Sparks

heck yes ! Good luck and keep us posted

My original DD214 shows 40 days of "SEA" service (South east Asia) but does not list the VSM. I spent 40 days on the ground at Tan Son Nhut Air Base. I reentered active service in 1979 and some woman at CBPO noticed the reference to SEA service and said I was indeed entitled to the VSM. However, to qualify for the campaign medal, I would have to have served 6 consecutive months in country. The VSM has been on my ribbon rack and on my awards and dec printouts as well as my final DD214 since the error was corrected in 1979. However, I do not have enough "Evidence" of boots on the ground for the VA to recognize/acknowledge me as a Vietnam Vet. So be it. I know my skinney 21 year old but was there even though I cant prove it. I couldnt prove I supported operation Nickel Grass (yom kippur war/October War) either, but I did. For the younger guys, you have heard it before on this site..SAVE ALL of your paperwork !

Always the question.....Why would you want to jump out of a perfectly good airplane anyway?

Holy smoke....all that trouble to get those fish home only to kill them with fresh water. What a hoot. One trip, returning to Langley from Moldyhole, the AC had stocked up on Michlin tires and I hauled back a wooden sailing ship from Spain. Its full of dust but I still have it 40 some years later.

That is quite the medal addition. The new medals gave me a good laugh. But wouldn't ya know it...I don't qualify for any of them !

https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/ Sign the petition against either creation of this medal or downgrading the presedence. Use the above link. You will have to create an account but that is pretty painless. View the petitions by clicking on search and typing in "medal". There are some thing still worth fighting for... Thanks guys

You go Giz!!

Yeah, this looks like TSN. Lots of c-123's flown (or at least taxied) by the south vietnamese. I dont ever remember seeing the 123's fly, but they sure taxied the heck out of them.

Seems to me that flying a desk is similar to playing video games in the safety of your own home. Granted, these guys are doing a necessary job but to equate it with actually putting their lives on the line....no way !!!! The Air Force already has the acheivment medal that ranks behind the commendation medal. If we must create a new medal for joy stick operators, rank it between the acheivement and commendation medals. I mean no disrespect to those "flying" drones, but this new warfighting deserves as much respect as the guys firing the big guns off the navy battlewagons or the triggerman behind a cruise missle.

Jmitch, The list of locations for service records would be helpful and appreciated. If you could post them to this site, maybe others would also find it useful. Thanks

The last batch of useless documents I got back from my SF-180 request came with a form letter demanding $$ for processing the request! I had specifically requested travel vouchers but received copies of OER's. This was the second time a request for vouchers was unsuccessful. By the way, I didn't and won't pay their extortion money. J.Mitch, I'm going to have to take your advice and just keep papering every agency I can think of.

Frustrating business dealing with VA. I finally got a "settlement" for 20%. 10% for a surgical procedure that left the last 2 fingers on my left hand numb, and 10% for tinnitis (stupid invincable 20 year olds dont need no stinkin ear protection on the flightline). But my biggest frustration has been not being able to prove my boots on the ground in vietnam. That would sure help with my Type II diabetes. After numerous requests for records and receiving pages of documents I didnt request, I've just about given up.

I remember working on squat switches but don't remember exactly what they controlled. Something to do with the gear up/ down lock indicators and/or the antiskid system maybe.

Nah...I think Giz can take the ribbing!

I can't help much. But I remember fixing completely dark (powerless) C-130s at 0 dark thirty waaaaay across the flightline next to an ammo dump. The parking spot was called "Hot Spot" and the dispatch driver dumped me off quick and didi back to main base. Fixing airplaines by the light of illumination flairs and GI flashlight was damn scary for my 20 year old self.

Great story. This young man could spend the off season tossing grenades at the bad guys in Chicago.

may have something to do with the altitude at takeoff? Don't know for sure. just thinking out loud. But I bet using JATO's is a wild kick in the a.... Sure would like to try that

Course I'm an early 1970's maintainer, but I only remember the LAPES system. Low Altitude Parachute Extraction System.

I failed slide rule. But recruiter was so impressed I knew what a slide rule was they made me an electrician. Go figure.

40 years since i turned 21 at TSN. Don't know where the time went. Donwon, it has been a lifetime...

Ahhh, I had forgotten all about Mateus ! Musta killed that brain cell

well... I never got sick in the back of a 130. Cold, sore, feet freezing but never sick. And been all over the world in 'em. Boones Farm in Hampton, Monti Crasto in the Azores and any number of other beverages in various countries have caused my guts to turn on occassion.

I'm with you Chris. I too have noticed more and more public acknowledgements of viet nam vereran service. Primarily displayed as stickers on the back of cars/pickups. Its actually good to see that Nam vets are starting to feel more confident about displaying their service and pride more openly than in years past. There are still some things that get me from zero to pissed though. The other night, my wife was watching some program like 20/20 or something when Hanoi JANE FONDA was introduced as a guest. I yelled a few choice words at the TV and stormed out of the room, and ranted to myself for 20 minutes.

get er done Giz.....I'm on my 4th SF 180 for travel vouchers, and APR's. Can't be said that us AF Types aren't persistant when we're pissed (or at least mildly perturbed)......

Just jumping on the bandwagon.....Thanks Casey. I was worried