NamNews Volume 2 - Number 6 June 4, 1988 +---------------------------------------------------------------+ | | | NN NN AAAA MM MM VV VV EEEEEEE TTTTTTTT | | NNN NN AA AA MMM MMM VV VV EE TT | | NN N NN AA AA MM M M MM VV VV EE TT | | NN N NN AA AA MM M MM VV VV EE TT | | NN N NN AAAAAAAA MM MM VV VV EEEEE TT | | NN N NN AA AA MM MM VV VV EE TT | | NN NNN AA AA MM MM V V EE TT | | NN NN AA AA MM MM VVV EEEEEEE TT | | | | The International Newsletter for Vietnam Veterans | +---------------------------------------------------------------+ Editor in Chief: Todd Looney Assistant Editor: G. Joseph Peck Nam Vet is a special newsletter dedicated to Vietnam Veterans around the world, and provided electronically as a service to participants in the International Vietnam Veterans' Echo Conference (IVVEC) available on many FidoNet (tm) bulletin boards in the U.S., Europe, and Canada. Not all of the articles appearing in NAM VET are written by participants in the IVVEC, but the NAM VET is very much an electronic newsletter by, of, and for Vietnam veterans, their friends, wives and lovers. Articles from veterans or anyone else wishing to express themselves about Viet Nam or related experiences are invited to submit their writings for publication to the Vietnam Veterans Valhalla (143/27), the VETlink #1 (321/203), or to any node carrying the IVVEC whose sysop can forward your work from there. NAM VET is published monthly by the Vietnam Veterans Valhalla. The views expressed are not necessarily those of the NAM VET, it's staff or volunteers. The newsletter is made up of articles and other newsletters as well as other sources. We are not responsible for the content of this information nor are any of the above mentioned parties. Duplication and/or distribution is permitted for noncommercial purposes only. For use in other circumstances, please contact Todd Looney at (408) 947-7668. Table of Contents 1. EDITORIAL ................................................ 1 Where Have All the Flowers Gone? ......................... 1 Can I still salute, sir? ................................. 1 2. SERVICES ................................................. 4 How to Get Military Records: A Veteran's Guide ........... 4 Department of Veterans Affairs List ...................... 7 Educational Benefits Extensions .......................... 15 Pointers for the Veteran Homeowner ....................... 16 U.S. Vet Center Listing .................................. 19 NamVet 2-06 4 Jun 1988 Table of Contents (Cont.) 3. BUDDY SEARCH ............................................ 29 Vietnam Veterans' Registry .............................. 29 4. MEMORIES ................................................ 31 A Little Man, Part II ................................... 31 Yahrzeit ................................................ 33 5. GENERAL ARTICLES ........................................ 36 New Air Force Report Fuels Agent Orange Fire ............ 36 Veterans' Benefits ...................................... 38 A Personal View of the Candidates ....................... 39 PTSD, Analysis of Marital and Cohabitational Adjustments . 41 VA Hospitals ............................................ 45 6. INTERNATIONAL VIETNAM VETERANS' ECHOCONFERENCE NODELIST .. 47 7. RUBBINGS FROM THE WALL .................................. 53 8. NAM VET SUBSCRIPTION FORM ............................... 54 NamVet 2-06 Page 1 4 Jun 1988 ================================================================= EDITORIAL ================================================================= Where Have All the Flowers Gone? by Todd Looney Vietnam Veterans' Valhalla San Jose, CA 143/27 Sitting on the sidelines of perhaps the first Memorial Day Parade I had attended in over 17 years I wondered about the last time. Different was the fact that there were no banners proclaiming the need to end the war in Vietnam. Different was the lack of that pungent aroma and blue smoke waving through the air, and the swaying, chanting bodies adorned with beads, patches, and long hair with flowers painted over on their faces and held in their hands. What was the same though was the feeling that something was amiss. Something was wrong in the world. It was not as evident this time because there were not the thousands droning out the endless chants proclaiming a great wrong; but there should have been. The crowds were there, but where have all the veterans gone? Something nagged at me; pulled incessantly at the roots of my hair and pinched the nape of my neck. The groups all marched by, proud in what they were declaring; pride in their veterans. But where have all the veterans gone? The various veteran groups were all represented, but there was not the turnout I had expected. The parade entrants were few in number, and the veterans standing proud along the sides were barely noticeable; not in their silence as the last time I attended a Memorial Day parade, but in their undeniable absence. The first parade I managed to get myself out of the house to attend since my return from the jungles of Vietnam to face the angry peers in my own homeland just happened to be the saddest parade I could have imagined for such an auspicious day. Santa Clara County had deemed this Memorial Day in dedication to the Vietnam veteran; and less than 50 dotted the parade entrants, and fewer came to watch. I wonder where they all were? I wonder to myself why that was? Where is the pride? Has America's gratitude come a little to late? Have the veterans just given up? Where have all the flowers gone? Where have all the veterans gone? ----------------------------------------------------------------- G. Joseph Peck Vetlink #1 321/203 Pittsfield, MA I came upon him just as the evening sun was casting long burnt-orange shadows over the hilltop. The wrinkled jacket he NamVet 2-06 Page 2 4 Jun 1988 wore could hardly hide his strong, square shoulders. With weathered old hands, he grasped tightly a walking stick of sorts, and seemed to be sobbing. As I walked closer and he turned, I could see the familiar face of one I had come to know as Uncle Sam... "What's troubling you, Uncle," I said, "this is Memorial Day - a time that we mark special to remember those who fought and died to keep you the symbol of freedom. Look at all the flags in the cemeteries, hear all the parades and the fine speeches? See how proud everyone is of you? It's veterans like me who really know and appreciate what you stand for - veterans like me who still remember how to give you a snappy salute" "No," he said "It is *I* who should salute YOU - Salute you for all that you've done to give me the strength I have today. It was you who defended me - and came back to silence, to rejection and all the worst that I could give you. It was you who were misdiagnosed and mistreated by many in the military and the Veterans Administration as having pre-existing psychological difficulties and, as a result, received further injury from the misguided efforts of those who worked for me who did not understand the burdens under which you labored; it was you who had to deprogram yourself because I couldn't or wouldn't do it; and it is you, today, that sleeps in the alley ways and city streets because you have no home; and you - and your children - who now bear the pain of the aftereffects of Agent Orange. How will you ever know how much I appreciate what you've done?" "Gosh, Uncle, its good to see you learning," I said, "Learning what so many of us already have - that it sometimes takes more courage to face those things we've done and talk about them than to keep them all bottled up inside or, sometimes, even more than it did to actually do them. I see you've got the same symptoms we have - you sob a little when you realize what's been done; you seem haunted by the deeds of yesterday; you begin to understand how 26,000 - 110,000 of our veteran brothers and sisters have taken their own lives rather than live with their memories of your defense. It's a GOOD first step that you're taking by talking about it, something you've learned from the Vietnam Veteran... the strongest, toughest, most persistent and determined veteran in all of your history!" We talked all night, Uncle Sam and I - about Indians; about the Civil War; doughboys; donut dolly's; Pearl Harbor; Iwo Jima; the China-Burma-India route; the Bataan death march; Khe Sanh; Danang; Ben Hua... and so many, many other places and times - the feelings, the tears, the laughter - and before we knew it, the trouble and grief-filled night had passed. It was morning. As the eastern sun chased away the darkness, morning birds began to chirp, and the city below us came alive, Uncle Sam and I walked arm-in-arm from the shadows, excitedly planning what we would do for his next big day: July 4th - Independence Day. "Uncle Sam" and "Rip Van Winkle" - I wonder if they might have NamVet 2-06 Page 3 4 Jun 1988 something in common? 'til next month... Show a brother or sister veteran that YOU care... G. Joseph Peck SYSOP VETLink #1 321/203 (413) 443-6313 ----------------------------------------------------------------- NamVet 2-06 Page 4 4 Jun 1988 ================================================================= VETERAN SERVICES ================================================================= How to Get Military Records: A Veteran's Guide All those forms that you filled out, all those reports you filed, and all those orders directing you here and there are still gathering dust somewhere in the bureaucracy. The following iinformation is offered by the Friends of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Inc., based on their experience to date in handling these matters. ++++ Your Own Records +++++ Getting your own personnel records is fairly easy. All of them are located in one central facility in St. Louis. To get anything out of your personnel file, write to: National Personnel Records Center Military Personnel Records 9700 Page Blvd St Louis MO 63132 Include your name; the branch of service; whether you served as enlisted or officer; your serial number; and your dates of active duty. They will usually respond within a couple of months with the requested document, or may send you a questionnaire requesting other details. If you get no response from them, write your Congressman and Senators. ++++ Someone Else's Records ++++ Getting someone else's records, particularly if that person was KIA, is not much more difficult. You request access to these records under the Freedom of Information Act, which sets forth a policy of disclosure of all records that are not (1) properly classified national defense of foreign policy information; (2) related solely to the internal personnel rules and practices of an agency; (3) specifically exempted from disclosure by statute; (4) inter)agency or intra)agency matters; and (5) personnel or other files, and then only to the extent to which the disclosure would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy. In applying this exemption, agencies must perform a balancing test, between the public interest in disclosing these versus the public interest in denying access. Basically, agencies can withhold files if they will result only in a clearly unwarranted invasion of privacy, such as personal and intimate details of one's life. Even where a file contains information of this NamVet 2-06 Page 5 4 Jun 1988 sort, agencies must release the record if they can delete the highly personal information. Courts have held that dead people do not have any privacy to invade, although it is virtually impossible, because of privacy reasons, to get the names and addresses of a KIA's parents. With this overview in mind, I am enclosing a sample request for information under the Freedom of Information Act, which you should tailor to your own needs: Public Affairs Office National Personnel Records Center 9700 Page Boulevard St. Louis, Mo. 63132)5360 Attn: Freedom of Information Act Request Gentlemen: Pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. sec. 552(a)(3), I hereby request the following records: [Specifically describe records, for example, "All records that reflect the death of PFC Eugene F. Murphy, United States Army, RA 11 435 055, who was killed in action on December 28, 1968"]. I would like to have this record because [state a reason, for example, "He was my uncle and I would like to know in which unit he was serving when he was killed."] I understand that Exemption 6 to the Freedom of Information Act does not require an agency to disclose personnel, medical or other files "the disclosure of which would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy." However, since the records I have requested relate to someone who is dead, this exemption should not apply at all. If it is, Exemption 6 applies only to intimate personal details, which are not likely to be included in the records I am requesting; and, in any event, the 1974 amendments to the FOIA require release of reasonably segregable portions which are not themselves exempt. I am willing to pay direct costs of searching and copying these records of up to [state amount]. However, I do request that fees be waived, given the nature of my request. I expect a reply to this request within ten working days and am aware of my administrative appeals rights if this request is denied. If you need further clarification, please advise me. My telephone number is [give number, if you wish]. Sincerely yours, There are a couple of points to keep in mind in using this. The Records Center will not respond in 10 days, as they are required to. Within about 30 days, you will receive an acknowledgement saying that you didn't have to use the FOIA in the first place and that it will take additional time. If there is no response NamVet 2-06 Page 6 4 Jun 1988 within about three months, write your Congressman or Senators, enclosing a copy of the notice. In addition, the Military Personnel Records Center will generally waive search and reproduction fees if the amount of records they have to pull is minimal. ++++ Other Information ++++ The Freedom of Information Act can be used to fish a number of other records relating to the Vietnam era. Keep in mind that the statute is framed in terms of "records" rather than "information." Also ask for "any and all records etc." in these requests. For example, the National Personnel Records Center also has Army daily morning reports and the USMC equivalent (DA Form 1) showing the exact location of the reporting unit (usually down to company size) by geographic location and grid map coordinates; casualties; changes of key personnel; effective strength and major events. The Center also has rosters compiled by Army and USMC companies on a monthly basis. Because some of the USMC records are deteriorating, the Center usually refers FOIA requests to the USMC, which keeps duplicate copies. There's a wealth of records being compiled by the Army's Vietnam Project in Suitland, MD. This includes "Quarterly Operational Reports: Lessons Learned," which are generally prepared by military history detachments in the field and other commands and generally cover major commands down to a brigade level. The information usually covers missions and operations, and is supplemented by staff journals, combat operational interview reports, monthly summarizations, and senior commander debriefing reports. To obtain access to these records, you should send a FOIA request to Adjutant General Center Access & Release Branch (DAAG)AMR)S) Washington DC. Finally, to uncover some record not mentioned here, you should contact the military historians. The Army's Southeast Asia Branch of its Center for Military History is very helpful, (202) 272)0338 and the Marine Corps Historical Center, (202) 433)3840) is somewhat less so unless you lean on them. Friends of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial 4200 Wisconsin Ave NW, Suite 106/108 Washington DC 20016 ----------------------------------------------------------------- NamVet 2-06 Page 7 4 Jun 1988 Department of Veterans Affairs List Following is a list of state and commonwealth offices or departments of veterans affairs as published in January 1985 by the Veterans Administration in the "1985 Directory of Veterans Organizations." ALABAMA Frank D. Wilkes, Director Department of Veterans Affairs P. O. Box l509 Montgomery, AL 36l92-3701 (205)261-5077 ALASKA Roger K. Graves, Director Division of Veterans Affairs Department of Military and Veterans Affairs 3601 C Street, Suite 620 Anchorage, AK 99503 (907)243-0656 AMERICAN SAMOA Richard A. Young Veterans Affairs Officer Office of Veterans Affairs American Samoa Government P. O. Box 8586 Pago Pago, American Samoa 96799 (684)633-4206 ARIZONA Richard Countryman, Director of Veterans Affairs Arizona Veterans Service Commission 700 W. Campbell, Suite l7 Phoenix, AZ 850l3 (602)255-47l3 ARKANSAS Grady Brown, Director Department of Veterans Affairs l200 West Third, Room l05 Little Rock, AR 7220l (50l)37l-l707 FTS 740-5l22 CALIFORNIA Andres E. Mendez, Director Department of Veterans Affairs 1227 O Street P. O. Box l559 Sacramento, CA 95807 (9l6)445-3lll COLORADO Louis Nardini, Director Division of Veterans Affairs Department of Social Services l575 Sherman Street, Room l22 Denver, CO 80203 (303)866-2494 NamVet 2-06 Page 8 4 Jun 1988 CONN. Nicholas Motto, Commandant Veterans Home and Hospital 287 West Street Rocky Hill, CT 06067 (203)529-257l WASHINGTON DC A. Leo Anderson, Chief Office of Veterans Affairs 94l N. Capitol Street, NE Room l2ll-F Washington, DC 2042l (202)737-5050 FTS 275-l520 FLORIDA Simon F. Stover, Director Division of Veterans Affairs P. O. Box 1437 St. Petersburg, FL 33731 (8l3)898-4443 FTS 826-3354 GEORGIA Pete Wheeler, Commissioner Department of Veterans Service Floyd Veterans Memorial Bldg. Suite E-970 Atlanta, GA 30334 (404)656-2300 GUAM John C. Benavente Office of Veterans Affairs P. O. Box 3279 Agana, Guam 96910 HAWAII Franklin Y. K. Sunn, Director Department of Social Services and Housing P. O. Box 339 Honolulu, HI 96809-0339 (808)548-6260 IDAHO Gary Bermeosolo, Administrator Division of Veterans Affairs P. O. Box 7765 Boise, ID 83707 (208)343-649l ILLINOIS David V. Hardwick, Director Department of Veterans Affairs 208 West Cook Street Springfield, IL 62705 (2l7)782-664l INDIANA Charles M. Van Matre, Jr. Director, Department of Veterans Affairs 707 State Office Building NamVet 2-06 Page 9 4 Jun 1988 l00 North Senate Avenue Indianapolis, IN 46204 (3l7)232-3923 IOWA Keith Baker, Director Department of Veterans Affairs State Capitol Des Moines, IA 503l9 (5l5)278-933l KANSAS Stan Teasley Executive Director Kansas Veterans Commission P. O. Box l369 Topeka, KS 6660l (9l3)296-3976 KENTUCKY Archie O. Taylor, Jr., Manager Kentucky Center for Veterans Affairs 600 Federal Place, Room l36-J Louisville, KY 40202 (502)588-4447/4448 LOUISIANA Cleo Yarborough Executive Director Department of Veterans Affairs Old State Capitol, 4th Floor Baton Rouge, LA 7080l (504)342-5920 MAINE Emilien A. Levesque, Director Bureau of Veterans Services State Office Building Station #117 Augusta, ME 04333 (207)289-4060 MARYLAND John H. Eaton, Executive Director Maryland Veterans Commission Federal Building, Room ll0 3l Hopkins Plaza Baltimore, MD 2l20l (30l)962-4700 FTS 922-4700 MASSACHUSETTS John Halachis, Commissioner Department of Veterans Service l00 Cambridge Street, Rm 1002 Boston, MA 02202 (6l7)727-3570 MICHIGAN Frank A. Schmidt, Jr., Director Michigan Veterans Trust Fund P. O. Box 30026 Ottowa Bldg., No. Tower NamVet 2-06 Page 10 4 Jun 1988 Third floor Lansing, MI 48909 (5l7)373-3l33 MINNESOTA William J. Gregg Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Service Building Second Floor St. Paul, MN 55l55 (6l2)296-2783 MISSISSIPPI Frank D. Godwin III, President Veterans Affairs Commission 120 North State Street War Memorial Building Room B-100 Jackson, MS 39205 (60l)354-7205 NamVet 2-06 Page 11 4 Jun 1988 MISSOURI Charles R. Roberts, Director Division of Veterans Affairs P. O. Drawer l47 Jefferson City, MO 65l0l (3l4)75l-3343 MONTANA Michael V. Wolf, Administrator Veterans Affairs Division P. O. Box 5715 Helena, MT 59604 (406)449-30l4 FTS 587-30l4 NEBRASKA Jake Gonzales, Jr. Director Department of Veterans Affairs P. O. Box 95083 Lincoln, NE 68509 (402)47l-2458 NEVADA Robert Mayhew, Commissioner Commission for Veterans Affairs 245 East Liberty Street Suite 101 Reno, NV 89502 (702)789-0155 NEW HAMPSHIRE David W. Houle, Director State Veterans Council 359 Lincoln Street Manchester, NH 03l03 (603)625-8l22 NEW JERSEY Warren L. Davis, Director Division of Veterans Programs and Special Services l43 East State Street Trenton, NJ 08608 (609)292-6663 NEW MEXICO Richard Rocco, Director Veterans Service Commission P. O. Box 2324 Santa Fe, NM 87503 (505)827-2292 NEW YORK Dr. Nicholas F. Sallese, Director New York State Division of Veterans Affairs State Office Building Third floor, Room 3A-7 Veterans Highway Hauppauge, NY 11788 (2l2)587-4821 NORTH CAROLINA Charles A. Beddingfield, Jr. NamVet 2-06 Page 12 4 Jun 1988 Assistant Secretary for Veterans Affairs Division of Veterans Affairs 227 East Edenton Street Raleigh, NC 2760l (9l9)733-385l NORTH DAKOTA Lloyd F. Zander, Commissioner Department of Veterans Affairs 1017 4th Ave., N P. O. Box 1287 Fargo, ND 58l07 (70l)237-8383 OHIO John P. Siemer, Chief Division of Soldiers Claims and Veterans Affairs State House Annex, Room ll Columbus, OH 432l5 (6l4)466-5453 OKLAHOMA Paul W. "Pete" Reed III Director Department of Veterans Affairs P. O. Box 53067 Oklahoma City, OK 73l52 (405)52l-3684 OREGON Staryl C. Austin, Jr., Director Department of Veterans Affairs General Services Building 700 Summer Street, NE Suite 150 Salem, OR 973l0-1270 (503)373-2092 PENNSYLVANIA COL Joseph R. Clelan, Director Department of Military Affairs Bureau for Veterans Affairs Fort Indiantown Gap Annville, PA l7003 (7l7)274-4901 PUERTO RICO Ramon Garcia, Director Bureau of Veterans Affairs and Human Resources Dept. of Labor 505 Munoz Rivera Avenue Hato Rey, Puerto Rico 009l8 (809)754-5756 RHODE ISLAND Louis P. Alfano, Jr., Chief Veterans Affairs Office Metacom Avenue Bristol, RI 02809 (40l)277-2488 NamVet 2-06 Page 13 4 Jun 1988 SOUTH CAROLINA Hoyt B. Hill, Jr., Director Brown State Office Building Department of Veterans Affairs l205 Pendleton Street Columbia, SC 2920l (803)758-2607 South Dakota Glenn R. Green, Director Division of Veterans Affairs 500 East Capitol Avenue Capitol Building Pierre, SD 5750l-5083 (605)773-3269 TENNESSEE William H. Roden, Commissioner Department of Veterans Affairs 2l5 Eighth Avenue, North Nashville, TN 37203 (6l5)74l-2345 TEXAS Aubrey L. Bullard, Director Veterans Affairs Commission P. O. Box l2277, Capitol Station Austin, TX 787ll (5l2)475-4l85 UTAH Wayne J. Smith Administrator of Veterans Affairs 3195 South Main Street Salt Lake City, UT 84115 (801)483-6170 VERMONT Elwin W. Dean, Director Veterans Affairs Office State Office Building Montpelier, VT 05602 (802)828-3379/8l VIRGINIA Samuel M. Black, Director Division of War Veterans Claims 2l0 Franklin Road, SW Roanoke, VA 240ll (703)982-7l04 FTS 937-6396 VIRGIN ISLANDS Llewellyn A. Sewer, Director Division of Veterans Affairs P. O. Box 890 Christiansted St. Croix, Virgin Islands 00820 (809)773-6663 WASHINGTON Randy Fisher, Director Department of Veterans Affairs P. O. Box 9778, Mail Stop ED-ll Olympia, WA 98504 (206)753-5586 NamVet 2-06 Page 14 4 Jun 1988 WEST VIRGINIA John W. Moon, Director Department of Veterans Affairs 605 Atlas Building Charleston, WV 2530l (304)348-366l WISCONSIN John B. Ellery, Secretary Department of Veterans Affairs 77 N. Dickinson Street P. O. Box 7843 Madison, WI 53707 (608)266-l3ll WYOMING None NamVet 2-06 Page 15 4 Jun 1988 Educational Benefits Extensions Question: HOW CAN I GET MY EDUCATIONAL BENEFITS EXTENDED? ANSWER FROM KEITH SNYDER, VVA LEGAL SERVICES: Educational benefits can be used after the 10-year "delimiting" date (that begins to run at the date of discharge) if you were prevented from attending school due to physical of mental disabilities. The VA usually takes a hard line on these cases and only extends the deadline if you were hospitalized; the extension is only for the weeks or months equal to the time you were hospitalized. Having PTSD should be a good enough reason to extend the deadline but I haven't seen the VA agree to that one yet. Contact the nearest VA Regional Office for more details. NamVet 2-06 Page 16 4 Jun 1988 POINTERS FOR THE VETERAN HOMEOWNER EXCERPTS FROM VA PAMPHLET 26-5 THIS INSTALLMENT COVERS IF YOU HAVE TROUBLE MAKING YOUR GI LOAN PAYMENTS WHEN PAYMENTS CANNOT BE MADE ON DUE DATE May 1988 Even the most reliable borrowers sometimes fail to meet every payment on its due date, and it is possible that there is a good reason for the failure,such as a reduction of earnings or illness in the family. If you find that you will be unable to make your payment when it is due, by all means let your lender know and try to work out a satisfactory plan to make up the payments missed. The lenders friendly advice may be most helpful when you are in a tight spot. Try to see the lender before it is necessary that the lender write to you, but never fail to answer notices or letters that you may receive. In emergencies, the first impulse sometimes is to borrow money in order to keep the mortgage payments current. However, any new loan must be paid off in a short time through burdensome installments, and the extra strain often leads to more serious financial trouble. It is far better to visit the holder of your mortgage and frankly explain your trouble. Put " all your cards on the table." If you can, offer some plan for catching up on your payments and request advice and guidance-not to ask for sympathy-but to let the lender know that you are anxious to keep your home, and sincere in your desire to find a way out of your trouble. If you are willing to cooperate, your sincerity will be appreciated. If possible, the lender will help you to keep your home. Failure to cooperate with your lender may result in the loss of your home by foreclosure of the mortgage. Besides causing the loss of your home, this would naturally have a very bad effect on your credit standing, and may even leave you with a debt. You can and should, avoid this. WHEN FINANCIAL TROUBLES ARISE When serious financial troubles arise, it is obvious that living expenses must be cut to the bone. Most of the luxuries previously enjoyed, and even some things which may have been thought of as necessary, may have to be dropped for a time. In order to help veterans in financial trouble, all VA regional offices have technicians available to conduct financial counseling. This counseling is designed to help you avoid foreclosure. If you want this assistance, contact your local regional offices for a financial counseling appointment. Every homeowner dislikes the idea of losing a home. It is far NamVet 2-06 Page 17 4 Jun 1988 better to sell it of your own free will and perhaps save your equity (amount by which value of property exceeds loan balance) than to have it all taken away by foreclosure. This could cause you to lose all you have paid in, spoil your credit standing, and possibly increase your present debts. Later, when your financial position has improved, you may be able again to buy a home of your own. There's also another very good reason for doing everything you can to avoid having your mortgage foreclosed. If, as a result of foreclosure, the VA has to pay a claim to the lender under the guaranty, the amount of such a claim will be a debt you will owe to the government. BEWARE OF THE "DOTTED LINE" Veterans who are behind in the payments due on their GI loans are warned to be very careful before agreeing to any offers by strangers to make up their back payments if the veterans will "sign on the dotted line." If such a proposition is made to you, ask the holder of your mortgage or the Loan Guaranty Division of the nearest VA regional offices about it before you sign any paper. They will be glad to advise you whether or not the offer is good and sound. The VA cannot give you legal advice or service, but it can advise as to dangerous practices or as to the advisability of consulting an attorney. In some parts of the country, veterans who are not familiar with real estate transactions have been "taken in" by shady deals usually called "milking" or "equity skinning." In one form of this racket, the veteran, who is behind in his GI loan payments, is approached by unknown persons who offer to ay the delinquent installments if the veteran will "sign on the dotted line." The veteran later learns that he or she has signed a deed and can get the property back only by signing another contract at a much higher price. When the veteran finds the stiff terms of the new contract cannot be met, legal action is started to take possession of the veteran's home. In other cases, a housing development will be visited to learn whether veterans are having trouble meeting their GI loan payments. If the veterans are having trouble, these individuals offer each veteran a small amount of cash for the equity in the property, plus the privilege of buying another home in a lower cost neighborhood on a land sales contract. The veteran agrees to give up possession in 60 days and "signs on the dotted line," not knowing he or she is signing a deed to the property. When the 60 days are up, the veteran is told that no houses are available in the lower cost development. The veteran is then put out of the home. A third method is used in States where there is a long foreclosure or mortgage redemption period. A veteran falling NamVet 2-06 Page 18 4 Jun 1988 behind in home loan payments, is offered a small sum in cash for a "quitclaim" deed to the property with a promise that all back payments will be made up. The veteran moves out believing that the loan will be brought up to date. Instead the individual holding the quitclaim deed rents the house without making up back payments. Most of the money received as rent is profit until foreclosure is final, and the veteran,not knowing what has happened, may still owe the lender and quite possibly, the US Government if VA pays a claim on the loan. Many types of these shady deals are used in different parts of the country, depending on how these individuals can misuse State and local laws. Although these practices may be legal, they are considered unethical by most mortgage lenders and real estate brokers. You will be protecting your own interests and doing the other veterans a service if you report any such propositions to the holder of your mortgage and to the nearest VA regional office. ----------------------------------------------------------------- NamVet 2-06 Page 19 4 Jun 1988 V E T C E N T E R S from THE VETERANS SURVIVAL MANUAL by Ralph Roberts, the book will be published by NAL in October, '88 The VA conducts a nationwide system of Vet Centers which provide counseling service to Vietnam era veterans. Vet Centers are small community-based store-front centers that offer a broad range of services during day and evening hours. Their professional staff addresses problems and concerns of Vietnam era veterans and their families that are related to the veteran's experience while on active duty or during the military to civilian transition. Services range from social services to education or readjustment concerns. Readjustment counseling services include a general assessment to find out whether the veteran has identifiable social or psychological problems that were caused by military service during the Vietnam era. One of the most common of these problems is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The term PTSD covers a host of symptoms associated with exposure to catas-trophic stress. Nightmares, flashbacks, anxiety and sudden-startle reaction scan occur immediately after exposure to the stress of combat. Or these problems may develop years after the original stress. Symptoms of PTSD can prevent the veteran from enjoying a well-adjusted work and family life. Readjustment counseling services include individual counseling, group counseling, and family counseling. If the services requested are beyond the scope of the Vet Center (usually a relatively small facility), help will be furnished in finding a higher level of treatment. Usually this will be by referral to a VA Medical Center or Outpatient Clinic. Below is a list of current Vet Centers. While every effort has been made to make sure these addresses and phone numbers are correct, remember that Vet Centers are small and sometimes quickly moved when the storefront they are renting is no longer available. Check your local phone book and call to verify the present location of the one that you intend to visit. The addresses below are good as of January, 1988. ALABAMA---------------- 905 Cook Street Kenai, AK 99611 1425 S. 21st Street, Suite 108 (907) 283-5205 Birmingham, AL 35205 (205) 933-0500 1075 Check St., Suite 111 Wasilla, AK 99687 110 Marine Street (907) 376-4308 Mobile, AL 36604 (205) 694-4194 ARIZONA--------------- ALASKA---------------- 807 North 3rd Street Phoenix, AZ 85004 NamVet 2-06 Page 20 4 Jun 1988 4201 Tudor Centre Dr.#115 (602) 261-4769 Anchorage, AK 99508 (907) 563-6966 637 Hillside Ave. #A Prescott, AZ 86301 712 10th Avenue (602) 778-3469 Fairbanks, AK 99701 (907) 456-4238 727 North Swan 4954 Arlington Ave., Suite A Tucson, AZ 85711 Riverside, CA 92504 (602) 323-3271 (714) 359-8967 ARKANSAS-------------- 1111 Howe Ave., Suite 390 Sacramento, CA 95828 1311 West 2nd Street (916) 978-5477 Little Rock, AR 72201 (501) 378-6395 2900 6th Ave San Diego, CA 92103 CALIFORNIA------------ (619) 294-2040 859 South Harbor Blvd. 25 Van Ness Avenue Anaheim, CA 92805 San Francisco, CA 94102 (714) 776-0161 (415) 431-6021 1899 Clayton Rd. 967 West Hedding Concord, CA 94520 San Jose, CA 95126 (415) 680-4529 (408) 249-1643 157 E. Valley Pkwy. 32 W. 25th Ave., #202 Escondido, CA 92025 San Mateo, CA 94403 (619) 747-7305 (805) 564-2345 305 "V" Street 1300 Santa Barbara Street Eureka, CA 95501 Santa Barbara, CA 93101 (707) 444-8271 (805) 564-2345 340 Van Ness Ave. 16126 Lassen Fresno, CA 93721 Sepulveda, CA 91343 (209) 487-5660 (818) 892-9227 251 West 85th Place 313 N. Mountain Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90003 Upland, CA 91786 (213) 753-1391 (714) 982-0416 2000 Westwood Blvd. COLORADO-------------- Los Angeles, CA 90025 (213) 475-9509 207 Canyon Blvd. #201 A Boulder, CO 80302 455 Reservation Road, Suite E (303) 440-7306 Marina, CA 93933 (408) 384-1660 411 S. Tejon, Suite G Colorado Springs, CO 80903 709 West Beverly Blvd. (303) 471-9992 Montebello, CA 90640 (213) 728-9966 1820 Gilpin Street Denver, CO 80218 NamVet 2-06 Page 21 4 Jun 1988 287-17th Street (303) 861-9281 Oakland, CA 94612 (415) 763-3904 CONNECTICUT----------- 1800 Siesta Drive Sarasota, FL 33579 370 Market Street (813) 952-9406 Hartford, CT 06120 (203) 244-3543 235 31st Street, North St. Petersburg, FL 33713 562 Whalley Ave. (813) 327-3355 New Haven, CT 06510 (203) 773-2235 249 E. 6th Ave. Tallahassee, FL 32303 16 Franklin Street, Room #106 (904) 681-7172 Norwich, CT 06111 (203) 887-1755 1507 W. Sligh Ave. Tampa, FL 33604 DELAWARE-------------- (813) 228-2621 VA Medical Center Bldg. 2 GEORGIA--------------- 1601 Kirkwood Hwy. Wilmington, DE 19805 922 W. Peachtree St. (302) 994-2878 Atlanta, GA 30309 (404) 347-7264 DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA-- 8110 White Bluff Rd. 737 1/2 8th Street, S. E. Savannah, GA 31406 Washington, DC 20003 (912) 927-7360 (202) 745-8400 & 8402 HAWAII---------------- FLORIDA--------------- 1370 Kapiolani Blvd. # 201 400 E. Prospect Rd. Honolulu, HI 96814 Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33334 (808) 541-1764 (305) 563-2992 IDAHO----------------- 255 Liberty Street Jacksonville, FL 32202 103 West State Street (904) 791-3621 Boise, ID 83702 (208) 342-3612 2311 10th Ave., N. #13 Lake Worth, FL 33461 1975 South 5th Street (305) 585-0441 Pocatello, ID 83201 (208) 232-0316 412 N.E. 39th Street Miami, FL 33137 ILLINOIS-------------- (305) 573-8830 & 1 & 2 547 West Roosevelt Rd. 5001 S. Orange Ave. # A Chicago, IL 60607 Orlando, FL 32809 (312) 829-4400/4401 (305) 684-6151 1607 W. Howard St., #200 15 W. Strong St., Suite 100C Chicago, IL 60626 Pensacola, FL 32501 (312) 764-6595 (904) 479-6665 NamVet 2-06 Page 22 4 Jun 1988 1600 Halsted Street KANSAS---------------- Chicago Heights, IL 60411( (312) 754-0340 413 South Pattie Wichita, KS 67211 1269 N. 89th Street (316) 265-3260 East St. Louis, IL 62203 (618) 397-6602 KENTUCKY-------------- 1529 46th Ave. 1117 Limestone Rd. Moline, IL 61265 Lexington, KY 40503 (309) 786-6814 (606) 276-5269 155 South Oak Park Ave. 736 S. 1st St. Oak Park, IL 60302 Louisville, KY 40202 (312) 383-3225 (502) 589-1981 605 N.E. Monroe LOUISIANA------------- Peoria, IL 61603 (309) 671-7300 2103 Old Minden Road Bossier, LA 71112 624 South 4th Street (318) 742-2733 Springfield, IL 62703 (217) 492-4955 1529 N. Claiborne Ave. New Orleans, LA 70116 INDIANA--------------- (504) 943-8386 101 N. Kentucky Ave. MAINE----------------- Evansville, IN 47711 (812) 425-0311 96 Harlow Street Bangor, ME 04401 528 West Berry Street (207) 947-3391 & 2 Fort Wayne, IN 46802 (219) 423-9456 175 Lancaster Street, #213 Portland, ME 04101 2236 West Ridge Rd. (207) 780-3584 & 5 Gary, IN 46408 (219) 887-0048 MARYLAND-------------- 811 Massachusetts Ave. 777 Washington Blvd. Indianapolis, IN 46204 Baltimore, MD 21230 (317) 269-2838 (301) 559-5511 IOWA------------------- 7 Elkton Commercial Plaza Elkton, MD 21921 3619 6th Ave. (301) 398-0171 Des Moines, IA 50313 (515) 384-4929 1015 Spring Street # 101 Silver Spring, MD 20910 706 Jackson (202) 745-8441 Sioux City, IA 51101 (712) 233-3200 MASSACHUSETTS--------- MISSISSIPPI------- 800 North Main Street 121 W. Jackson Street Avon, MA 02322 Biloxi, MS 39503 NamVet 2-06 Page 23 4 Jun 1988 (617) 580-2730 (601) 435-5414 480 Tremont Street 158 E. Pascagoula Street Boston, MA 02116 Jackson, MS 39201 (617) 451-0171 & 2 (601) 353-4912 NamVet 2-06 Page 24 4 Jun 1988 71 Washington Street MISSOURI--------- Brighton, MA 02135 (617) 782-1013 3931 Main Street Kansas City, MO 64111-1916 181 Hillman Street, Room 110 (816) 753-1866 New Bedford, MA 02740 (617) 999-6920 2345 Pine Street St. Louis, MO 63103 1985 Main Street (314) 231-1260 Springfield, MA 01103 (413) 737-5167 MONTANA----------- 8 Worchester Street 415 North 33rd St. West Boston, MA 01583 Billings, MT 59101 (617) 835-2709 (406) 657-6071 MICHIGAN-------------- 929 S.W. Higgins Ave. Missoula, MT 59803 1940 Eastern Ave. S.E. (406) 721-4918 & 9 Grand Rapids, MI 49507 (616) 243-0385 NEBRASKA-------------- 1766 Fort Street 920 L Street Lincoln Park, MI 48146 Lincoln, NE 68508 (313) 381-1370 (402) 476-9736 20820 Greenfield Rd. 5123 Leavenworth Street Oakpark, MI 48237 Omaha, NE 68106 (313) 967-0040 & 1 (402) 553-2068 MINNESOTA--------- NEVADA---------------- 405 E. Superior Street 704 South 6th Street Duluth, MN 55802 Las Vegas, NV 89101 (218) 722-8654 (702) 388-6368 2480 University Ave. 1155 W. 4th St. St. Paul, MN 55114 Reno, NV 89503 (612) 644-4022 (702) 323-1294 NEW HAMPSHIRE--------- 165 Cadman Plaza, East Brooklyn, NY 11201 103 Liberty Street (212) 330-2825 Manchester, NH 03104 (603) 668-7060 & 1 351 Linwood Ave. Buffalo, NY 14209 NEW JERSEY------------ (716) 882-0505 626 Newark Ave. 45-20 83rd St. Jersey City, NJ 07306 Elmhurst, NY 11373 (201) 656-6986 (718) 446-8233 & 4 321 Central Ave. 166 West 75th Street Linwood, NJ 08221 Manhatten, NY 10023 (609) 927-8387 (212) 944-2917 & 30 NamVet 2-06 Page 25 4 Jun 1988 75 Halsey Street 294 South Plymouth Ave. Newark, NJ 07102 Rochester, NY 14608 (201) 622-6940 (716) 263-5710 318 East State Street 210 North Townsend Street Trenton, NJ 08608 Syracuse, NY 13203 (609) 989-2260 & 1 (313) 476-7461 NEW MEXICO------------ 200 Hamilton Ave. White Plains, NY 10601 4603 4th Street N.W. (914) 684-0570 Albuquerque, NM 87107 (505) 345-8366 NORTH CAROLINA--------- 211 West Mesa 223 S. Brevard Street Gallup, NM 87301 Charlotte, NC 28202 (505) 722-3821 (704) 333-6107 1996 St. Michael's Drive #5 4 Market Square Santa Fe, NM 87504 Fayetteville, NC 28301 (505) 345-8366 (919) 323-4908 NEW YORK-------------- 2009 Elm-Eugene Street Greensboro, NC 27406 875 Central Ave. (919) 333-5366 Albany, NY 12208 (518) 438-2508 150 Arlington Blvd., Suite B Greenville, NC 27834 116 West Main Street (919) 355-7920 Babylon, NY 11702 (516) 661-3930 NORTH DAKOTA---------- 226 E. Fordham Rd. #216 1322 Gateway Drive Bronx, NY 10458 Fargo, ND 58103 (212) 367-3500 (701) 237-0942 108 Burdick Expressway PENNSYLVANIA---------- Minot, ND 58701 (701) 852-0177 1000 State St. # 1 & 2 Erie, PA 16501 OHIO------------------ (814) 453-7955 2134 Lee Rd. 1007 North Front Street Chicago Heights, OH 44118 Harrisburg, PA 17102 (216) 932-8471 (717) 782-3954 31 East 12th Street, 4th Fl 5000 Walnut Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 McKeesport, PA 15132 (513) 569-7140 (412) 678-7704 11511 Lorain Ave. 1026 Arch Street Cleveland, OH 44111 Philadelphia, PA 19107 (216) 671-8530 (215) 627-0238 1054 E. Broad Street 5601 North Broad Street # 202 Columbus, OH 43205 Philadelphia, PA 19141 NamVet 2-06 Page 26 4 Jun 1988 (614) 253-3500 (215) 924-4670 19 Hunter Ave. 954 Penn Ave. Dayton, OH 45404 Pittsburgh, PA 15222 (513) 461-9150 & 1 (412) 765-1193 OKLAHOMA-------------- 959 Wyoming Ave. Scranton, PA 18509 3033 N. Walnut, suite 101W (717) 344-2676 Oklahoma City, OK 73105 (405) 270-5184 PUERTO RICO----------- 1855 E. 15th St. 52 Gonzalo Marin St. Tulsa, OK 74104 Arecibo, PR 00612 (918) 581-7105 (809) 879-4510 OREGON---------------- 35 Mayor Street Ponce, PR 00731 1966 Garden Ave. (809) 840-4078 Eugene, OR 97403 (503) 687-6918 Suite LC 8A and LC9 Condomino Med. 615 N.W. 5th St. Center Plaza Grants Pass, OR 97403 La Riviera (503) 479-6912 Rio Piedras, PR 00921 (809) 783-8794 2450 S.E. Belmont Portland, OR 97214 RHODE ISLAND---------- (503) 231-1586 172 Pine Street 2009 State Street Pawtucket, RI 02860 Salem, OR 97301 (401) 728-9501 (503) 362-9911 SOUTH CAROLINA-------- 3134 Reid Street Corpus Christi, TX 78202 1313 Elmwood Ave. (512) 888-3101 Columbia, SC 29201 (803) 765-9944 5415 Maple Plaza #114 Dallas, TX 75235 904 Pendleton Street (214) 634-7024 Greenville, SC 29601 (803) 271-2711 2121 Wyoming Street El Paso, TX 79903 3366 Rivers Ave. (915) 542-2851 & 2 & 3 No. Charleston, SC 29405 (803) 747-8387 1305 W. Magnolia, Suite B Fort Worth, TX 76104 SOUTH DAKOTA---------- (817) 921-3733 610 Kansas City Street 8100 Washington Ave., Suite 120 Rapid City, SD 57701 Houston, TX 77007 (605) 348-0077 (713) 880-8387 115 North Dakota St. 4905A San Jacinto Sioux Falls, SD 57102 Houston, TX 77004 NamVet 2-06 Page 27 4 Jun 1988 (605) 332-0856 (713) 522-5354 & 5376 TENNESSEE------------- 717 Corpus Christi Laredo, TX 78040 2 Northgate Park # 108 (512) 723-4680 Chatanooga, TN 37415 (615) 875-5114 3208 34th St. Lubbock, TX 79410 703 South Roan Street (806) 743-7551 Johnson City, TN 37601 (615) 928-8387 1130 Pecan, Suite G McAllen, TX 78501 1515 E. Magnolia Ave. #201 (512) 631-2147 Knoxville, TN 37917 (615) 971-5866 3401 W. Illinois, Suite 1 Midland, TX 79703 1 North Third Street (915) 697-8222 Memphis, TN 38103 (901) 521-3506 107 Lexington Ave. San Antonio, TX 78205 TEXAS----------------- (512) 229-4025 2900 West 10th Street 1916 Fredericksburg Rd. Amarillo, TX 79106 San Antonio, TX 78201 (806) 376-2127 (512) 229-4120 3401 Manor Rd. #102 UTAH-------------- Austin, TX 78723 (512) 476-0607 & 8 750 N. 200 West # 105 Provo, UT 84601 (801) 377-1117 1354 East 3300, South North 1611 Division St. Salt Lake City, UT 84106 Spokane, WA 99207 (801) 584-1294 (509) 327-0274 VERMONT----------- 4801 Pacific Ave. Tacoma, WA 98408 359 Dorset Street (206) 473-0731 & 2 South Burlington, VT 05401 (802) 862-1806 WEST VIRGINIA--------- Gilman Office Complex, Bldg. #2 1591 Washington Street East White River Junction, VT 05001 Charleston, WV 25301 (802) 295-2908 (304) 343-3825 VIRGIN ISLANDS---- 1014 6th Ave. Huntington, WV 25701 United Shopping Plaza, Suite 4 (304) 523-8387 Christiansted, St. Croiz, VI 00820 (809) 778-5553 218 West King Street Martinsburg, WV 25401 Havensight Mall (304) 263-6776 St. Thomas, VI 00801 (809) 774-6674 1191 Pineview Drive Morgantown, WV 26505 NamVet 2-06 Page 28 4 Jun 1988 VIRGINIA---------- (304) 291-4001 & 2 7450 1/2 Tidewater Drive WISCONSIN------------- Norfolk, VA 23505 (804) 587-1338 147 South Butler Street Madison, WI 53703 1030 West Franklin Street (608) 264-5342 & 3 Richmond, VA 23220 (804) 353-8958 3400 Wisconsin Milwaukee, WI 53208 320 Mountain Ave., S.W. (414) 344-5504 Roanoke, VA 24014 (703) 342-9726 WYOMING--------------- 7024 Spring Garden Dr. 641 East Second Street Brookfield Plaza Casper, WY 82601 Springfield, VA 22150 (307) 235-8010 (703) 866-0924 3031 Henderson Drive WASHINGTON------------ Cheyenne, WY 82001 (307) 778-2660 1322 East Pike Street Seattle, WA 98122 (206) 442-2706 NamVet 2-06 Page 29 4 Jun 1988 ================================================================= BUDDY SEARCH ================================================================= VIETNAM VETERANS REGISTRY, INC. PO BOX 430 BRIDGTON, MAINE 04009 Dear Fellow Vietnam Veteran: The Vietnam Veterans Registry (computerized directory) is a nonprofit corporation dedicated to: Assist Vietnam Veterans in locating friends made as a result of their service. Assist Vietnam veterans in locating fellow comrades in order to substantiate veterans claims. Assist Vietnam veterans in locating another veteran's next of kin. To promote solidarity among veterans and to ascertain their needs through surveys. To aid veterans in the creation of memorial funds. To assist veterans in organizing reunions. The registry is not affiliated with any veterans group or political party; it is an autonomous corporation. It is _not_ a veterans group; there is no membership and no annual dues. Access to the registry is limited strictly to those Vietnam veterans that have placed their names on file. The only information that will be released by the registry is a veteran's name and address. There is no fee for the registration, but a donation for as little as $5.00 will defray the cost of processing the registration. A donation of $10 or more will help to guarantee the success of the registry and pay the media exposure that is critical to its success. Please give generously. Registration is voluntary, but I urge all Vietnam veterans to complete the enclosed registration form even if you do not plan to use the services of the registry. If you know other Vietnam veterans, please let them know about the registry. Also, if you belong to any veterans group, please encourage them to publicize the registry. Please print clearly on the registration form; also, indicate if you belong to a veterans group. NamVet 2-06 Page 30 4 Jun 1988 It is hoped that 100,000 Vietnam veterans will register over a five-year period. The first main project of the registry is a reunion for the staff and patients of the 24th Evac. Hospital, Vietnam. Thank you for your interest in the registry. Sincerely, /s/ Larry Horn Director NamVet 2-06 Page 31 4 Jun 1988 ================================================================= MEMORIES ================================================================= A Little Man Part II by Lefty Frizzell RVN 1969-1972 It was a nice funeral....quite a few people there....nice flowers...nice sermon....The Preacher was one of his boys....and 3 of the pall bearers were from his old Scout Troop....He was wearing his uniform from World War II.. won't say what ribbons he had on cause some of them were from almost another era. But from the ribbons (medals) there was much about the man that I did not know. Unless you have been in a war, you would never know. a couple of the ribbons....I have myself....maybe that is why we got along so well....an old warrior teaching a soon to be warrior. There were people there that I have not seen since 1967....My old Explorer advisor was there, he is fighting cancer, and the next time we get together it may be for him. Ron, Leslie, Walter, Ronnie the P (Now Reverend Mr P.), and finally Arnold ......A guy that I went to high school with and his brother. Mrs Ellis....she took it well....but she always was a strong woman...... Funny, I remember her as being so much bigger. She always stood so much taller than Mr Ellis....Her daughters....all older ...all different...all the same....the youngest son....always so much younger than the rest that I never could remember his name...(Its Mike, but his Dad always called him Herc or Sampson)...The VFW was there....Funny thing was that the guy that was in charge of the Veterans Group had known Mr Ellis for years and I still dont think that he knew who he was burying...2 hours in time....a drive from one part of town to another.....taps....the firing of the volleys.....Three of the boys (Boys! Ha! Me, Arnold, and Ron.....) were asked to fold the flag as Mr Ellis had taught us to do so long ago....I did my best....I think he would have been satisfied....cause I did do it the best I could remember... the presentation of the flag....and the giving of my Eagle Scout Ring to Mrs Ellis....I can always get another.....He was the main reason that I got the one I had.......The end of the ceremony.....the handshaking....the tears....the promises of keeping in touch....the half hearted invitations to dinner....the small talk and conversation....the lingering not wanting to leave old friends and a part of my life that was and never will be again.... talk of a reunion....I'd really like that....everyone seems to know where some one else is at.....a full complement of scouts, and explorers....maybe one more time....it would be nice, it could never be the same....but one more time like the old days. I asked his son, why they called me after all these NamVet 2-06 Page 32 4 Jun 1988 years to be a pall bearer. His son looked and me kind of funny and said "Daddy picked you, Daddy always said that when he died that we were to call you....if anyone in the world would show up to carry him away, you would"... So now he can rest in peace....and now I can too...I never got the chance or took the time to tell him, but HE KNEW!!!! and by what little I hold holy....right now that is the most important thing in the world to me....Even after he was gone....he still took care of his boys... maybe he knew just how much I needed to know that...... NamVet 2-06 Page 33 4 Jun 1988 Yahrzeit '88 My heart aches, and a drowsy numbness pains My sense, as though of hemlock I had drunk, Or emptied some dull opiate to the drains One minute past, and Lethe-wards had sunk: - John Keats "Ode to a Nightingale" She put them up in a brass and stained oak frame. Against the white satin background they didn't appear so ominous, and didn't supply a hint as to the way in which they are awarded. A pretty color, like that on the robes of royalty; pure and deep with majestic allusion. On a weekly basis, she polished the frame, keeping the brass as bright as a ray of morning sunlight. The glass was so spotless that it was possible to see quite clearly ones own reflection. She picked a conspicuous spot for them, and fastened them to the wall in the hallway. And so they hung there, waiting. Waiting. But I didn't look at them. I didn't want to see the morbid days and endless nights that caused their arrival. I didn't want to face the face that won these prizes through violent means. But she kept polishing the brass and glass, commenting "They are precious metals" to those who asked about them. And they hung there on the wall, passed each time a step was taken in the hall. And so they hung there, waiting. Waiting. Each week she would clean them, and the evening sun would cast a reflected light ray to the end of the hall. Each week she would polish them with a tenderness as if they were children to be held. She never said a word about them, but it was easy to tell she was extremely curious about their origins. And so they hung there, waiting. Waiting. Any appeal to remove them was met with stern disapproval. She wanted something to remind her of what had happened, even if she didn't know exactly what that was. She never pried, but held me gently on the nights I would wake up soaked in sweat and tears. She never complained, and never wanted out; instead she would shed tears for my fears, and cry for my sorrows. And every week, she would clean and polish them, until like a beacon they shone. And so they hung there, waiting. Waiting. The sleepless nights faded into the past, the weeks melted into months, and the months passed into years. And each week she would polish them, not voicing a bit of curiosity. She understood the pain, because it was evident in her eyes each morning after a dream of return had come. Her soft touch and NamVet 2-06 Page 34 4 Jun 1988 wavering voice exposed the silent melancholy her heart felt and she tried so hard to hide. And each week, she returned to them, polishing them brightly. And so they hung there, waiting. Waiting. The tenderness, style and beauty was taken from her in an instant she never realized. I never had a chance to explain to her the prize was one of immense sorrow. She would polish them as if they were the most important thing in our existence. She held them as tenderly as she had held me on the occasions that it was needed. She understood that the key to my welfare was locked in that frame of brass and oak, and the only way to release the demons was to face the face in the reflected glass. And so they hung there, waiting. Waiting. Her funeral was a complete shock. The realization of death I thought had died many years ago. Death was something benign, something that didn't affect me anymore. Yet here she was, the Joy, Beauty and Truth of my life, lying in grassy solitude. She was no longer there to polish the brass and oak frame, so the dust and tarnish collected, dimming the Light they reflected in the past. And so they hung there, waiting. Waiting. What the war couldn't accomplish, I thought pills could. G-d it's such a hard life! The pills: they can fix everything. If I take enough of them.... And like a memory hidden by time, the brass greened and the oak cracked. And so they hung there, waiting. Waiting. Waking up in the hospital, I was told death had been a breath away. My first reaction was anger for failing, then anger for trying, and finally settled into weeks of self imposed isolation, purging the pent up feelings in emotional self-abasement. The questions came faster than I could possibly answer, and I closed myself off even further. Ignoring all life around me. And so they hung there, waiting. Waiting. I got home with the feeling she had deserted me; leaving me in not so silent agony. The first thing I noticed was they were polished, bright as any day she had cleaned them. I asked who polished them, and everyone said they didn't know. I took them off the wall, excused myself and went into my private chambers. For the first time I was able to look at them since they were hung around my neck by the powers that warranted their action. For the first time I was able to look at the face that won them, and realize that it was a face of an ordinary man, and not a maniacal killer. I held them and finally the tears came. The tears that would begin to wash away the stench of guilt and sorrow of the years past. The tears that would finally release NamVet 2-06 Page 35 4 Jun 1988 me from the unbearable torments of my dreams. As I moved to wipe the fallen tears from the polished glass, I looked and saw her face, as clearly as she was sitting there with me. She was smiling a smile of extreme serenity, and lipped the words "Welcome home. I love you." And just as suddenly, she was gone. I knew then who returned the lustre to them. And they no longer hung there, waiting. Waiting. I took the medals and wrapped them in a bedsheet and boxed them up. The box was taken to a family storage place, where they will be safe and cool. The brass and oak frame that she polished so persistently will be safe from corrosion and decay until I decide to take them out again. But for now, they have served their purpose. The Marines gave them to me for my conduct. My wife gave them to me for my sanity. And they no longer hang there, waiting. Waiting. 15 years ago I finished my SEA tour. 10 years ago my wife died, taking that beautiful smile and that full life with her. With this, the tenth anniversary of her death, I would like to let the world know that she was with me when all others had given up hope, and loved me when I didn't seem to love her back. So my continuing love for her I express poorly in these words: You were all of life to me. Yet when I thought that you had abandoned me in death, you still managed to pull me through life. You gave me back that burning desire for life I had lost. Even as you could support me in life, you saved me in death. I cannot offer anything other than the troth I pledged before, to reaffirm before G-d and man to love you for all eternity. # # # Semper fidelis -Anonymous NamVet 2-06 Page 36 4 Jun 1988 ================================================================= GENERAL ARTICLES ================================================================= NEW AIR FORCE REPORT FUELS AGENT ORANGE FIRE by Vesta Kimble, Times Staff Reporter Washington - Although Agent Orange cannot be blamed outright for the health problems some Vietnam veterans have experienced, the chemical defoliant cannot be "exonerated" either, according to a new Air Force report. Part of a continuing Air Force health study, the report called into question the conclusions of a 1984 government study, which found no adverse health effects associated with exposure to Agent Orange. In the most recent report, Air Force officials said the methods used in the earlier study were flawed. The result was that the study incorrectly concluded that the only cancer possibly connected with exposure to Agent Orange was skin cancer. It also incorrectly concluded that the only birth defects attributable to exposure were skin lesions. "In the...first morbidity (or incidence of disease) report, it was asserted that minor skin lesions accounted for the reported birth defects excess. That analysis was incomplete, and we are no longer confident in that inference," Air Force officials said in the new report. Other abnormalities that were reported at a higher rate in the children of the exposed group included learning disabilities, physical handicaps, infant death and neonatal death. The new report said Agent Orange could not be implicated as the cause of higher rates of other cancers among those who were exposed, but it could not be overlooked as a factor. The report was hailed by organizations that represent Vietnam veterans. "For the first time the Air Force is saying in a major way that they cannot rule out dioxin (a deadly ingredient in Agent Orange) as the cause of ill-health effects," said Barry Kasinitz, spokesman for Vietnam Veterans of America. Air Force officials said they have never categorically ruled out a link between Agent Orange and health problems. The problem with the earlier study is that it did not take into account the work habits of those who were handling Agent Orange. The level of exposure to the chemical defoliant depended on how carefully the worker was handling it, they said. The report issued by the Air Force is part of a 20-year government study of the impact that Agent Orange had on the military personnel who handled it. NamVet 2-06 Page 37 4 Jun 1988 In the past few years, researchers have discovered a way to detect dioxin levels in blood years after exposure. Blood samples have been taken from 2,010 veterans who worked with Agent Orange and that analysis should be ready within two years, Air Force officials said. - from Air Force Times, April 18, 1988, p. 8. NamVet 2-06 Page 38 4 Jun 1988 Veterans Benefits Did you realize that veterans benefits vary, depending on when you served. Different benefits are available to those who served in WW I vs. WW II vs. Korea vs. Vietnam vs. those in the military now. Examples are that WW II vets received educational benefits that paid their full tuition, cost of books and a monthly living allowance. Vietnam veterans received only a living allowance. WW I veterans receive the fewest benefits. This is ironic considering they were responsible for the original G.I. Bill. The current G.I. Bill expires in 1989. This means that those serving today will not have sufficient benefits to cover their civilian readjustment. NamVet 2-06 Page 39 4 Jun 1988 A Personal View of the Candidates Submitted by: CAROLINA VETERANS NEWS, October 1987 (c) 1987 Ralph Roberts "May you live in interesting times," is an ancient Chinese curse. Historically speaking, 'interesting times' are those fraught with wars and rumors of wars, with strife and unrest. The American Revolution occurred in interesting times. Thomas Paine wrote at the time,"these are the times that try men's souls." The War for Southern Independence also happened in interesting times. World War I, World War II, the Korean conflict, and Vietnam as well. While this editorial is being written, the news is full of a Silkworm missile attack by Iran on an American-flagged tanker. Iraq continues to hit "large naval targets", the Persian Gulf simmers as the flames of 12th century religious fanaticism rage hotter and hotter, seemingly drawing modern Western civilization into an unavoidable armed conflict with this medieval one. Many other places across the face of this troubled planet seethe too. The Tamils in the island-nation of Sri Lanka, Contras in Central America, Palestinians, Filipinos, brave Afghan rebels in their high mountain fastness, Tibetan monks rioting against harsh Chinese overlords, Chadian troops fighting Libyan interlopers from across the desert wastes, South Africa... The list goes on and on. These are undeniably 'interesting times', these are still "the times that try men's souls." Which brings us, in the inexorable way of history repeated, to Politics and the forthcoming Presidential campaign. What is wrong, O America Our Country, that we cannot now field leaders to match 'interesting times'? A recent political cartoon, published before the media started knocking off candidates in the manner of flies being swatted, likened the Democratic contenders to the seven dwarfs. This is, by the way, a base canard to the seven dwarfs. They were good at what they did, industrious miners making a living by honest toil. True, they lived in the forest with an unmarried lady, but there was no hint of impropriety. Snow White was not Donna Rice! The Republicans are no better. Perhaps more like the Three Stooges than the seven dwarfs--Moe Dole, Larry Bush, the Reverend Curly Pat. Undeserved or not, Newsweek this week reports that most of the American people perceive Vice President George Bush to be a "wimp". Do we want a "wimp" to lead us through the minefields of a conflict-plagued world? O America Our Country, are there not better men for these 'interesting times'? NamVet 2-06 Page 40 4 Jun 1988 Where are the great leaders of the past? Where are the George Washingtons, the Abraham Lincolns, the Teddy "Carry A Big Stick" Roosevelts, the Woodrow Wilsons, the Franklin Delano Roosevelts standing tall from their wheelchairs? Where are, O America Our Country, the U.S. Grants, the General Blackjack Pershings, the George Pattons, the Dwight D.Eisenhowers, the Omar Bradleys? O America Our Country, Sweet Land of Liberty, Home of the Brave, Land of the Free, is this the best we can do? Surely not! We are Veterans! We have already lived and served in interesting times! It is us who have the responsibility to demand competence and stature of our politicians. It is time for us, for America's Veterans, to take a hand in the political process. To become involved and to force the current crop of pygmy politicians to grow, or to make room for stronger leaders. Take part in the grassroots organizations of your party of choice. Make the voice of Veterans thunderous in this Glorious Land. Let them know that we will accept no compromise in quality of leadership. No mental midgets, no high-livers more interested in chasing skirts than the lofty goals of America Our Country! That we want men and women of the caliber demanded by interesting times. O America Our Country, speak up! NamVet 2-06 Page 41 4 Jun 1988 Vietnam Combat Veterans with PTSD: Analysis of Marital and Cohabitating Adjustment By EDWARD M. CARROLL, DRUE BARRETT RUEGER, DAVID W. FOY and CLYDE P. DONAHOE, JR. INTRODUCTION The 3rd edition of the DIAGNOSTIC AND STATISTICAL MANUAL OF MENTAL DISORDERS (DSM-III) includes combat related stress disorder within the diagnostic category of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Prior studies have focused on (a) delineating the extent and severity of symptomatology and maladjustment among Vietnam veterans...(b) addressing the controversial issue of etiological factors....and (c) identifying reliable methods of assessment. Most of this research illuminates the individual psychological problems of Vietnam veterans, whereas only limited attention has been given to the interpersonal aspects of the disorder. However, there is a good reason for a closer examination of the interpersonal concomitant of PTSD among combat veterans. Wilson found that combat veterans reported more difficulty with intimacy and social conflict than did noncombat Vietnam veterans and non-Vietnam veterans. Penk et. al. found that combat veterans compared to noncombat veterans, reported symptoms consistent with a diagnosis of PTSD, including more difficulties with emotional expressiveness, temper control, trust and marital problems. In a study by Roberts et. al. veterans seeking help for substance abuse and those with symptoms of PTSD were compared to non-PTSD combat veterans and noncombat veterans on measures of social adjustment. Problems with intimacy and sociability were found characteristic of veterans with PTSD. Higher scores on certain scales of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory were also associated with the PTSD group. Previous research indicates that PTSD veterans might have difficulty functioning in a dyadic relationship. We chose to investigate a) perceived degree of intimacy in the relationship, b) expressiveness and self-disclosure c) expression of hostility and d) general dyadic adjustment. Previous research in this area has failed to control for pre-military adjustment or to cross validate subject's self-report of premilitary history. We checked these with the report of a close relative, a sibling if at all possible. We checked with brothers and sisters because we felt that they would be more likely to know if the veteran had been having adjustment or substance abuse problems. VALIDITY CHECKS Veterans were required to bring or mail in a copy of their DD214 to the researchers. 80% of the subjects complied. Of the 80%, 100% who had represented themselves as Vietnam veterans were in fact confirmed as Vietnam veterans. 100% were also found to be NamVet 2-06 Page 42 4 Jun 1988 truthful about areas of overseas service and medals won. The majority of veterans (75% positive PTSD and 89% negative PTSD) were confirmed as combat veterans. In fact, the researchers report that more might have been confirmed as combat veterans but that no information about combat experience appeared on the DD214. This could have been due to not receiving a combat decoration or inadequately recorded information. RESULTS The PTSD positive group was compared with the PTSD negative and minimal combat groups on measures of relationship adjustment using multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). In comparing the Positive and Negative groups on the criterion measures, the results were significant at the p < .03 level. When comparing the Positive and Minimal Combat Exposure groups the differences were significant at the level of p < .001. [The first result is usually considered significant by researchers and the second result is usually considered highly significant by researchers.] Comparisons comparing Minimal Combat Exposure vets and the PTSD Negative group were not significant. This was expected. Thus as groups there were significant differences between the Positive and Negative PTSD groups and the Positive and Minimal Combat Exposure group. Veterans with PTSD did NOT report less frequent intimate activity and affectionate behavior with their partners as compared to the PTSD Negative group or the Minimal Combat group. Also, the PTSD Positive group did not need to make itself look better or worse than the other two groups. The PTSD positive group did report significantly less verbal involvement with their mates on both days that were typical and days that were stressful. The PTSD positive group also reported a lower level of general self-disclosure than the other two groups. PTSD positive veterans reported higher levels of general hostility and physical aggression toward their partners than did the PTSD negative veterans. There was no significant difference of the expression of general hostility between PTSD positive veterans and Minimal Combat groups. PTSD veterans also reported significantly higher levels of physical aggression than PTSD Negative veterans , but again there was no difference between the PTSD Positive group and the Minimal Combat group. PTSD Positive veterans reported lower levels of adjustment, consensus and cohesion in a dyadic relationship than did the other two groups. These findings supported the hypothesis that PTSD Positive veterans would evidence greater relationship maladjustment than would other Vietnam Veterans. The results on the Consensus and Cohesion subscales paralleled the findings on the Expression of Hostility and Expressiveness measures, which indicated greater conflict and less partner involvement associated with the relationships of PTSD positive veterans. NamVet 2-06 Page 43 4 Jun 1988 Furthermore, the authors attempted to test the discriminant function posited by Foy et. al. (1984) A discriminant function is a set of traits or circumstances which are claimed to be able to discriminant or predict differences between the groups under study. Thus if a person knew how an individual stood on an issue or to what degree s/he held a psychological trait the discriminant function would tell you how often you would be correct in predicting his/her membership in particular group. Foy's discriminant function or set of variables are: tension/anxiety disgust alcohol abuse suicidal thoughts hostility marital problems depression irritability On average, one could predict the membership in either the PTSD positive or PTSD negative group with these variables, 75.4% of the time. One could predict membership in the PTSD positive group with these variables 59% of the time and the PTSD negative group 83.7% of the time. The PTSD positive and the PTSD negative groups did NOT differ significantly on the Premilitary Adjustment Index. Even when scores on this index were taken into account in performing statistical operations, no significant difference could be found. DISCUSSION It was found that help seeking Vietnam Veterans with PTSD differ from PTSD negative and minimal combat veterans in being less self-disclosing and expressive to their partners, and in having greater difficulty adjusting to marital and cohabiting relationships. In addition, the results indicate that the combat veterans with PTSD are more expressive of hostility and prone to physical aggression than are the PTSD-negative combat veterans. These difference do not appear to be attributable to premilitary adjustment, demographic variables, socially desirable or undesirable response styles, or to the presence of a dyadic member with psychological problems. Combat selection factors could not account for the differences between PTSD positive and PTSD negative combat veterans. The present findings generally support the DSM-III definition of PTSD as including components of constricted responsiveness and reduced involvement with the external world. Also, the results are in concert with other studies that indicate poor social involvement and interpersonal difficulties among Vietnam combat veterans and survivors of other traumatic experiences such as major floods and tornadoes. However, the present findings show that the presence of PTSD is more strongly associated with problematic social functioning than with combat experience per NamVet 2-06 Page 44 4 Jun 1988 se. This means that variables associated with social functioning are more strongly, statistically, related to PTSD than is combat experience, per se. When compared to other groups PTSD positive veterans groups have shown a higher incidence of more serious symptomatology and specific types of interpersonal maladjustment. Previous reports that combat veterans have more difficulty than others in expressing positive emotions were NOT supported in this study. Furthermore combat veterans were not found to be less affectionate than noncombat groups. This contradicts the DSM-III. This does not mean that PTSD positive veterans do not have this difficulty. It only means that they are not distinguishable from other clinical groups on this trait. The authors think that the reason affectionate behavioral differences could not be found in this study is because all three groups under study showed a limited range in frequencies of affectionate and intimate behavior. Affectionate and intimate behaviors are characteristically low for these groups. PTSD positive veterans do report and are in fact troubled by higher and more undesirable levels of arousal and depression. This highlights the connection between PTSD and marital difficulties. PTSD positive veterans also expressed more hostility and physical aggression toward partners than did PTSD negative veterans. These results indicate that marital therapy or relationship oriented resources would be of particular help to veterans. It should be also noted that veterans may under utilize or completely reject socially and psychologically helpful resources. It would also be quite helpful in the initial stages of a relationship to assess the degree of combat exposure and PTSD symptomatology especially in relationship to family and relationship situations. NamVet 2-06 Page 45 4 Jun 1988 VA Hospitals By GENE GRABOWSKI Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) -- About one-third of the patients studied in Veterans Administration hospitals in 1984 did not belong there, but were admitted because of mismanagement and poor testing by doctors, the General Accounting Office said Thursday. In a report, the congressional watchdog agency concluded that the VA could save billions of dollars on planned expansion by cutting unnecessary admissions and excessive stays at its 172 hospitals across the country. If the VA continues to handle patients inefficiently, "it will either have to expand its capacity to a greater extent than now projected or turn away many of the veterans it expects to be seeking care," the GAO suggested. The report found that hospital stays for many patients could be reduced if VA hospital officials would adopt patient management practices used widely in the medical community. "VA's central office has issued policy guidelines which recommend using many of these practices," the GAO said. "However, managers at the hospitals GAO visited have not fully implemented the policies and therefore keep patients hospitalized longer than necessary." The report said a corresponding review of 350 patients treated at seven VA hospitals in 1982 found that 43 percent of the days they were admitted were "medically avoidable." About half those excess days resulted from poor patient management, such as admitting the patient and then needlessly waiting several days before performing surgery, the study said. The other half occurred when patients were kept in the hospital because cheaper alternatives, such as nursing homes and hospice beds, were unavailable. VA Administrator Harry N. Walters, in a letter to the GAO, agreed with some of the criticism and said some problems cited are already being corrected. But he challenged whether savings would be as great as the report suggested. Walters also said that savings from shifting people to less-costly out-of-hospital facilities is impossible if the facilities are not available. "Unless it can be demonstrated that alternate treatment facilities actually existed and could have accommodated patients, it does not seem reasonable for GAO to conclude that patients are hospitalized inappropriately," he wrote. NamVet 2-06 Page 46 4 Jun 1988 "If such patients were not considered in determining the percentage of inappropriately hospitalized VA patients, the percent would be estimated as 20 instead of 43 as stated by GAO." GAO investigators cited the following examples of wasteful practices at VA hospitals: --A man was admitted on a Friday and remained over the weekend awaiting a Tuesday operation. --A man with blood in his urine was admitted for tests that he should have had done as an outpatient. --A woman was admitted for seven days for cancer tests she should have had as an outpatient. --A man was kept 10 unnecessary days before he was sent to a nursing home. The GAO report was based on two different reviews of VA hospital patients. In the first, the agency's consultant team of doctors and nurses reviewed 350 randomly selected medical files of patients at seven hospitals who had been discharged in 1982. Those hospitals were in Philadelphia, Chicago (West Side), Phoenix, Boston, New Orleans, Seattle and San Diego. In the second review, the GAO's chief medical adviser visited six of the seven VA hospitals in 1984 to evaluate conditions of patients in medical and surgical beds. The medical adviser checked on nearly 800 patients, representing about 44 percent of the VA's medical and surgical patients at the time. The adviser concluded that 244 patients, or 31 percent, did not belong in medical and surgical care beds, and should have been treated in less costly facilities. Among other corrective steps, the GAO said: --Diagnostic evaluations, such as blood tests and chest X-rays, should be done before admission, not afterward. --Elective surgery should be scheduled before a patient is admitted and all admissions for surgery should be avoided just before weekends. --Testing and evaluation of results should be done in less time. NamVet 2-06 Page 47 4 Jun 1988 ================================================================= INTERNATIONAL VIETNAM VETERANS' ECHOCONFERENCE NODELIST ================================================================= As of 3 June 88 these are the net/nodes that are currently listed as receiving the International Vietnam Veterans Echo. If your local BBS is not listed, please send a message to Joe Peck 321/203 (1-413-443-6313) or leave a message in the IVVEC/IWVEC. NET/ MAX NODE BBS NAME City/State/Country Phone BAUD ================================================================ 632/350 Yarra Valley BBS Melbourne Austr AU 61-3-848-331 1200 114/113 Corwin's Keep Tempe AZ 1-602-894-1470 2400 114/13 Corwin's Keep Tempe AZ 1-602-894-1470 2400 153/123 DAETECH Burnaby BC 1-604-420-2641 9600 153/135 DAETECH 2 Burnaby BC 1-604-420-9485 2400 153/501 Valley Hub Clearbrook BC 1-604-850-0021 2400 153/133 Hot Line Data Network Langley BC 1-604-533-0421 2400 220/20 Old Frog's Almanac Nanaimo BC 1-604-758-3072 2400 103/507 Philosopher's Log Anaheim CA 1-714-535-1258 9600 200/100 The Board Room Belmont Shores CA 1-213-498-6425 2400 161/502 Wildcat Benicia CA 1-707-746-5820 2400 161/66 Generic BBS Citrus Heights CA 1-916-722-3659 2400 203/66 Generic BBS Citrus Heights CA 1-916-722-3659 2400 161/1 Nerd's Nook Concord CA 1-415-672-2504 9600 202/401 jabberWOCky Escondido CA 1-619-743-9935 2400 161/34 Now and Zen OPUS Fair Oaks CA 1-916-962-1952 9600 161/56 Nat'l Family Forum Freemont, CA 1-415-651-4147 2400 161/7 Mover Mouse BBS Fremont, CA 1-415-883-1644 2400 200/200 CSULB Long Beach, CA 1-213-494-8737 1200 NamVet 2-06 Page 48 4 Jun 1988 161/39 Nightline Mather AFB, CA 1-916-362-1755 2400 161/509 Enterprize Pinole, CA 1-415-758-1650 2400 161/11 The Byte Boutique Sacramento CA 1-916-483-8032 2400 161/5 River City II OPUS Sacramento, CA 1-916-646-9678 9600 161/943 Eagle's Nest Sacramento, CA 1-916-334-2822 9600 10/215 Silver BBS San Diego, CA 1-619-226-4502 2400 125/31 Echo Coord San Francisco CA 1-415-621-5206 9600 143/22 P-CAD's Board San Jose, CA 1-408-279-4908 2400 143/27 Vietnam Veterans Valhalla San Jose CA 1-408-293-7894 2400 143/86 Cat's Tail BBS S T O P San Mateo CA 1-415-349-8245 2400 125/78 Living Sober BBS San Mateo, CA 1-415-342-2859 2400 125/12 The Grape Vine Santa Rosa, CA 1-707-546-4938 2400 125/7 Survival Forum Santa Rosa, CA 1-707-545-0746 2400 103/501 Mount Silverthorn Tustin, CA 1-714-544-3369 2400 104/28 Pinecliff BBS Boulder, CO 1-303-444-7073 2400 128/13 COSUG-Colorado's User Clrdo Spg CO 1-404-548-0726 2400 128/16 Firenet Leader Colorado Spring CO 1-303-591-9600 2400 104/739 The Phoenix Parker, CO 1-303-841-9570 2400 104/51 P2 B2 South Denver, CO 1-303-329-3337 2400 141/488 Alice's Restaurant Branford CT 1-203-488-1115 2400 141/250 Wilton Woods Wilton, CT 1-203=762-8481 9600 135/27 Bitsy's Place Miami Beach FL 1-305-865-0495 1200 135/35 The Way Out BBS Miami, FL 1-305-665-3283 1200 363/9 Wit's End Orlanda, FL 1-305-894-0807 1200 NamVet 2-06 Page 49 4 Jun 1988 363/10 Midas Touch Orlando, FL 1-305-648-1133 1200 366/38 Jolly Green Giant Shalimar, FL 1-904-651-3875 9600 18/43 Athens Echo Athens, GA 1-404-546-7857 9600 370/10 OnLine OPUS Athens, GA 1-404-548-0726 2400 370/5 Athens Forum Athens, GA 1-404-546-7857 9600 12/7 HPCUA Honolulu HI 1-808-422-8406 9600 12/1 Aura Net Honolulu, HI 1-808-533-0190 2400 115/761 ICS/TRIX 1 OPUS Chicago, IL 1-312-761-7887 2400 115/529 Elk Grove Repeater Elk Grove Vlg IL 1-312-529-1586 2400 115/20 North Shore BBS Evanston, IL 1-312-491-2611 2400 115/429 Chicago Business Evanston, IL 1-312-491-2611 2400 11/109 Peoria OPUS Net Peoria, IL 1-309-691-5416 2400 11/202 The SouthSide BBS Indianapolis, IN 1-317-882-9330 1200 227/1 Michiana TechLine Mishawaka, IN 1-219-258-0286 9600 227/150 The SX Project Whiting IN 1-219-659-2711 2400 108/90 DATANET Information Syste Erlanger KY 1-606-727-3638 2400 108/50 The ZOO BBS Independence, KY 1-606-283-2040 2400 321/109 Pioneer Valley PCUG-1 Amherst, MA 1-413-256-1037 9600 321/201 Mountain Top Dalton, MA 1-413-684-2886 2400 321/202 Jones' Nose Great Barringto MA 1-413-243-0034 9600 321/203 VETLink #1 Pittsfield, MA 1-413-443-6313 2400 109/722 Ronnie's Roadies BBS Camp Springs MD 1-301-736-0135 1200 109/648 Falcon's Rock College Park, MD 1-301-345-7459 2400 13/29 Berkshire Board Essex, MD 1-301-574-1984 9600 13/33 Avi-Technic Lutherville, MD 1-301-252-0717 9600 NamVet 2-06 Page 50 4 Jun 1988 13/30 The Futurists BBS Perry Hall, MD 1-301-529-0716 9600 261/628 Liberty Hall Reisterstown, MD 1-301-833-8933 2400 261/628.1 Systemhouse Link Reisterstown, MD 1-301-833-8933 2400 109/717 The Tin Badge BBS Silver Spring, MD 1-301-589-2016 1200 1/214 Region 14 Echo Coor Minneapolis, MN 1-612-377-3398 2400 1/314 Software Dist Minneapolis, MN 1-612-377-3469 2400 282/1 Midwest Echo Star Minneapolis, MN 1-612-377-3469 9600 151/20 Metro Link Charlotte, NC 1-704-541-8626 2400 151/60 VMC-BBS Lewisville, NC 1-919-945-4850 2400 151/100 NC Central Raleigh, NC 1-919-851-8460 9600 151/1000 REDCON Raleigh, NC 1-919-859-3353 2400 143/99 Friend's BBS Omaha, NE 1-402-896-2669 2400 132/101 BBS Source Archive Nashua, NH 1-603-888-8179 2400 150/803 Jersey Vertex Moorestown, NJ 1-609-869-0139 2400 15/4 NASW New Mexico Las Cruces, NM 1-505-646-2868 2400 381/401 Border Connection Santa Fe NM 1-505-678-1318 2400 107/105 NY Transfer Staten Island, NY 1-718-442-1056 2400 108/105 Global Time Systems Cincinnati, OH 1-606-341-7910 2400 157/1 Auer Register Cleveland, OH 1-216-883-0578 2400 110/20 EDS Data Dayton, OH 1-513-455-2431 2400 157/501 The PC-Key BBS Girard OH 1-216-545-9205 2400 385/4 Info-Net Lawton, OK 1-405-357-6181 2400 385/6 Bink's Barn Lawton, OK 1-405-357-2473 2400 147/14 Dark Star TBBS Oklahoma City, OK 1-405-691-0863 9600 148/120 Genetic Research Vat Toronto ON 1-416-480-0551 2400 NamVet 2-06 Page 51 4 Jun 1988 11/700 FCAU IBM Net Toronto, ON 1-416-427-0682 9600 221/156 Waterloo CBCS PUBLIC Waterloo, ON 1-519-746-5020 9600 221/157 Waterloo CBCS Echomail Waterloo, ON Unpublished 9600 105/16 Net 105 EchoMail Hub Portland, OR 1-503-761-3003 2400 105/61 Shotgun OPUS Portland, OR 1-503-760-4521 2400 157/506 Beacon Hill OPUS Transfer, PA 1-412-962-9514 2400 362/1 The Mines of Moria Chattanooga, TN 1-615-344-9601 2400 362/501 Coconut Telegraph Chattanooga, TN 1-615-698-4858 2400 18/7 Flash Port Memphis TN 1-901-525-2710 2400 18/6 The Burnout Board Memphis, TN 1-901-353-4563 2400 130/5 CUSSNET UTA Arlington, TX 1-817-273-3966 2400 136/200 The Chai Way II Austin, TX 1-214-358-3738 2400 124/210 Hardwired Dallas TX 1-214-437-4075 9600 124/214 *CHRYSALIS* Dallas TX 1-214-895-9054 2400 124/106 CHAI Way II Dallas, TX 1-214-250-3323 9600 124/110 Flying Dutchman Dallas, TX 1-214-642-3436 9600 124/117 NCC-1701 Node 1 Dallas, TX 1-214-240-8821 2400 124/117 NCC-1701 Dallas, TX 1-214-240-8821 2400 124/14 Chrysalis Dallas, TX 1-214-985-9054 2400 124/200 Dallas Outbound Dallas, TX 1-214-437-4075 2400 124/201 Hardweird Dallas, TX 1-204-931-2987 2400 19/5 Micro Application El Paso TX 1-915-594-9738 2400 106/386 Information Center Exchan Houston TX 1-713-872-4429 2400 106/108 Stormy Weather I Houston, TX 1-713-644-4345 9600 106/111 Shutterbug's OPUS Houston, TX 1-713-880-4329 2400 NamVet 2-06 Page 52 4 Jun 1988 106/113 The Opus Network Houston, TX 1-713-780-4153 2400 106/114 The Fireside Houston, TX 1-713-496-6319 2400 106/357 TMBBS Houston, TX 1-713-497-5433 2400 106/666 Anything Goes OPUS Houston, TX 1-713-997-2624 2400 106/132 Fast BBS OPUS Katy, TX 1-713-392-0093 2400 382/1 Crystal Palace Lake Travis, TX 1-512-339-8037 2400 382/14 Corona Del Mar Rockport, TX 1-512-729-7026 9600 381/201 Pro Link San Angelo, TX 1-915-944-2952 2400 387/401 Comp-U-Gen II San Antonio TX 1-512-496-9373 2400 387/601 NCOA International BBS San Antonio TX 1-512-653-0409 2400 387/800 NCOA International BBS San Antonio TX 1-800-365-6262 2400 109/604 ShanErin Alexandria, VA 1-703-941-8291 2400 109/639 The RENEX BBS Woodbridge, VA 1-703-494-8331 2400 343/111 Lessor Puget TB Edmonds, WA 1-206-742-8067 2400 343/9 Everett OPUS Everett, WA 1-206-355-1295 1200 138/4 PTC Net Mount Vernon, WA 1-206-757-5248 2400 1/217 Region 17 Echo Coord Puyallup, WA 1-206-848-5317 2400 138/101 Story Board Puyallup, WA 1-206-848-5317 9600 138/3 Puget Sound Gateway Puyallup, WA 1-206-848-9232 2400 138/49 The Cohort Puyallup, WA 1-206-848-2646 9600 138/35 US HDS Human Service Seattle, WA 1-206-442-8127 2400 138/52 Burrell's Ballpark Tacoma, WA 1-206-752-4672 2400 139/640 Fox Valley Tech Appleton, WI 1-414-735-2513 2400 154/200 PC-Express Greenfield, WI 1-414-327-5300 2400 NamVet 2-06 Page 53 4 Jun 1988 Wall Rubbings By: Alex Humphrey If you would like a rubbing taken of the name of a relative, friend or loved one from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington DC, you can get it done by writing: Friends of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Inc. 4200 Wisconsin Avenue NW Suite 106-108 Washington DC 20016 Attention: Name Rubbing ----------------------------------------------------------------- NamVet 2-06 Page 54 4 Jun 1988 NAM VET NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIPTION FORM The Nam Vet Newsletter is a nonprofit publication available free of charge to anyone wishing to have a copy. It can be obtained in electronic computer format by anyone having access to a computer and modem by dialing up any of the IVVEC hosting bulletin board systems listed in this issue of the Nam Vet. It can also be mailed to you in printed format if you are willing to pay the $1.67 cost for postage and the mailing envelope. If you desire to have the Nam Vet mailed to you in printed format, please complete the subscription form below, clip it out, and mail it to: Nam Vet Newsletter Vietnam Veterans Valhalla 28 Cecil Avenue San Jose, California 95128 If you send your payment in check or money order, please make it payable to Todd Looney. NAME_____________________________________________________________ STREET ADDRESS __________________________________________________ CITY/STATE/ZIP __________________________________________________ AMOUNT ENCLOSED ($1.67 per month desired) _______________________ If this subscription is for someone else, to whom shall we credit the gift? ______________________________________ jun88 ----------------------------------------------------------------- NamVet 2-06 Page 55 4 Jun 1988 O O SOME GAVE ALL ... ! pow mia pow mia - BRING THEM HOME NOW! - pow mia pow mia ! ! O O ! ! ~~~~~ ~ ~ O~ ~~~ ~~ ~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~ O ~~ ~ ~~~~ ~~~ ~~ ! ! ~~~~ ~ ~~ O ~~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~ ~O~~~ ~~~ ~ ~~~~ ~~ ! ! ~ ~~ ~ ~~ ~ O~ ~~ ~~~ ~~~~ ~~~ ~~~ O ~~~ ~~~ ~~~~ ~~~ ~ ! ! ~~~ ~~ ~~ ~ O ~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~~ ~~ O ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~ ~ ! ! ~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~ ~ O ~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~ O ~ ~~~ ~~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~ ! ! ~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~ O ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~ O ~ ~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~ ~~ ! ! ~ ~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~ O ~_~_~_~_~_ ~ O ~ ~~~~ ~ ~ ~~~ ~~ ~~ ! ! ~~~ ~ ~ ~~~ ~~ ~ O ) O ~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~~ ! ! ~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ /(O) / O \ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~~ ~ ~ ! ! ~ ~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~ / / O \~~~~ ~~ ~~~~~ ~~~ ~~ ~ ! ! ~~ ~ ~ ~~ ~~ / PRISONER / \~~ ~~ ~~ ~~~ ~ ~~~~~~ ! ! ~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~ / / MISSING \~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~~ ~ ~~ ! ! ~~~ ~ ~~ ~~ / OF /\ \~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~ ~~~~ ~ ! ! ~ ~~~~ ~~ ~ / / \ IN \~ ~~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~~ ! ! ~~~ ~~~ ~ / WAR / ~~ \ \ ~~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ! ! ~ ~~ ~~ ~ (_________ / ~ ~~ \ ACTION / ~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~ ~~ ! ! ~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~ ~~~ \ / ~~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ! ! ~~~~~ ~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~ ~~ ~ ~~~ \ / ~~ ~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~~ ! ! ~~ ~~ ~~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~~~~~ ! ! ~~~ ~~~ ~~~~ ~~ ~~~~ ~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~ ~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~ ~ ! ! ~ ~~ ~~~ ~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~ ~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ! ! ~~ ~~~ ~~~~ ~~~ ~~ ~ ~~~ ~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~ ~ SOME STILL GIVE ! ~ ~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ! ~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~ ~ ~~~~ ~~~ ~~~~ ! ! mia pow mia pow - BRING THEM HOME NOW! - mia pow mia pow ! -----------------------------------------------------------------