I understand completely, and it is for your valuable insights and guidance that I am posting here. I don't think you or anyone else is nit picking, you
are all helping me and all the other "lost" veterans, and I appreciate yours and everyone elses help more than you may know.
As to your point, I'm not sure what else I can do to satisfy that point. I have been unable to track down anyone I was in the incidents with. Understand that I have become the ultimate loner, no friends, ostricized at work because of my behavior. I actually succeeded in tracking down my platoon sergeant, only to have his wife tell me he passed away 4 months ago. The buddy letter from the medic, offering second hand testimony, and in all likelihood heresay evidence, is the only letter besides impact letters from my wife and brother.
I just don't see a way to prove 100% that I was in those engagements, all I guess I can hope for is that the preponderance of the evidence supports my claim. It is obvious that whatever records my unit kept were woefully inadequate. Otherwise my first claim would not have been denied.
My MOS was 11B, Infantry, but I was assigned as a HMMV driver for convoy secutity. As such we provided convoy escort for other units besides my own. This also meant that I was outside the secure areas on a daily basis. Two of the incidents were reported via radio, one to batallion CP and one to Company CP. Where did those log records go? Who the hell knows.
I feel like there is nothing else I can do, except wait for the inevitable denial letter. It shouldn't be so adversarial a system as this, I've gone from guarded optimism and guarded excitement on finding through many hours of research what I thought to be validation; to now the realization of the futility of even trying to work within this labyrinth of a system called the VA.
I have to hold on to this shred of hope I have left that JUSTICE will prevail. I'm truly at a loss here...
As to your point, I'm not sure what else I can do to satisfy that point. I have been unable to track down anyone I was in the incidents with. Understand that I have become the ultimate loner, no friends, ostricized at work because of my behavior. I actually succeeded in tracking down my platoon sergeant, only to have his wife tell me he passed away 4 months ago. The buddy letter from the medic, offering second hand testimony, and in all likelihood heresay evidence, is the only letter besides impact letters from my wife and brother.
I just don't see a way to prove 100% that I was in those engagements, all I guess I can hope for is that the preponderance of the evidence supports my claim. It is obvious that whatever records my unit kept were woefully inadequate. Otherwise my first claim would not have been denied.
My MOS was 11B, Infantry, but I was assigned as a HMMV driver for convoy secutity. As such we provided convoy escort for other units besides my own. This also meant that I was outside the secure areas on a daily basis. Two of the incidents were reported via radio, one to batallion CP and one to Company CP. Where did those log records go? Who the hell knows.
I feel like there is nothing else I can do, except wait for the inevitable denial letter. It shouldn't be so adversarial a system as this, I've gone from guarded optimism and guarded excitement on finding through many hours of research what I thought to be validation; to now the realization of the futility of even trying to work within this labyrinth of a system called the VA.
I have to hold on to this shred of hope I have left that JUSTICE will prevail. I'm truly at a loss here...
