I served on a submarine, most everything I did has been redacted
I'll just say this, regardless of whatever clandestine mission or any other such things, if said vet was a POW held in a camp by the VC or NVA, or he was held captive for a period and escaped, he would be catalogued. Period.
Best way to find out, is to look at his DD214 or get his name, SSN/service number, and request a records search from the Army. But like I said, if he is not listed in an official record, it probably didn't happen.
Best way to find out, is to look at his DD214 or get his name, SSN/service number, and request a records search from the Army. But like I said, if he is not listed in an official record, it probably didn't happen.
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I never enlisted, but I have had the honor of knowing some great and honorable men and women that did. It is the only real regret of my life.
Veteran here. The military can't even get records correct about simple things, such as where you deployed, what you went to the doctor for, where equipment went, etc. There are too many variables here as others have stated and my guess is the veteran was captured. Did anyone ever ask what happened after he was captured? how did he get away?
they would have to get access to his C file. In addition, some things might be redacted if its not been declassified.
As in his VA C-file? What would be classified in his C File?
Or are you talking about his OMPF?
At any rate, if he was a POW at any point, there would be record of it and that would be accessible. Being a POW is not a classified thing. Reasons for capture might, but POW status is not a secret.
I've never in 25 years experienced anything where the Army didn't know where I was or when I went to the clinic or pretty much anything else. Now, at the end of service, if one doesn't ensure his/her records are straight, then that's on them.
He served recently enough that it probably doesn't apply, but there were a lot of records destroyed in a fire back in the '70s. My grandpa was drafted into the Army before Pearl Harbor and served past VJ Day, and was awarded a CIB, Purple Heart, and Bronze Star for actions in Europe, but the only record we can get from the DoD is a simple one-page sheet that lists his name, rank, and dates or service.
Mike Glover told a story like this on a podcast recently. Someone called him about verifying the story of a guy who claimed to have been a special operator. Mike did some checking, and it turned out that he was a veteran, and he had been seriously injured (lost limbs, IIRC), but he hadn't ever been in special operations at all. Mike said he even talked to the guy, not telling him who he (Mike) was, and his SOF story didn't ring true.
The "more to the story" part was that the guy was mentoring kids and having a positive impact on their lives. Considering what exposing the BS part of the guy's story would do to the kids, he said he didn't want to get in the middle of that, so he told the folks who'd called him to leave it alone.
It sounds to me like that situation and this one have a lot in common. As long as they're not trying to claim some kind of benefit from his possible POW status, it sounds like exposing him as a fraud isn't going to accomplish anything positive, so I think I'd not kick this particular hornet nest.
Mike Glover told a story like this on a podcast recently. Someone called him about verifying the story of a guy who claimed to have been a special operator. Mike did some checking, and it turned out that he was a veteran, and he had been seriously injured (lost limbs, IIRC), but he hadn't ever been in special operations at all. Mike said he even talked to the guy, not telling him who he (Mike) was, and his SOF story didn't ring true.
The "more to the story" part was that the guy was mentoring kids and having a positive impact on their lives. Considering what exposing the BS part of the guy's story would do to the kids, he said he didn't want to get in the middle of that, so he told the folks who'd called him to leave it alone.
It sounds to me like that situation and this one have a lot in common. As long as they're not trying to claim some kind of benefit from his possible POW status, it sounds like exposing him as a fraud isn't going to accomplish anything positive, so I think I'd not kick this particular hornet nest.
My DD214 mentions not one single word about the other two career fields I was in before I went into SATCOM. 24 years & 7 days in service, call it two years for 6 weeks of Basic, 9 weeks of tech school #1, and about 16 months as a F-111D aircraft mechanic. Just about exactly 10 years as a photographer, and the last 12 years & 5 months were actually in SATCOM. Air Force, not Army, but I enlisted during the war in Vietnam, and retired late in 1997. Most of my records were on paper, some of which I got back when I retired, but not all of them made it into the computers. They had a fire in the NPRC records storage area about 3 months before I enlisted, so I really can't see any excuse for that. I can readily believe that paper records never made it there, however, and for folks who were in on the early part of the Vietnam war, it could have been true. Military Records and “the Records Fire”
Bill
Mine do. I have 3 DD214's because of breaks in service or NG time. My retirement one has all my prior MOS's.
Since most every branch requires an SM to have a records review every year and always has one prior to a deployment, you should have your records straight. This definitely applies when you get out. Your DD214 is reviewed by you (as does every SM and Officer at their ETS or Retirement) to ensure it's correct and to make sure you get all your records squared to get that info in there...it's required by law that you review and sign your DD214.
That is 100% on you if your DD214 is missing info and nobody else. You can however, also submit a DD215 that is a separate document that supplements your DD214 to correct the record by adding missing awards, schools, MOS's etc. They remain two separate documents but contain all your end of service info. The VA or a service advocate can help (DVA, American Legion, VFW).
I can post a timeline of not only my 20 years on Active Duty in the U.S. Navy but also my father who retired in 1979 after over 20 years in the Navy. I retired in 2006, but have been employed once again by the Navy as a civilian since 2009 and would be willing to bet that a couple of internet sleuths could pinpoint my rear in about a day.
But I also do not believe every situation I put myself into during my career is in my records, I almost fell off the USS Blue Ridge off the coast of North Korea during Team Spirit 1988. It will never leave my mind but there is nothing to read about it. I'm not dogging the military, I served it long enough to realize that lots of the big story tellers got out at the 3 1/2 year mark.
Officially 4 years but did not a damn thing to help anyone the last 6 months...
But I also do not believe every situation I put myself into during my career is in my records, I almost fell off the USS Blue Ridge off the coast of North Korea during Team Spirit 1988. It will never leave my mind but there is nothing to read about it. I'm not dogging the military, I served it long enough to realize that lots of the big story tellers got out at the 3 1/2 year mark.
Officially 4 years but did not a damn thing to help anyone the last 6 months...
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