Question:
My late husband died from multiple myeloma in 2016. He was a mechanic stationed in Okinawa when he was in the Air Force and did temporary duty in Vietnam. I’m being told they have no records of him being in Vietnam. What can I do?
Jim's Reply:
You share a problem with many others. During the Vietnam war many were stationed in Okinawa and they traveled back and forth to Vietnam for any number of reasons and missions. The orders that got them there and back were called TDY and that stands for Temporary Duty Travel.
The problem is that a TDY order in the record doesn't mean the veteran actually completed the travel, only that he was authorized to travel on that particular order. Without further evidence of the veteran having set boots on the ground in the country of Vietnam, they will deny an agent orange claim every time.
You will need to speak with an accredited veterans law attorney who can help you to sort this out. Please have a look at these links and then get busy and start calling and emailing these groups.
When you make contact with an attorney you like be sure to show that person this email and they'll have a better understanding of the problem.
https://www.vetadvocates.org/cpages/home
Good luck.