could not believe they 'Lost" our records, thinking all the while they would be found, but nope. Ha! We were finally so upset and mad we told our CO we were going to the CID or somebody important, he laughed at us.

Gary_C

Quote from: chain on November 18, 2014, 01:11:16 PM

Hqs. Troop 3rd recon Squadron 12th Cavalry, Budengen area, Gelenhausen CCB 3rd Armored [ I think 3rd armored Div.]

long time ago '61-'63', then, 54th sig batl attached to 1st armored [I think] Ft. Hood.

I was in the 1st Battalion- 36th Infantry in CCC, 3rd Armored Division in Friedburg from 61-64 so we were there at the same time. I was in that big parade in Hanau for Pres. Kennedy but I was a long way away from his motorcade.
Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.

Magicman

I watched Kennedy place the wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown on Veterans Day in 1961.  We had traveled from Ft. Jackson, SC, to Washington DC for the event.
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Gary_C

I was in the parade group that President Kennedy reviewed at Hanau, West Germany in 1963 when he gave his famous "Ick bin eine Berliner" speech in Berlin during that trip.

It was an unbelievable spectacle as the Army hauled all our tanks and personnel carriers to Hanau and then lined then up on the parade field with transits long before the day and then we traveled by bus to the site and stayed in tents for a couple of days for the dress rehearsal and then the parade. I was so far back on the parade field that I could not even see his motorcade when it passed at the front. Later after the lunch and speeches the troops were encouraged to gather along the route for the return trip and I went and took some pictures before getting back to the card and chess games in the tents. The Army of course painted everything up and even strung camouflage nets over a nearby German owned junk yard. Unfortunately the pictures I took with my 35 mm were all lost when my wife opened the camera before rewinding the roll into the canister.

I guess during that time, the entire 3rd Armored Division changed status from Combat Ready to defend the Fulda Gap to Parade Duty.   8)

Then early in the morning on the day after our vehicles were back in the motor pool, they pushed the alert button and it was back to work.
Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.

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