I was TDY with the 49th Mun Maint Sq from Holloman AFB May 1972-Oct 1972 at Takhli and was looking for any load crew members that were there during that time. In 2018 I was diagnosed with Prostate Cancer and had a Radical Prostatectomy. Also during that time our load crew was sent to Da Nang Air Base Vietnam for about 2 months to quickturn F-4 aircraft in support of the Linebacker missions. Filed a claim with the VA but was turned down because there was nothing in my records showing I was there. I am very frustrated trying to find proof that I was in both places. Harold DarcAngelo
Your DD214 will or should show you were stationed at Holloman during that period increasing the likelihood that you were deployed to takhli in 1972.
Did you receive any performance reports during or concerning your TDY tour at takhli?
Did you ever go to the infirmary or log any medical visits to the hospital, doctor, dental etc during your tour at takhli? Shot Records? Photographs?
Obtain ALL of your military records from: National Personnel Records Center 1 Archives Drive St. Louis, Missouri 63138
Once you receive your record package go through them with a fine toothed comb looking for anything that might indicate you were there.
Check your pay records also. Just flying over the war zone places you in tax exempt status. Check old tax returns filed during that period for any tax exempt status.
Check with family, friends, loved ones for any letters from you that would bear the registered APO for south east Asia and/or any verbiage/conversation concerning your stay at takhli.
These are just some of the areas you might check. Others will chime in with other ways you might be able to prove you were there.
Harold, The below clip was taken from the Holloman AFB link I posted for you. I think it pretty much sums it up that you were more likely than not to have been deployed at Takhli during that 1972 time period. "the entire wing" wow! huge deployment.
"On 4 May 1972, after North Vietnam invaded South Vietnam, the entire wing, except for a rear echelon that remained to run Holloman, deployed at Takhli RTAFB, Thailand. Conducted combat operations in Southeast Asia"
Harold, The below clip was taken from the Holloman AFB link I posted for you. I think it pretty much sums it up that you were more likely than not to have been deployed at Takhli during that 1972 time period. "the entire wing" wow! huge deployment.
"On 4 May 1972, after North Vietnam invaded South Vietnam, the entire wing, except for a rear echelon that remained to run Holloman, deployed at Takhli RTAFB, Thailand. Conducted combat operations in Southeast Asia"
Good luck with this. I have been doing my research and found that VA almost automatically turns you down unless you can prove you were in Vietnam. These guys and gals do have many things posted that might help you though. The information about drift zones for spraying on Thailand bases, there are several maps posted on the site and from what I hear buddy letters from someone there when you were really helps.
I just resubmitted my claim, not an appeal and will see how it goes. What is amazing is how many win after it goes to the administrative judge. The bad thing is it takes several years.