FogDog ... welcome to PC ... great ppl here who care about you.

1. Surely you have some kind of record of miltary service, copies of orders, draft notice, enlistment record, old ID card, dog tags, letters to you in Nam, etc. How about identifying your unit and asking under the law that says you can get copy of public records of unit membership during particular period. Even if you don't have the DD 214, other items will help track down your records.

2. It's easy to "blame" VA -- lol, they make plenty of errors -- but it's up to you to establish your own service. Don't get mad and quit, hang in there, try and try again. Took me years to get my war wounds properly posted, and then they fell out of the computer somehow, so I had to persist.

3. Even ppl in VA will tell you to call your congressman. Your congressperson wants to help, and VA wants to respond to the congressional representative. Be sure you have some "evidence" when you contact the office of the congressional rep or you'll be wasting your time and theirs.

4. While you served in combat, you'd be surprised at the number of people who "say" they served, with the typical reason for no "proof of service" being that VA or Army lost my records, or "I had such a secret job, they didn't keep records on me." ... Maybe some of these ppl also served, but their excuses for no record are pretty thin, and those who are ready to help become suspect when they hear these "street wise" excuses. Bring your evidence, and if you don't have any, find someone who knew you in military or a scrap of paper that shows you were there.