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Just another day   (reply)
Posted by: Jim Armstrong
Date Posted: August 19th, 2016, 9:34pm
You are sure right.
I got a pic of a poster on my FB page showing August 18.
It looks like maybe that was Vietnam War Commemoration Day or some such.
So there are two days to ignore.
Now that I think of it the Commemoration process is part of the clean-up/cover-up that the Department of Defense has mounted to rewrite history.
Good to ignore that one.
Posted by: Jim Armstrong
Date Posted: August 18th, 2016, 11:40pm
Another Vietnam Veterans Day slips by with no notice, publicity or comment anywhere I can find.
Posted by: Jim Armstrong
Date Posted: July 12th, 2016, 11:31pm
50 years ago:  Just a few days to the big one.

There are periods that I remember in great detail, but for some reason getting from Devens to the Darby is not one of them.

I would like to hear any memories from the move and the sailing.
Posted by: Jim Armstrong
Date Posted: June 12th, 2016, 3:32pm
The only funny thing about the ridiculous policy of troops paying for lost equipment is that it explains why the captain goes down with his ship.
Posted by: Jim Armstrong
Date Posted: May 1st, 2016, 3:33pm
Here is ol' Dave's citation for his unwarranted medal.  It took years before it was available to the public:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:PetraeusBSM_VDevice.jpg

I have read that he was looking at a map on a vehicle hood when there was some gunfire om the distance.  He probably had a bunch of staff officers with him who were similarly recognized.
He is not an honest man.
Posted by: Jim Armstrong
Date Posted: April 22nd, 2016, 7:17pm
The official requirements are these (for COL and below only):
"Performing duties while personally present and under fire while serving in an assigned infantry, ranger or Special Forces capacity, in a unit of brigade, regimental, or smaller size, engaged in active ground combat, to close with and destroy the enemy with direct fires."
I don't think that a specific "first contact" by time or place is part of it. but I could be wrong.
A pet peeve of mine is that David Petraeus got a Bronze Star with V device for just that:  there was shooting somewhere nearby.
Flying "monkeys"   (reply)
Posted by: Jim Armstrong
Date Posted: April 17th, 2016, 4:19pm
And spiders the size of of dinner plates in webs stretched from rubber tree to rubber tree at eye level.
Flying "monkeys"   (reply)
Posted by: Jim Armstrong
Date Posted: April 17th, 2016, 4:11pm
It would be interesting to hear what creatures vets here encountered in Vietnam.
I spent just about the full eleven months (thanks, Darby) of my tour in the field, jungle down south and more open up north.
Maybe my memory is fading, but aside from water buffalo, dogs and humans there were no mammals.  Nope, not even rats where we were.  No flying squirrels.
There were chickens, but I don't remember any other birds, except for sounds in the night.
Frogs made up the reptiles.  No snakes.
Things like scorpions, ants, bees, wasps, centipedes. etc. were everywhere, all the time.
Vietnam war quiz   (reply)
Posted by: Jim Armstrong
Date Posted: February 25th, 2016, 12:16am
Malls?  As in haul my 75 year old butt to someplace I might get wi-fi to do my daily correspondence and study instead of my easy chair?
Vietnam war quiz   (reply)
Posted by: Jim Armstrong
Date Posted: February 24th, 2016, 9:52pm
Yep, I get 12 volts from the electric lines and my toilet only flushes on Tuesdays.
Actually it is not really funny how AT&T, Comcast and the rest have prevented internet access from being a utility and letting broadband be available to all.
Ir is a nationwide problem, not just to individuals but businesses and health care providers.
Vietnam war quiz   (reply)
Posted by: Jim Armstrong
Date Posted: February 24th, 2016, 5:15pm
Looks interesting but does not work on my dial-up interenet connection.
Posted by: Jim Armstrong
Date Posted: January 20th, 2016, 5:42pm
Frenchie:
That seems like a worthy project.
I am not sure what the difference in sponsorship is but I have found the resource here to be the most helpful over the years.  Apparently it has stopped accepting new comments, but the ones I have made in the past remain.

http://thewall-usa.com/
Posted by: Jim Armstrong
Date Posted: November 19th, 2015, 4:59pm
As stated above, last Ferbruary I expressed concern about some skin lesions to my VA primary care doctor.
This was a little over 9 months ago and yesterday I had Mohs surgery to remove a basal cell carcinoma from my temple.
The entire time in between was spent trying convince the VA that I was eligible for this care in my community due to delays and distance.
Veterans Choice and TriWest put up road block after BS but, if my doctor and I are lucky, will pay for the surgery.
 
Posted by: Jim Armstrong
Date Posted: November 7th, 2015, 5:44pm
Frenchie:
The subject of Greg's post is different from the ongoing problems I am having with the Veterans Choice Program.
The backlog of various claims, though still way too big, has been improving of late.
Posted by: Jim Armstrong
Date Posted: October 27th, 2015, 5:20pm
The Veterans Choice program. at least in my experience, has turned out to be useless and a total insult to veterans.
My request for its services began in early February.  
I was informed last week that I could contact the program (run by an outfit called Tri West, not the VA) to get a local appointmnent.
This was EIGHT MONTHS from the time the VA violated the 30 day rule!
A short versiion of that contact:
The mystery person one talks to at TriWest tells you that they choose the doctor you will see in your community, she will choose when you will see them and she will make the appointment you have to keep.
Then she chose a doctor that retired almost five years ago.
Then she told me the doctor I had seen before and p...

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Posted by: Jim Armstrong
Date Posted: October 6th, 2015, 4:55pm
I was a reluctant Infantryman, but have spent the last almost fifty years being fairly proud of the my tactical accomplishments in the middle of an unconsionable strategic effort.

The writer of the above does lack a little self-awareness when he says the Infantryman doesn't complain when that is what he is doing.


I am afraid that current veterans are not getting much better help than we did.
Posted by: Jim Armstrong
Date Posted: September 14th, 2015, 8:14pm
Interesting memory, Frenchie.
I think I was in and out by the time the Marines stopped looking for a few good men and started to take anyone they could get their hands on.
A little research this morning showed that over 42,000 draftees showed up thinking they were in the Army now. but went to Pendleton or Paris Island instead.
YIKES! indeed, though I am not sure if their casualty rate was that much higher.
Posted by: Jim Armstrong
Date Posted: August 23rd, 2015, 4:26pm
I got a letter yesterday that may signal a really significant change in the VA Choice program.
Starting off with a demand that I schedule an appointment 3 hours away in San Francisco for a Cat Scan, if finished with a big OR.
OR, if I live more than 40 miles from the SF VA Clinic, I could contact the Choice program to have the procedure done locally.
This changes the whole program from 40 miles to the nearest VA clinic to 40 miles from the VA Clinic that can provide a needed medical service.
As far as I can find, this change has not been generall announced
Posted by: Jim Armstrong
Date Posted: July 15th, 2015, 9:09pm
Ischemic heart disease and ischemic stroke are both potentially deadly and stem from nearly identical causes.
The first is covered under VA policy as related to Agent Orange exposure, the second is not.
I am beginning research into this and would welcome hearing about experiences wiith either or both conditions.
Thanks
Posted by: Jim Armstrong
Date Posted: June 20th, 2015, 4:43pm
Four full months now since my referral and no resolution.
Something for all to think about: If you do get an appointment  where the Choice program is supposed to pay, LOOK OUT.
If you make the mistake of showing your Medicare card at the the doctor's office, the whole deal is off, with you paying the deductable, the copay and the prescriptions.
Great deal, eh?
Posted by: Jim Armstrong
Date Posted: June 6th, 2015, 4:18pm
Greg: Thanks for the reply.
I requested a referral to the Choice program on first hearing that the appointment for the care prescribed by my primary VA doctor was well over a month away.  
In the typical way this program is being (mis)handled, I was told I lived within 40 miles of the clinic and so did not qualify.  Not at all related to the problem, just the same decades old arrogance and self-serving BS of the VA.
They are resisting the Choice program in both the letter and spirit of the law.
VA Watchdog has some pertinent information that parallels my experience.
MacDonald is probably worse than Shinseki, who was just incompetent.  
Posted by: Jim Armstrong
Date Posted: June 2nd, 2015, 12:11am
With a four month delay from the referral from my primary care doctor (now gone from the VA), I thought I might come under the new Veterans Choice Program.
So far that approach to timely care doesn't seem to work any better than the old way.
Any one have some experience with the Card?
Posted by: Jim Armstrong
Date Posted: May 19th, 2015, 4:31pm
In early February I asked my primary care doctor if I should worry about a couple of spots on my old hide.
Oh, I'm not a specialist she said, I'll give you a referral; get an appointment at the front desk when you leave.
That appointment with a "dermatologist" was two months off in early April, but at least was at the local clinic.
The day before that appt I got a call that the "dermatologist" was ill and I needed to reschedule.
The appt was mid-May.  Has anyone heard of the 30 day rule?
The day before that appt, I got a call that it was cancelled since they decided to drop that service and I would have to go to San Francisco (6 hours roound trip) for a new appt.
Besides now being three months sinc...

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MEMORIES   (reply)
Posted by: Jim Armstrong
Date Posted: April 11th, 2015, 4:42pm
I didn't know that.
My recollection is that 2/1 already had a pretty well developed area when we arrived.  
There were wood platforms with canvas tops for each platoon, as well one for platoon leaders, one for company commanders, batallion staff etc.  There were at least quite soon officer, NCO and EM "clubs."
That other uints had to put up with harsher environments adds to the fact that the leadership at brigade and division levels really was lacking.
MEMORIES   (reply)
Posted by: Jim Armstrong
Date Posted: April 8th, 2015, 12:29am
Ken: Did the advance party or the 25th ID do alot of the work?
I was on the Darby so early in, but much of the work was done when we got there about 8/15/66.
Posted by: Jim Armstrong
Date Posted: March 19th, 2015, 4:23pm
That is a good summary.
I am still a little wary of that organization.
While it seems they no longer tout selling ones VA benefits, they sell ($14.99) ID cards that are available free at many places, including county veterans service offices.
Hearing Aids   (reply)
Posted by: Jim Armstrong
Date Posted: March 11th, 2015, 12:30am
When I said "I am not wearing thsee devices" I meant to say that I am simply not currently using the hearing aids, not that I refuse to.
Hearing Aids   (reply)
Posted by: Jim Armstrong
Date Posted: March 10th, 2015, 5:10pm
I think I could use some advice.
As I said to begin with, I asked for a hearing examination to see if my high frequency loss and tinnitus were matters to be concerned about.
After a long-distance appointment and various tests, the audiologist asked if I wanted and/or needed hearing aids. I told her I didn't think so.  She said well we are going to order them up anyway.
When I went back for a follow up, I told same doctor (again on TV) that the main thing the aids did for me was make a lot of racket, garbled conversation and made the ringing much clearer.
I asked if maybe some other veteran could use these very expensive devices better than I can.
"Oh no, no, no. We'll try domes instead of molded inserts."
N...

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Hearing Aids   (reply)
Posted by: Jim Armstrong
Date Posted: January 16th, 2015, 9:07pm
I picked up my hearing aids yesterday.
The first stage was an "exam" by another remote controlled doctor.  This should have come first (and probably been in person), but it was basically:  "How long has one ear been worse than the other?" "Do you get dizzy?" "Put your feet together, arms out in front and march (!!) in place."
"You are probably OK, but you can come down to San Francisco for an MRI if you want to."  End of part one.
Next was another TV face and voice to check the Rx on the new aids and other mysterious settings.
Then the in-person tech showed me how to work the little machines.  I took them off before leaving the office and fooled with them this...

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Rocky Bleier   (reply)
Posted by: Jim Armstrong
Date Posted: December 22nd, 2014, 12:14am
Sorry, just being flippant.
The web page and their online magazine does not require membership in the VVA or a subscription.

I agree with you about the older veteran's organizations.  They seem to pride themselves with being aloof, stodgy and unwelcoming.
The American Legion was enlisted by my county veterans office to be my "representative" in making a disability claim.
They must have done a good job, but I never heard from them except to ask for a donation at the end of the process.

I could be mistaken, but I think the VA has the outrageous rule that the veteran himself or herself can not attend any hearings.
I would like to hear from others about this rule.
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