3/3 RVN Ass’n  Vol  1  Issue 5    01/01/2006
Bayou Fish Story

Boudreaux been fishin' down by de bayou all day an he done run outta night crawlers. He 'bout reddy to leave when he seen a snake wit a big frog in his mouf. He knowed dat dem big bass fish like frogs, sohe decide to steal dat froggie.

Dat snake, he a cotton moufed water moccasin so he had to be real careful or he'd git bit. He snuk up der behine de snake and grabbed him roun de haid.  Dat ole snake din't lak dat one bit. He squirmed and wrapped hisself roun Boudreaux's arm tryin' to get hisself free. But Boudreaux, him had a real good grip on his haid, yeh.

Well, Boudreaux pried his mouf open and got de frog and puts it in his bait can. Now, Boudreaux knows dat he cain't let go dat
snake or he's gonna bite him good, but he has a plan.

He reach into de back pocket of his bib overhauls and pulls out a pint a moonshine likker.  He pour some drops into de snake's mouf.
Well, dat snake's eyeballs roll back in his haid and his body go limp.  Wit dat, Boudreaux toss dat snake into de bayou.  Den he goes back to fishin'.

A while later Boudreaux feel sumpin tappin' on his barefoot toe.  He slowly look down and dare dat water moccasin was wit two more frogs...
VA REGISTRIES UPDATE 01:

Veterans should be aware that they may be eligible to be placed on one or more of the VA Registries. The Registries are administered at VA Health Care Systems - NOT at VA Regional Offices.  Registries are generally administered through the Office of Occupation & Safety Hazards. 
The Veteran must "REQUEST" to be placed on the respective Registry(s).

The Eligibility Office should be able to direct you to that office. The advantage of being on a Registry is the potential for treatment(s) of legislated ailments & diseases, under that Registry - at NO COST.  Applicable medications may also be provided at no cost. Being on an applicable Registry and being treated for Registry ailments/ diseases could assist in a future claim. 
The following registries are maintained by the VA:

. Atomic Veterans
http://www.va.gov/IRAD
. Agent Orange http://www.va.gov/AgentOrange
. SHAD
http://www.va.gov/SHAD
. Gulf I
http://www.va.gov/GulfI

For more info on Registries go to http://www.va.gov
- then to the applicable Registry info.

[Source: New Mexico e-Veterans News 2 FEB 05]
7/1/2005

I heard someone say that getting old was the unfair punishment we face for a crime we never committed.  If that is so, then PTSD is the agonizing affliction we earned for stepping forward instead of going to Canada. 

I have assuaged a good deal of my PTSD and survivor's guilt by reaching out to my fellow 3/3 Marines and Corpsmen and welcoming them home.  I have also kept some of the last shreds of sanity by attending reunions and seeing men standing tall whom I assumed had been dead for thirty-five years.  That has tended to validate some of the inept skills I had as a "Doc," but more especially it has pointed out the tough resilience of Combat Marines.  Just knowing some of you made it against all odds has kept me from the brink. 

I now come home from gatherings I have attended, both big and small over the past three-and-a-half years renewed in spirit and resolved to find as many more of you as I possibly can before we all cease to make muster.  For some it is enough to just go to a reunion once.  For others like me it is an imperative.  I can avoid taking drugs as a result of the "FIX" I get from a reunion.  It is better than any mood altering drugs.

We should see at least 450-600 of our alumni in Colorado Springs, if past is prolog.  In 2002 we had contact with approximately 1500 of our brothers and saw about 125 of them in San Diego.  Last year we were in contact with about 2800 men when we reconvened in Arlington, VA.  Approximately 325 men attended our reunion.  Since last summer we have located an additional 1200 alumni.  We reached 4000 man contact roster over the 4th of July weekend.  By the time we meet in Colorado Springs the potential is 5000+.  Our attendance averages around 9-11% of the members, so our 2006 attendees could easily double those of 2004.  I can almost guarantee that you will go home feeling your time and money have been well spent.  It may be the best thing you have done for yourself since returning to the "world" four decades ago. 

By all means, bring your "Sgt Major" and any of your kids who might learn something about you they never appreciated before.

Doc Hardin