Can you give me a clue what my dad experienced in Vietnam 66-68?

I have all his va paper work. I got diagnosed with some of the same things he had. Regardless, I don’t know how to go about this, finding the detail of his 11 LIB time. I know he as in the 11 LIB because he told me. I am fairly 100% certain he said radio operator. He would only mention these things once or twice and if I questioned him then there was silence and I could not dive deeper with him. I would think there would be other Army Guys he served with I could track down.

These are the short one liners I have he mentioned. Loas Combodia Secret OPS CIA air bases under secrecy. Mai Lai Massacre. Tet Offensive. Pungi Pits. Hueys. The sound of the bullets whizzing by. AO burns. Hand to Hand Combat wounds scars

I go online hoping I might see a pic of him there.


His age 18-20

How would you go about this?

PO3 Aaron Hassay you could start by submitting for his military records from the national archives. You'd need his social, since he is deceased. Just Google National Archives and it should pop up. You'd submit an SF 180 which can be done on the website. Once you have those documents, look to see what unit he was in while in country, then start searching the web for soldiers that were there with him. It's some leg work, but it can be done. Remember, the things you listed that happened while he was there, could simply be just that. Heay not have even been a part of some (or all) of those things you listed.

Ted,

Man as usual man I think very highly of you. Marines always been kind to me. I am not sure why Navy Officers wont give me the time of day past a few emails to discuss Navy Instructions, that specifically dealt with my history. Their answer is usually it sucked for everyone so suck it up.

I have been trying to get pics and history of my dad in the Army to no avail yet. I want to understand the day to day. How often he would go out of the wire. He specific infantry unit to understand it. I want to understand everything as if my I dad was a techinician at a computer company and could talk freely about it, and be understood by his kids, and his kids could use it for some understanding.

I am not sure if you have kids. But I am seeing that those who do have a life of more balance.

I know it is all about mind control. I should forget and move on. I should forget I had a dad. I should forget I was in the Navy. There was no benefit. But you know the mind is like I must understand this. A dad and a Navy experience are powerful and supposed to be good healthy things, leaving you more advanced indoctrinated and successful stepping stones building stones one on top of the other.

It is not supposed to go down like this that a War Vet goes homeless due events of war and loses his kids and family. Then he kid joins the military and also goes through hell in that experience with no dad to rely on for any back up.

What happens to the Mom in that equation?

This is some emptiness. My birthday was spent alone again. I think I have solid attributes of valor and courage and commitment if you take it to the extreme. But what does that matter when no one seemingly understands you. The military really put it on me as a kid and a member of the same. But when you fall out the system and try to reintegrate.

Try to learn something from my dads experience. He spent 40 years not processing one moment of military time. I saw what that did to him. He lost things beyond words. He did not put proper blame or responsibility where it belonged on others outside of him the Va etc who were responsible to care after service. Scared when I started putting the pieces together of my own history I deep dived and found so much about my specific story i t was amazing. But how they relate is unique. I was not going to live a life not getting one benefit or understanding of my own history, as if it was just a big blank 20 year spot. I want to understand my childhood and adulthood like each year was college and I was supposed to get a benefit to make me a better more functional human.


So back in 2008 approximately,
I think, from the time we reunited, my dad and I talked maybe 1 hour in total, broken in little bits and pieces, random drops of random thoughts that got triggered, by something he read or watched or when i picked him up at the VA, of his Nam time.

I was his kid trying to see how that all played into my life.

My dad may have been trying to be protective of himself or me by not saying much, but man I have seen things in life in America that well nothing might shock.

I think he was spooked. He was 60 something and talking about CIA bases, Loas and Combodia, crossing the line, secret operations, when no one was supposed to know, and would instantly shut up or down if I asked any questions. I had OPSEC when assigned to the ship and never talked about what happened on the ship as if it was a mystery place, so I understood where he was. I told him I watched a documentary and that is was now public record. That was not enough for him to talk.

He was watching all these current wars on the internet and the craziest stuff.

He was very pro American die hard. Instantly, nearly was recruited into some part of the DOJ, and worked undercover in student unions protesting the war.

I mean what a 1 2 event.

He never broke from authority or secrecy past those secret ops in Cambodia Laos, or went to the VA, not wanting to confront it.

Another Vet found him and took him in there. Instantly he had housing in Virginia. This is where I reunited with him in mid approximately 2008.

He felt slandered by the Mai Lai Massacre. That was his the 11th Infantry Brigade.

He had hand to hand bite marks.

I think he said he was processing out just as Tet Offensive happened. He introduced me, at the VA Clinic in SF, to a to a real vet buddy of his who had a head injury from the Tet, he had befriended in vietnam. Vietnam he started having flashbacks literally going right into broad day light traffic in the streets like he was in then Huey an his friends who got injured jumping out.

He was not welcomed Back which he remembered, therefore he did not even tell my mom anything. Why would he? He got no benefit to help his young family start.

I can relate to not talking about or processing any time in service. In my case I did not mention or want to remember anything for some 15 years. My dads case took 40 approximate years to hear.

I wanted to hear more. But I can not find a way to get any of his pictures or any other information save the little from his VA stuff.

I need those years of my life to have some relevance. I watch people how they interact. All these couples. All these people

Man I miss the guy. I am in San Diego in a van trying to find a place to call home. This is my home town.


Man a boy wants to be like his dad

I shut up.

Ted,

Thanks for sharing your story man. You have been through a lot man.

This is someone I met and respect through another Marine Officer.

Do you know Marine Mr. Charles Lynn Lowder?

https://www.tecom.marines.mil/News/News-Article-Display/Article/528311/uncommon-valor-was-a-common-virtue-silver-star-recipient-depot-mentor-shares-vi/



“When the warriors came back from WWII, they were respected and greeted with open arms, but the American society had negative feelings about Vietnam,” said Lowder.

He said that being welcomed and accepted back into society plays a big part in a servicemember’s recovery.

“The worst thing you can do to a warrior is deny what he has done and where he has been,” said Lowder. “Many Americans did that to the Vietnam veterans.”


Charles Lynn Lowder marched onto Shepherds Memorial Drill Field on July 2, as the parade reviewing officer and positioned himself exactly six paces in front of the commander of troops. As the graduating recruits, drill instructors, and officers of Company I rendered a salute during the pass in review, Lowder thought back to 1967 when he marched across the very same grinder as his platoon’s honor man.