A Vietnam War question.

[tom black]

Back then how were family's notified if there son had been wounded or killed? Telegram, face to face visit from an armed services member? Thanks.
Tom Black

 

[Heliman]

In 1967 my cousin’s husband was KIA. Two soldiers and the family preacher notified her in person.

 

[GunnyGene]

Both ways were used depending on the availability of someone in the area. Many next of kin were far from any recruiting office or base, and the objective was to notify a them as quickly as possible, so sometimes a telegram was sent and the family would get a followup visit a few days later to discuss funeral arrangements, when the remains or the wounded would be returned and where, and so on.

 

[Colonialgirl]

The Military tries their BEST to look after their own AND their Families.

 

[Tom W]

Two staff cars, one had the Chaplain.....saw it too many times.

 

[vito]

Army policy was to have in-person notifications. After my tour in Vietnam I was assigned to a large Army hospital in Denver, where among other things I was on a roster of officers to serve as the person to accompany the chaplain on death notifications. I had to perform this duty more than once, and in many ways was the worst thing I ever had to do in my 24 years of service. I never had much info to share with the family, only something like “your son lost his life while engaged in operations against hostile enemy forces 150 miles northwest of Saigon”. Families wanted more information, but at the time of the notification that was literally all the info I had. Because the notifications were being made in the civilian community, the appearance of a military staff car and two uniformed officers coming to the door was not necessarily understood as to what it meant. Being met by a smiling woman, who said “how nice that the Army sent you men here to thank me for my son’s service while he is in Vietnam” was followed by screams and hysteria when the chaplain told her the real reason for the visit. I truly dreaded when my name came up on the duty roster for this awful task.

 

[tom black]

Thanks folks. My wife has an older cousin that was wounded in Vietnam twice. His parents died years ago and June was just wondering how his folks would have been notified of him being wounded.
Tom Black

 

[trapperon]

Tom

My cousin was wounded in Vietnam in 1969. His parents were notified via Telegram. I remember it well!

Ron

 

[vito]

Sorry I didn’t address wounded. Yes, they would be notified my telegram and not in person. I have no idea how it is done today.

 

[tom black]

All good info guys. Thank you an thank you for having served this great country.
Tom Black

 

[Ray Newman]

I was WIA Feb.21, 1966. The Marine Corps dispatched two commissioned officers to notify my parents, followed up by a telegram. Telegram stated date of wound, approximate battery location in RVN, treatment by battery corpsman, and returned to duty.