LCPL Story

Being a voracious reader (and a Veteran + advocate), I gravitate toward military stories of old MIA/BNR Veterans. Note that I capitalize Veteran and always have. Veterans served our nation whereas veterans are longtime employees of an organization. One of these days I would hope that the VA might begin capitalizing it as well. I note with satisfaction this morning the recovery and final identification of U.S. Army Corporal Luther Herschel Story who was lost in 1950 in Korea. That leaves 81,000 more we still need to bring home.Perhaps, even closer to home is the loss of any of the Veterans I represent. Just because I may win their claims, the obligation of representation doesn’t end there. Whenever possible, I try to preassemble a DIC folder for those who are severely disabled with active diseases or injuries that put them at risk of a sudden demise. It isn’t a Boy Scout motto like ‘Be Prepared’. It’s a commitment to the surviving spouse as well.

Twice now, since the advent of the new year, I’ve had Veterans pass away out of the blue. While I do lose four or five each year, most are already on their last legs and it doesn’t come as a surprise. Given my VA law practice focusing on SMC, most who come to me already have one foot in the grave or a reasonable assurance they aren’t long for this veil of tears. Sadly, this year is beginning to shape up very differently. I would hope it’s not a harbinger of what’s to come.

The latest casualty was a Vietnam Dustoff medic. I became friends with Bruce Almighty, a four-tour Dustoff medic who introduced me to the world of the Independent Living Program (ILP). From there, it was only a hop, skip and a jump to filing for a greenhouse due to my porphyria. My skin doesn’t do well out there in the sun so a sheltered greenhouse would protect me as well as allow me to grow all year around. The Vietnam Dustoff Association invited me to their reunion in 2013 to give a speech. I’ve subsequently been designated the go-to guy for VA matters which is how I came to represent John in his quest for 100%.

John passed away this last week after a relapse from what we had hoped last year was the remission of  his non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He had fallen and was in a recovery nursing home recuperating from an injured hip. His death came as a complete shock to everyone. He developed a nasty blood infection and it 86’d him in no time flat. Shit happens but it shouldn’t happen to us as Veterans. With what is often touted as the best medical system on earth for us, it might appear the truth is far short of that advertized. Considering they dang near killed me several times over my 14-month, all expenses paid vacation at the Seattle VAMC,  I wouldn’t take Pickles there even if it was a world-class veterinary clinic, too.

John and wife Gail

One of the sore points on lost service members has always been Laos in my book. We were field stripped of all ID. I mean everything. It was called sheep dipping or going black. Like all assigned in-country, we reported to the military attaché annex several blocks from the US Embassy when we arrived at Wattay airport (L-08) in Vientiane. We were required to wear civilian clothes for our arrival from Udorn. There, we coughed up our wallets and they put our Geneva Conventions card, our state and military drivers’ licenses, our military ID and anything else indicating military affiliation in a lock box for storage.

In their place we were issued US Agency of International Development photo ID and a Laotian driver’s license. My USAID ID identified me as a French teacher. If we were shot down, we were executed on the spot most times. It didn’t really make any difference if we ditched our weapons and raised our hands. Worse, and what provokes this memory today, chances of recovering the body were between slim and none.

I knew a lot of AAm folks who wore large gold necklaces solely for use to buy their freedom in the event of capture. Most of us followed suit for what it was worth. Hell, I still have mine. But with nothing more than bogus ID, we weren’t going to be herded into POW camps and repatriated come the end of the war. The Pathet Lao’s respect for human life was below their respect for their water buffalo. POWs were considered a liability regarding food or supervision/incarceration. Buffalo earned their keep. We didn’t.

One of these days, the media will announce the last living survivor of the Vietnam War. God, I hope it isn’t me. I’m not a parade kind of guy and I don’t want the attention. Happy Memorial Day to you all.