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"Responding to you question about the VAT team, I spent about the first 3 month in Civic Action at Tien Sha and was sent out to several for various jobs. I was mostly labor as a seaman but I did work with a Vietnamese ARVN amputee hospital where I…"
"I think I worked for you as a mess cook on the APL 30. I loaded supplies from the dock and later on to the boats that went up river. I also had to paint the forward storage compartment where the dry goods were stored. I enjoyed the cold storage…"
"It was the only ship I was on in my Naval career of 4 years and I was only on it for decommissioning (about 3 months). I was a SA but they put me in with the BTs and MMs. I didn't even get to stay on when it was towed from Bremerton to the Seattle…"
"Served in NSA Danang from May 67-May 68. Served on APL30 for 3 months working supplying the food for the boat that went to Dong Ha and Chu Lai and probably other places. Sent the rest of my tour working in Civic Action. I was at Camp Tien Sha for…"
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Need your mailing address....
(my email----- Rockytour1963@outlook.com
What was the time frame you was in Civic Action, I may know or have contact with some of the guys ?
The name Uestis (spelling) keeps coming back --the guy who ran the C/A warehouse ??
Give me the breakdown of each location you worked and I'll try to match info / data and provide a supporting statement ref your assignments as it will help if and when you file anything with VA. Some at VA think only Army or Marines were on the ground in Vietnam __LOL. I get into discussions sometimes with jerks that say only they were on the ground.
Also ref the unit awards ,it was a longtime before they were approved . Most of us left before knowing about them . I have some data on which awards etc . I also have a copy of the Civic Action newsletter dated Dec 1968 , I can make a copy and mail to you . If you google "rockets hit DaNang airbase 1967 " , the VAT 2 village shows up with the destruction--they had 142 homes wiped out --approx. 35 plus were killed . I was transferred from Danang USOM Surgical to take over the VAT because the guy there was dragging his feet on getting things move to rebuild the hamlet. Doc -Tom Eagles showed up at the same time , Bu2 Eddie Nolan nd Sn Joe Hood too. Eddie passed away a couple of years ago . Doc Tom passed also , Joe Hood lives in Texas, he had a heart transplant but is hanging on . The St Louis award section does good to replace medals etc--mine were ripped off with a shadow box when I moved from Hawaii to Trinidad ,Colorado to attend Gunsmithing School > on VA --enjoyed the time-5 years, taking every class available on gun repair. ( 272 semester hours) until the Special Forces contractor came along with the job offer .
Also, should you need a supporting statement ref where you worked , water sources, food etc, le tme know as you records may not show the details. VA must accept these type statements as supporting evidence for claims.
Ref VA --claims or benefits :
Used VA FORM 10-10EZ to file for medical benefits. As a Vietnam Veteran , there are benefits you may not be aware of for war time / period veterans and or sometimes their families.
Use VA FORM 21-526EZ to file a claim . Some of the overlooked areas for claims are : hearing and tinnitus ( ringing in the ears ). Tinnitus is considered a separate item from hearing. You can call the 1-800-827-1000 and ask where is the nearest VA office to file the 10-10EZ for medical benefits. They will set an appointment for a complete physical /labs etc. Should something go wrong with your health that is considered A/O related --you will be in the system already by filing for medical benefits. Do not worry if they say you make too much as this is the standard VA response in some VA offices. FILE IT ANYWAY. IF you have any issue that can be possibly linked to your military service , put it on the claim form--VA will exam you and make a decision if it is service connected , The local DAV or American Legion ,VFW may have Service Officers that can assist in filing a claim--recommend you see them before filing. Should you need DD_214 or records , use form SF-180 , the address is on the form . Once you are in the VA medical care system, any related prescriptions , eye glasses,hearing aides
will be covered by VA. Be sure to review the Agent Orange list of illnesses recognized by VA . More conditions are added from time to time. Also should a Vietnam veteran pass away due to Service related ( Agent Orange conditions or injuries ) the spouse or minor children are entitled to compensation --approx. 1200-1300 monthly plus some educational benefits. Also if you have lost your medals or awards--you can request these from St Louis also using the SF-180 also . Most folks who served in out time era are effected by tinnitus and or hearing loss as there was no hearing protection in those days .We routinely fired weapons with no hearing protection.
I 1971, when I went back into the Navy, I got orders back to Vietnam as a Navy Advisor, ran all over I-Corps with a VN unit doing independent PSYWAR OPS -the Marines had pulled out of I-Corps and the Army had moved in--scary as hell --the areas became VC camp grounds __LOL I also went on to do the Desert Shield / Storm as the Command Masterchief on a Guided Missile Cruiser. Where do you live now ? When VN shut down, I got orders to Haiphong North Vietnam for 6 months to clear the Haiphong harbor of mines ..
One of the Commanding officers at Civic Action, Lcdr Laverne Smith is buried in Arlington National cemetery.All the others have passed too. All Agent Orange related. The Danang airbase area was found to be the heaviest contaminated area in Vietnam until recently the Bien Hoa Airbase in the south was found to be larger. A/O did a number on too many veterans. I am one of the few remaining alive I knew in Vietnam. Joe Hood in Texas is alive --he had a heart transplant about 3 years ago .How is you health ? Any conditions that caused you to deal with VA ? I volunteered with the Disabled American Veterans or 9 years to assists vets and their families 2007-2017 . Others we lost are--Doc Tom Eagles, CS1 Joshua Paige ( called Ong Son -Mr mountain byt the kids because of his size--a big black guy ) Mike Woolford -committed suicide, George Allen . Do you have or need copies of your Navy records and awards ?? You can request them from St Louis, if you need them ,let me know and I can pass the data on how to get them.
I worked at the USOM Surgical Hospital ( the new one built by USAID)in mid>late 66 with PO1 Hudson --,Bt2 David Shipton, SFP2 Walker --then was sent to the village ( VAT 2) by the end of the airbase that was hit by rockets--used to go the Civic Action warehouse to get stuff--I remember some of the food /canned stuff that came in ( canned Eggnog especially) wasn't too bad when cold or with ice. Joe Hood from Texas at VAT 2 with me and I still joke about the Holidays and drinking that eggnog and remembering Vietnam. I was sent to Vat 3 with Mike Woolford and George Lambert, I got in country June 66 --left Feb 69 , got out of the USN 8-69 , returned as a civilian for Dyna-electron corp--worked at the Army 110th Aviation Transportation depot at the Ton Son Nhut air base in Saigon for 18 months--return home to Ky 8 months--went back into the USN and back to Vietnam as an Advisor out of Danang running all over I-Corps-did 7 1/2 years total .
What VATs were you on in Civic Action ?
Hi Thomas or Richard, Did you see another APL in Vietnam, APL 41 the Mark Hopkins.? Was in Tokyo, then Yokosuka, then Vietnam to service the Brown Water Navy. I lived on it for 3 months in 1950 in Tokyo then was moved in with the army. Not sure what happened to the APL after Nam.
I don't know about chase but when we were done with cold storage and unloaded at the apl me and my buddy use to go up on top of monkey mountain and visit with the air force at the com-site have steak lunch and watch the fire fight's
welcome Thomas I was also station on the Apl-30 in Danang Sept 1966 thru Sept 1967 I also issue food to the u boats going up north did that for the whole year
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