Magnificent Storyteller Reveals What He Saw in Vietnam

[John Morris]

A soldier perspective.

 

 

[lew]

Thanks!

[FlGatorwood]

There are thousands of stories almost like that.  I know when we returned from my first tour, we sailed under the Golden Gate bridge and one of my squadron fellows was hit by a piece of 2" X 4".  He was injured and kept in the Navy for several months while undergoing medical treatment.  Some folks threw flowers, others threw half eaten food, cans of soft drinks, bottles, pieces of brick and so on.  And, when we boarded the bus there at NAS Alameda, workers from WWII shouted many obscenities' at us.  We did not have that experience at NAS Jacksonville on my second tour return.  But, when I went to work at the base in 1972, many of the WWII vets gave me a really hard time, calling us all kinds of names and told us how sorry we were.  They also said it was not a war.  But, if someone is shooting and throwing hand grenades at me, it is war no matter the scale.  But, oh the stories that can be heard.  When I go to get my car tags I meet other vets who have stories of having been sprayed with Agent Orange and they can get no help from the VA.  They always make me feel guilty.  

 

Thank you, John.  If you notice, we bombed South Vietnam, not the North.  Supposedly, the south is who we were supposed to be helping.  It was a 2 edged war, for and against them.  

[lew]

8 hours ago, FlGatorwood said:

I meet other vets who have stories of having been sprayed with Agent Orange and they can get no help from the VA

I am hoping the government will finally extend Agent Orange presumptive illnesses to Blue Water Sailors.

[FlGatorwood]

Lew, you and I were both on carriers.  The VA denies that we were close to land.  We were always close enough that we rarely saw blue water.  It was always brownish and polluted.  And, those folks ate the fish out of those waters.  But, either the ships logs were not truthful or the VA simply won't recognize.  I met on man who said in the Army the soldiers were sprayed from aircraft and they would simply go wash it off.  

 

Just a note on me, my feet started hurting like pins and needles about 10 years ago.  I asked my Primary care about what could cause it.  He looked at my labs and said there was no way I was diabetic.  After going to a podiatrist, who found that the small nerves in my feet and lower legs are dead, causing the neuropathy, he suggested that I be tested for diabetes.  So, at age 71, I talked to my primary care again and he said he would order it but my labs indicated that it was not possible that I was diabetic.  Sure enough, I am prediabetic.  He wrote a letter to the VA explaining that he thought it was caused by service in the war zone.  He also stated that my lifestyle and diet do not lead to diabetes.  The VA never responded.  All is not lost, I have good insurance and Medicare.  Maybe, I should go make a pair of feet for myself.  

[Gene Howe]

Hey Gator, if you and the doc think any of your conditions are combat related, keep pushing the VA. Likely be a long, frustrating slog but, you might just prevail, too. In my dealings with the VA, I've found that if you get the right VA doc on your side, things can get changed. They know how to work the system.

[lew]

12 hours ago, FlGatorwood said:

The VA denies that we were close to land.  We were always close enough that we rarely saw blue water.  It was always brownish and polluted.

I’m a weather weeny. For years we have been getting weather alerts for air quality, here in PA, for the smoke from west coast fires. But yet, AO couldn’t possibly made it beyond the 12 mile limit!

Thereis an organization that has a database of carrier deck logs to verify if your ship was within the parameters for approval 

https://www.bwnvva.org/