Did you serve in Cambodia and come back from Vietnam with a "Sanitized" DD-214 that doesn't show boots on the ground?

2015-10-04T19:07:34-04:00

Many Vietnam Vets were used in Cambodia and Laos in the CIS's ASA and Air America missions. When they were discharged, many had sanitized DD-214's that showed they never left their unit of record in Germany's. This has created several problems. These soldier never were awarded their Southeast Asia campaign medals, have no orders showing deployment in country, no proof of boots on the ground. Many suffer the effects of agent orange contamination and can't get the help they deserve. If anyone knows of a way around this please message me or comment back. Thanks!

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 4 at 2015 11:12 PM

2015-10-04T23:12:47-04:00

I have spoke to quite a few people that may have been there. From what I know that is pretty much false. A DD-214 won't list every detail of everything you did, especially if you were going in other countries in the dark. What it will list is your unit. Even the most secret squirrels have units. You can trace down if that unit did or didn't deploy. For example you have had a lot of LRRP units do such missions. Their 214s may not say that they went into some random country but it will say that they were in F co, 51st IN, LRRP, while in VN. If their 214 says they never left Germany I would tend to think they may be making some stuff up.

Response by CPT Jim Schwebach made Oct 6 at 2015 9:26 AM

2015-10-06T09:26:35-04:00

My DD214, which covers the time period 1964 to 1974, includes service with units in Korea and Vietnam. Some of those units did deploy troops to other countries in SE Asia, most publicly Cambodia during the incursion(There's a designated campaign for that) and less publicly to Cambodia and other "denied areas" (There's a PUC citation that describes some of those). Back in the states units, some located on a smelly munitions bump in the ground in NC, deployed elements to various parts of the world on training, advisory and other missions. The overseas service boxes on my DD214 reflect the countries where my units of assignment were posted, not where some of those assigned actually went. Same holds true for stateside assignments.
Wasn't "sanitation," just the way it was.

Response by SP5 Terry Crane made Oct 7 at 2015 10:36 PM

2015-10-07T22:36:37-04:00

Second tour in Cambodia some. That was 1969.