Death in Service Info, Not DD Form 214

[bigwheelzip]

Last year, when I questioned an Uncle-in-law's 1962 Vietnam headstone inscription at a National Cemetery, I took the advice from those on this forum and requested his service record, via DD Form 214.

It turns out that the DD 214 is not issued when a service member dies on active duty. Of course, this is not mentioned anywhere on the Form 180 that is used to make the records request.

After unsuccessfully searching online for which form to request, I called the National Archives. You might think, considering it's military, that a different form exists for records requested of service personnel killed during active duty. Instead of DD 214, maybe a 215, or a 213? Nope. The assistant at the Archives suggested sending another Request Form 180, checking the box marked "Other", and write in what specifically I want.

So I squeezed onto that single "Other" line, what info I wanted from what is usually on the DD 214, and I'll try again. I just wanted to pass this info along to you fine folks, and maybe save someone some time.

 

[AZretired]

So what are you questioning? His Viet Nam service dates? We did have troops in Viet Nam in 1962. I know because my Dad was one of them. It was his last overseas tour of duty prior to retirement in January 63. My dad was in the Army from 1940 til Jan '6. When he requested retirement in early(officers must request release from active duty) 1962 they sent him to Viet Nam as an advisor. He came home after 10 months because after being in the field with a VN Ranger unit and eating their food he became so sick he spent his last month in Nam in the hospital.

 

[bigwheelzip]

So what are you questioning? His Viet Nam service dates?

When we recently interred his widow with him, it finally struck us as strange that a headstone with a July 7, 1962 date had "Vietnam" inscribed.

Some forum members helped straighten out that he had to have served "in country" at that time, to have that inscription. That "in country" requirement changed for later dates.

Nobody in the family knew he had gone to Vietnam. We thought he was in Okinawa where he had sent letters and pictures from, and he died in an accident at Camp Lejune before speaking to any family at home about his deployment.

The family would like to know these things that are normally found on the DD Form 214: Foreign service credited, Last duty assignment, Military job specialty, Decorations, Medals, Citations and campaign awards received.

We've searched extensively on the internet and the historical record during 1962 is very limited. His Casualty Report says he was with: "A" CO 2D AT BN 2D MARDIV
I think the AT portion is Amphibious Tractor, and I read of a 1962 deployment from Okinawa of these AT units, to prepare facilities for follow-on forces. But we have no idea if there is a connection.

We also think AT might stand for Anti-Tank, because he sent photos of him working on tracked recoil-less rifles, and this photo of his friends in Japan in front of this AT sign.

(L to R) Junior Boy, Rodney, and Grill.

He also had a course in Tactical Air Control and photos of a MARC 83 Communications Jeep and a 292 antenna.