Comments

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  William A. Whisenant, Jr June 13, 2013 at 6:29pm

  Let me add a little humor here about records.  When I was checking out of boot camp I was told they would have to hold me until they could find my medical records.  I already had plane tickets home so was not inclined to be held over.

  I asked the Yeoman if they couldn't just forward my records to my next duty station.

  When he said no I threatened to go to his commanding officer to report my missing records. His change of tune was swift.  I left NATTC San Diego on time.

  Later on while in "A" school at NATTC Memphis it was discovered that my medical records were missing when I took a physical for air crew members. It was suggested that that I would have to retake all the shots I got in boot camp.

  I did not like that scenario so when I went over to the hospital to do something about it I found that the corpsman was supposed to get an early start on weekend liberty.  I pointed out that I couldn't have got out of boot camp without those shots and suggested that he simply write them in.  I was due for a couple of booster shots so he gave me those and wrote in the rest.  Oh and I didn't get the aircrew rating because of the missing records.

  So yes records get lost but sometime almost miraculously for various reasons they re-appear.   Whether or not the records re-appear depends on whose rear end needs covering up.
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  Thomas Collier June 13, 2013 at 6:29pm

  I hope one day my mission on the streets with the homeless vets, will allow them to see and fully understand what friendship with mates and brothers and sisters in arms, can condition the soul and heart. They too can reap the joy and warmth of caring individuals.
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  James W Ward June 13, 2013 at 6:05pm

  What happen to the song "What do we do with a drunken Sailor earli in the morning"  Traditions, yes, discussions yes.  I think that each and every one of us has had different experiences, that said mine and yours are not the same.  I am a proud navy veteran, I display it, I show it and even when I was spit on I boasted about it.  I think that records, go missing, it happens. My dad was in Newfoundland and was coming home on the Liberty Hospital ship when it was hit.  Those records are now where to be found, but I do have his dog tag from the Liberty Hospital ship.  All of us here served proud and I applaud each and everyone of you. Some are River Rats, some were inside, some were blue water but all of us to a person served with pride, so fair winds and following seas my shipmates, I am off to a Veteran house to fix his computer. One Veteran to another I salute you
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  Daniel J Chesley June 13, 2013 at 5:44pm

  To quote that great American, the late Rodney King. "Can't we all just get along?". 

  Just kidding guys.
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  Bob Coombs June 13, 2013 at 5:31pm

  Speaking of shrinkage, well I remember at least one case of addage! When I was a new SK striker in the supply office, we did an inventory of all the storage rooms and I found an item that wasn't on the records. It was part of a night vision scope, and I could have easily just kept it, but one little part does not make a complete scope. The ship did have a night vision scope up in the pilot house the OOD used at night to look for Charlie sneaking around the river banks, but I think it was on loan and got transferred to the other ships that followed us.
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  James W Ward June 13, 2013 at 5:18pm

  Bob is correct, the records are important, but as a Radioman I took code, listened to signals, tuning in receivers and transmitters, syncing up crypo equpt. and been shot at, bombed and no records so any of this. I find out later that when the Marines needed a radioman replacement for a short time, I would go. No record, just a friend of the Capt who needed help.  Then on the carrier we never wore ear protection because we were radioman and now I have Stereo Tinnitus.  Been to the VA three times for it and they say it is normal for someone of my age having it.  BS.  I had it while in the Navy.  Slowed my code taking down to 18 wpm.  What we did was not always recorded. I signed in at Cam Ranh bay to work on tty.  No record of my signing in.. At the end of our time there, Chaos was in control, Records destroyed to protect our intelligence etc.

  I do believe that Agent Orange was the cause of a lot of deaths. A friend of mine died a few years ago, medal of honor winner Rocco. Knew him before, and after Viet Nam.  He is not on the wall, died from multiple cancers linked to agent Orange.  I do not yell nor push my Ideals, thoughts on anyone. Take it for what it says.  We got screwed over pretty good.  The cost of freedom is expensive

   
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  Lindsey E. Ford HMC (SW) June 13, 2013 at 5:15pm

  The bottom line is we can agree to disagree, no record keeping system is perfect. I worked with a guy at the Silverton, he did inventory control and made the statement - show me someone who shows no "shrinkage" I will show you someone who is "cooking the books." Shrinkage is basically - 14 bottles of whiskey comes in and we can only account for 13 bottles.
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  Bob Coombs June 13, 2013 at 5:04pm

  I'm still scratching my head as to what the disagreement is about. Seems everybody agrees on most everything here. The only subject I can find any minor disagreement about is this:
  David said "Record keeping IS a VERY IMPORTANT part of a combat zone!"
  and Lindsey replied "Record keeping is not exactly a priority in a combat zone."
  
  Is that the beef, or did I fail to read something between the lines? I think the real problem is that with internet forum conversation the tone of voice the writer is thinking to himself comes across differently to each person reading it. I just whispered all the above, but none of you knew that until I said it! Before thinking someone is picking an argument, step back and re-read the post in a quieter tone to see if the poster might have been in a mellow state of mind when writing. I don't think David was shouting just because he used capital letters, but was just trying to emphasize the importance of record keeping.
  
  back to normal tone of voice...
  
  As for the statements by David and Lindsey, both are right! I can vouch for the need for good record keeping, as that was a BIG (or should have I said big) part of my job in the Supply Department. What if our records said we had one thingamagig in stock to fix the radar, but when the radar failed, we discovered our records were in error! We earned the blue "E" for excellence two periods running for our department during my service aboard the ship.

  On the other hand, a few years ago the guys on my gun mount were having hearing problems due to a combat related incident, and the records to support our position are few and far between. When an ammo barge is blown up one or two hundred yards from the ship, and our hearing is totally knocked out for a while, and all gun crew are requested to go to sick bay the following morning for an ear check, you'd think the incident would be recorded in the ship's log books, and our medical records would indicate the ear exam, but none of that happened. A couple of us ended up with hearing and tinnitus claims being accepted while others got nothing. The situation may have been better if good records had been kept.
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  Lindsey E. Ford HMC (SW) June 13, 2013 at 5:03pm

   I would have had to break out my rammer and find some sand to pack in his core box.

   I hooked a Chief Petty Officer a few minutes ago.  He put up a good fight, but spit the hook when Jimmy jumped in the pool.

  Excuse me!!! you want to pack sand in my core box and you hooked me!! You want to disrespect me, because we had different experiences and different opinions about our experiences.

  This time the exclamation points I used intentionally because you think it is yelling, I don't think it is yelling I think it is making a point.

  Do not disrespect me.
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  Thomas Collier June 13, 2013 at 4:39pm

  Thanks James for the reference to us who have suffered the on set of diseases and medical problems from Agent Orange. Little did they know that some of us "farmers," knew about "drift, wind slopes, ground heat and etc," associated with spraying crops with dangerous pesticides and not becoming "victims," of our work. "You think we might have been better at it, rather than the pilots that never flew crop dusters?"