Comments

• 

  Dave Gettman October 20, 2010 23:53

  Hey Scooter, Dave will work for me. I never made it past Private in the Army, so sir just doesn't fit.
  
  Glad to hear you got the ball rolling on his discharge request. Let me know if you have any problems.
• 

  Dave Gettman October 17, 2010 9:36

  Hmmmmm.....we might have a guy or two around here that knew your dad, as I'm sure there must be an F Trooper from that time period, and maybe even someone from 11th ACR, our sister unit. I've got a good friend who must have arrived in F Troop right after your dad left.
• 

  Dave Gettman October 16, 2010 12:19

  Scooter,
  You can go to the National Archives website here http://www.archives.gov/research/index.html and click on VETERANS' SERVICE RECORDS in the left hand menu.
  
  Read everything there on the page, then fill out the SF-180 and submit it. You will need your dad's Social Security Number, as that is what was used for service numbers back then.
  
  If you have any questions or problems, give me a holler. If you print and mail the SF-180, make sure you sign and date it. If you submit the form electronically, you will have to sign and mail a signature verification within 60 days. It's all explained on the site.
  
  Request a copy of your dad's DD214/discharge. With that we will know what unit he was with and what medals he earned. Then we can request the medals we can prove he earned.
• 

  Dave Gettman October 14, 2010 9:27

  Scooter,
  That document would be from the Armor Training Center at Fort Knox where all tankers (including me) go to learn to be tankers. This would have been right after your dad finished his basic combat training, usually 8 weeks at the time, which is the first thing you do when you enter the Army. He may have took his basic training at nearby Ft Campbell, KY. I did the Ft Campbell/Ft Knox tour a year later, but went to Germany instead of Vietnam or Korea.
  
  Then it is off to your Advanced Individual Training, tank training in your dad's case, which is what this document entails.
  
  After AIT, your dad would have gotten orders for his duty station, which I suspect was in Vietnam or the Korean DMZ if he was awarded a Purple Heart and Bronze Star w/V device. The 2d Cavalry Regiment has never been deployed to Vietnam or Korea.
  
  Sorry, but I don't think your dad was in the 2d Cavalry unless it was after he came back from Vietnam/Korea.
  
  You can get a copy of his Army discharge from the National Archives for free. With that discharge, he can request a one time reissue of any medals he earned, free.
  
  Let me know if you are interested and I'll try to get you started on the process.
  
  Tacoma Dave
• 

  Dave Gettman October 13, 2010 22:18

  Not a problem, Scooter. Friends and family of 2d Cavalry Troopers are also welcome.
  
  What made me ask is that the 2d Cavalry Regiment has never been at Ft Knox and he couldn't have been awarded the Bronze Star w/V device and Purple Heart in 1971 if he was with the 2d Cavalry at that time because they weren't in combat then, and that is the only time you can be awarded the Bronze Star w/V device and Purple Heart.
• 

  Dave Gettman October 13, 2010 18:36

  Hey Michael,
  Welcome to Dragoon Base and thank you for your service.
  
  I'm a little confused by your profile answers. Where were you stationed with the 2d Cav and were you with them when you earned your Bronze Star and Purple Heart?
  
  Tacoma Dave
• 

  Jesse Kelley October 13, 2010 12:26

  Toujours Pret Michael
  
  Welcome home Troop.
  The Dragoonbase.com, has
  plenty of updated features
  (similar to MySpace), lots of sub-groups,
  (Officers Club,F-Trp,Amberg,Medics,etc),
  and links for “2nd Cavalry Assn.”
  News and History Centers.
  
  Robb Russell has posted some tips for
  navigating the site(ie,photos,links,ect)
  in the Forum.
  
  Please feel free to stop by and read the
  latest “Tacoma Dave's ‘Triva Quiz’”,
  you can learn some 2nd Cav history,
  and you could even, win a kool prize.
  
  If you need any help, you may contact
  Robb Russell, or any of the 5 admins listed
  at the top of the page, or just yell out,
  another member may be able to help you.
  
  And our only wish is to,
  ‘Keep it clean’.
  Use your real name and picture,
  (pix from back in the day,work best
  for searching for Brothers),
  but any picture will do.
  
  And that you please tell all your friends
  about, where to find the DragoonBase.
  
  Thanks again for joining Dragoon Base,
  and for your Service and Dedication,
  to Our Great Country.
  
  Jesse Kelley
  F Troop 2/2ACR
  72-75