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I just noticed the other picture with a SKS which is discribed as an AK-47.
The picture to the right of Gary King says he is holding an AK-47. It looks to me to be a M1 carbine from WWII. Anyone agree?
You have one year to file an appeal after a VA decision on your claim. DON’T do that except as a last resort! It moves your claim to an entirely different office, where it goes to the bottom of the pile.
Instead, keeping sending additional evidence for your claim to the person who signed the decision letter. That keeps your claim on his/her desk and requires them to re-examine your claim every time new evidence arrives. Better yet, each new, additional evidence you send them re-starts the one year appeals clock.
And, never, ever forget that YOU have to prove your claim to the satisfaction of the adjudicator. YOU must provide all the evidence he/she needs to make a determination within the guidelines of VA policy. Learn that policy and tailor your evidence to fit it. Remove extemporanous, un-neccessary, duplicative evidence or anything not germain to your claim. Don’t clog up your claim with junk which has nothing to do with what you’re seeking.
Brandon, I need a password for the roster.
Jim,
Makes sense as both Companies were operating in conjunction with each other. I do remember we both got our butts kicked in ambushes. No one was more scared than me when we were told we were going down to retrieve the bodies. Our man who was severely wounded two days later in an ambush, died later after evacuated. Capt Yap was our CO.
We withdrew to our old position on our hill top &we bombed the other hill with air strikes and the battle ship New Jersey. Don’t remember artillery being used. Someone tell me if artillery was used or not. Don’t remember if it was a day or two later we moved out & the NVA had withdrawn but they were really dug in. Found no NVA KIA.
Bill,
Sorry it took so long for me to respond to your posting, but I was out of town on vacation. The hilltop you’re referring to was the one where I lost half of third platoon in a mortar attack. I directed arty and the New Jersey on the original site of the ambush on A Co. (I even got clipped on the left side by a fragment of an 8″ Howitzer shell). The Hilltop, I directed an airstrike on it after everyone had left the top of the hill. I was the last man down the hill (I made sure that I was the last man). During the run-in before the first bombs were dropped, the FAC tried to call off the airstrike because someone popped a Red Smoke on top of the hill. The FAC was concerned that an American had done it. I told him (not politely, I might add) that I was the last surviving American to come off that hill, and the Red Smoke was his target, because one of the gooks had thrown one of our grenades to try an throw off the airstrike. After the airstrike blew away the top of the hill and got rid of the gooks, we were told to leave the hill, which we did.
Larry: There is a very well done page about SGT Joe Huston (A 2/1) at
http://www.ccfreedomfighters.com/huston.htm
If you are looking for the nephew, I found his email, too.
Larry,
I was in the field 3/19/69 & no one in our company was killed. Ours was 3/21/69 and listed on this sites KIA’s. Wonder if it was Alpha Company as they lost I believe 4 around that time as I was one of the ones who helped carry up their bodies. After 40 years do not remember if before or after 3/19/69 but during the same few days of intense action.
VA Answer: Payment for approved VA claims is retroactive to the date your claim paperwork arrived at VA.
If disapproved and your appeal, the payment start date is retro to when you submitted your original claim.
Guys, if you are even remotely considering filing a claim to the VA, get it in soonest. And keep appealing to keep it alive, as you gather more documentation.
Mitch
Gary Capshaw sent me old posting to the 196 LIB web site that had a lot of Charlie company guy’s postings that I am trying to follow up on making contact with right now. In those postings was from a guy that said his Uncle Sft. Joe Stephen Huston was killed while serving with Charlie company on 03/19/69. Sure enought there was a guy with the 196th killed on that date. I cannot find any tie to charlie company. Maybe he was with another Charlie company fro a different brigade. Does anyone have any recall on this?
Gary King’s photo with the curled up hat reminds me of Ed Norton on the old Jackie Gleason show. Gary no offense meant as I know you were a dedicated and knowledgable member of the unit. Say hi to Brittany!
When I applied for VA disability for CLL several years ago, I was amazed that I could not attend any boards or meetings in regard to my claim. My county VA Rep told me I had to designate a representative to do so for me and gave me a form naming the American Legion, even though I had never been a member. I actually learned of the disability award from the Legion over a month before the VA told me.
I am sure that the various organiztions that provide the service vary in ability and currency, but the designation of one of them, no matter how you decide, is vital for your interests.
Comment of VA case officers: Although DAV, Am Legion, VFW have trained officers it seems that it is hit or miss as to getting a good one who truly knows the ropes, rather than just being school-trained. VVA’s sole mission is the help VN vets get their due from the system and is excellent in doing so.
Recommend you contact a local chapter and get with them. In many cases they know the VA people who will process your claims and grease the skids so it will have a higher probability of getting approved.
Bill:
You gave me good information that helped me track down Michael Crook. I will help anyone try to find a buddy if they can give me helpful information.
On another subject, I talked to Bruno (George Cotter) over the weekend. He changed jobs withing the last couple of weeks after being with him employer for 34 years! He had some young whipper snapper come in and take over so he just retired on the spot after they didn’t see eye to eye. His competor heard about it and offered Bruno about double his salary to come to work for him. Bruno also had his right knee replaced last Monday. He is getting along good and is not supposed to drive for a couple of weeks.
Larry Harper,
Thanks a ton for investigating and location Michael Crook for me. He was my RTO on January 20, 1970 when we hit a booby trap while training a “track” patrol unit. I always wondered how he faired, and was elated to find out that after 16 months in various hospitals and seven surgerys, he has had a good life. Great work and thanks again for locating a lost brother!!!
hi to all my wife frances had her heart cath it revealed three clogs one at 50
+ two at 20 or less. no surgery at this time needs prayers. larry thnx
Bill, I would recommend getting someone with experience to help you apply…. DAV reps do this for a living and they would make sure your paperwork is copasetic. Good luck on your claim….Bill Connell
Thanks for the Feedback everyone. Will follow through.
was at V.A. yestrerday for an appointment talked with a guy who says he was with the 11th lib—was on the hill /chu-lai in ’70. anyone have more info?
go to va watchdog.org great site on what to do for hypertension claim . hypertension was just aboved this month so refiled if you had boots on the ground they must approve disablity for hypertension . i will let you know what happens, but check out this site it is must . good luck for all those vets who need help.
Thanks Larry! What is AO register. Know about rejection. Turned down for hearing loss after VA provided hearing aids. Listed as service connected but not enough hearing loss. Did not appeal. Keep me advised please.
Bill, VA provides a free exam. for veterans who have been exposed to AO. They call it a herbicide exam. Get a hold of your Va and they will set up an appointment for you. Good Luck.
bill ao registery is agent orange register
Bill, I filed for hypertinsion and a few other problems related to high blood pressure 2 years ago. Last year I was turned down. The reason was at the time that it wasn’t listed on the AO register. I have recently got a lawyer to fight my case. I will let you know how it turns out if I live that long. You know how that goes deny, deny, die. I think every Vietnam veteran that has high blood pressure should file a case to the VA. They really hope we just go away.
Bill Beckum says LT Shepherd,
Do you know anyone who has had any success on hypertension claims. I had heart attack at 40 & bi-pass at 52, & VA put in stint at 60. Take enough medication for blood pressure to keep a horse down.
Bill Beckum
FYI
for those of you who might have developed hypertension or other cardic problems after viet nam the VA has made this disease a presumptive to exposure to agent orange . so you might want to look at filing claim.
LT Shepherd,
Do you know anyone who has had any success on hypertension claims. I had heart attack at 40 & bi-pass at 52, & VA put in stint at 60. Take enough medication for blood pressure to keep a horse down.
Bill Beckum
I received a couple of nice checks for donations from two of our leaders. Si Nerone sent me a donation for the web site expenses. Ken Ruesch sent me a check that he wanted half to go to the web site expenses and half of it to go to the Rimmer Scholarship fund. Thanks to both Si and Ken!
Larry,
I had sent Brandon a note about a month ago inquiring what information you all might have on Pvt. Michael Crook. He was my RTO on Jan. 20, 1970 and was Medi-vac’d along with myself to the field hospital at Chu Lai. I sent Brandon Michael’s military/S.S.# which I derived from our Purple Heart orders. Any luck in location him?
Also, I would like to update my home address, as it appears wrong on the “roster”
Thanks,
There is a scholarship fund set up to honor Doc James Rimmer that Paul Rosteck and Ben Buehler participated in last May. There are several that would like to see Charlie Company help with this organization so that he will never be forgotten. I have received some donations for the scholarships so that we can fund at least one scholarship fund each May. If anyone wants to participate in the fund, please make a check to Charlie Company and send it to me at 269 E. Santa Fe Walsh, CO 81090. Please let me know that it is for the “Rimmer Scholarshipâ€. Doc Rimmer lost his life with us on May 4, 1970. I think we can fund this for awhile.
This is the only scholarships that we know of that honors any of our fallen brothers in Charlie Company. If anyone knows of any other, please let me know so that we can help on any other funds to honor our fallen.
Happy Birthday, Dan Riley.
HAPPY B-DAY dan was glad to get reaqainted
larry –yrs back ed davis mentioned roger coffin having some hawk hill movies. any idea if roger ever got them on a c-d ? dang–would have liked to have been there. tell ed to keep me in touch better. ed and marie going south soon ?
sr yes roger put a cd together that appears to have those photo’s hard to watch even now—i don’t know if were the same ones. hoefully will catch you at next reunion –if not b 4—-con grads on your new adventure best of luck
hi all—gary –i was not in st louis for that reunion, i went to the 196th brigade reunion in buffalo.
clay–were you with the company when they had a stand down in late sept of 70 ? joe casas was there opening beers with a hammer. he still can`t remember where he found it. i have a picture of that, joe standing next to a thin black grunt–neither of us have any idea who he is.
Ed Davis wrote me about Roger Coffin’s (who attended our reunion) medical company reunion. I thought it was to neat not to pass it on:
Marie and I did attend Roger’s reunion and had a wonderful time. I’m guessing he had between 25 and 30 of the medical staff that was on Hawk Hill plus their wives. We had a
memorial service at the Morgan County Veterans Memorial here in Martinsville yesterday
and had a great turnout. The mayor presented Company C, 23RD Medical Battalion
with a memorial brick to be placed in front of the Memorial in recognition of their service in Vietnam (LZ Baldy and LZ Hawk Hill). Roger called me to the podium and I was able to publicly thank all those medical personnel on behalf of Charlie Company, 2ND Batallion, 1ST Infantry for the job they did and how much we appreciated them.
ED
Larry, Rex & Walt
If it flies, it dies…… Aim small….