Unexpected support from the Army community

Army bureaucracy made it difficult to change status from dead to alive

By David Sutton

VETERANS HELP NET CORRESPONDENT

Things happen!

Nobody knows why or how, but even the Army makes mistakes. And that is exactly what happened when I was told that I had died in combat in Vietnam!

It all began when I decided to go to graduate school and use my military education benefits. After graduating from Eastern Washington State College (now Eastern Washington University) I had calculated that I had almost all of my benefits available to me. I had been drafted in the middle of my junior year in college when the war in Southeast Asia was at its peak.

I did not plan on going to graduate school when my wife and I were planning my career path. So money was not the issue. Getting a job as a newspaper reporter with my degree in journalism was the issue. So my G.I. Bill could be saved for another time.

One hardly ever knows what’s in the future. Neither did we, so when the decision was made to head for Ft. Worth, Texas, we were confident the U.S. Army would take care our educational needs.

All the applications were filled out, the proper officials were notified at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, housing was arranged, and my pregnant wife and I headed south.

Everything we owned was stuffed into two GI footlockers strapped to the top of our rustic Toyota. Alphalfa and Buckwheat, our dogs, rested quietly in the back seat.

My first call in Texas was to the local Army Information Center in Ft. Worth informing them that we had arrived. I wanted to confirm our address and make sure our G.I. Bill would be sent to us. The sergeant assured me he would check into it and let me know.

Meanwhile, with my college diploma in hand, years of experience in my field as a newspaper reporter under my belt, and an intense desire to pay the rent and buy groceries....I was hired to pump gas at the local Mobil station!

Thirty days passed and there was no check. Veterans at school heard about my dilemma and approached me with a sincere desire to help. Groceries and rent money were supplied with a trust that we would pay it back as soon as we straightened things out.

Sixty days whizzed by. Ninety days came and went. We shared books, borrowed furniture and accepted many invitations to dinner. The school community was a blessing and the veterans seemed to tighten the bonds we had established.

Finally, after five months, the results of my research paid off. The local Army recruiter had experienced the same dilemma when he was younger. He gave me the phone number of the military “check writers” in Kansas City.

The sergeant listened to my story, my plea, and asked some routine questions. Then I was put on hold.

“Sir, our records show that you were killed in action in Vietnam,” he said. “You certainly do not sound dead to me,” he added.

My benefits check arrived within three days and included all backpay. We contacted all the veterans who stood by us and all the students who helped in so many ways and we paid them back and thanked them for their generosity and trust.

The next night we had enough money to do some fine dining at the local Mc-

My GI Bill story: ‘Stuff’ happens

Donald’s.

Why is this story so important?

First, it renewed my faith in the U.S. Army when they promised to take care of their own. Second, it reassured me that veterans gather together to help other veterans in need. And finally, it strengthened my belief that positive action far outweighs negative complaints.

My benefits ran out the day I graduated with my master’s degree. Surely most of my education took place outside the classroom. Veterans, things do happen but they can be fixed. I am a proud veteran and I am so thankful for having been part of a giant organization that (eventually!) takes care of their own. Dr. David Sutton is a U.S. Army veteran and has been a freelance writer all during his 47 years as a minister. He resides in Spokane with his wife, Vickie.