Help me get my rifle back!

[Stimw]

Assuming a LEO total compensation package is $50/per hour, it does not seem reasonable to expend investigative time on a potential, not certain case, fifty years old.

If recovered, what shape is rifle probably in? Would market value today in humdrum condition be $50? $100? What cost to ship to OP from recovery point? Was it used in a crime and destroyed in the normal procedure for old evidence? Did it go to Mexico illegally?

I have a neighbor, age 86, who was wounded in Korea and evacuated to Japan. In the hospital in Japan, he refused the Purple Heart, medal and citation.

Now, in old age, he wants some disability compensation from the VA. He has tried tracing the records through the VA. According to the VA, our Congressman, our two Senators and the White House, his Army records were burned up in a warehouse fire where old VA paper records were stored.

He cannot let go. He has worried our Congressman, both Senators and the White House about his case repeatedly, at who knows what administrative expense. He receives a consistent reply: No record, no payment. Mind you: In the hospital in Japan, he refused the Purple Heart, medal and the Purple Heart citation.

It is JUST TOO LATE.

The sum of our national debt, which consumes 6% of the Federal budget, has to be considered. Not efficient use of tax dollars.

I am a six year US Navy veteran, 1965-1971.

When I was discharged in 1970 from the ARMY they told us to protect your DD-214 , you never know when you will need it!
I still have my original and a wallet sized laminated copy that they gave us.
Back then all records were written, most could not be replaced.

 

[jeff9366]

Same attitude for POW/MIA's also?
"Not efficient use of tax dollars"?

I do not know. Does it?

 

[k0ua]

The big fire in St. Louis got the records.

I entered a lot of stolen guns serial numbers into NCIC way back when, If I recall correctly they were supposed to stay in there for 99 years.

 

[MossRoad]

Assuming a LEO total compensation package is $50/per hour, it does not seem reasonable to expend investigative time on a potential, not certain case, fifty years old.

If recovered, what shape is rifle probably in? Would market value today in humdrum condition be $50? $100? What cost to ship to OP from recovery point? Was it used in a crime and destroyed in the normal procedure for old evidence? Did it go to Mexico illegally?

I have a neighbor, age 86, who was wounded in Korea and evacuated to Japan. In the hospital in Japan, he refused the Purple Heart, medal and citation.

Now, in old age, he wants some disability compensation from the VA. He has tried tracing the records through the VA. According to the VA, our Congressman, our two Senators and the White House, his Army records were burned up in a warehouse fire where old VA paper records were stored.

He cannot let go. He has worried our Congressman, both Senators and the White House about his case repeatedly, at who knows what administrative expense. He receives a consistent reply: No record, no payment. Mind you: In the hospital in Japan, he refused the Purple Heart medal and Purple Heart citation, presumably with his name inscribed.

It is JUST TOO LATE.

The sum of our national debt, which consumes 6% of the Federal budget, has to be considered. Not efficient use of tax dollars.

I am a six year US Navy veteran, 1965-1971.

Interesting... my father-in-law joined the Navy at age 17 right at the end of WWII. He got sick at Great Lakes, in Chicago, and his unit got shipped out. He had to stay behind with a very bad ear infection and had some permanent hearing loss, and while in the infirmary, the war ended.... fast forward to about 4 years ago, he was 85 years old, went to the VA for checkup, they found his hearing was bad. He told them it was bad since his infection back at age 17. They looked up his records, found everything from back then, determined he was disabled during active service, and now he gets a sizable amount of money every month until he dies.

That was pure luck that the VA Dr. looked into it. Some records are still out there. It is worth pursuing and being persistent even if someone tells you they can't help you.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

When I was discharged in 1970 from the ARMY they told us to protect your DD-214 , you never know when you will need it!
I still have my original and a wallet sized laminated copy that they gave us.
Back then all records were written, most could not be replaced.

I looked up my serial number online (discharged 1972) and my service record and discharge date was there.

 

[dragoneggs]

Assuming a LEO total compensation package is $50/per hour, it does not seem reasonable to expend investigative time on a potential, not certain case, fifty years old.

If recovered, what shape is rifle probably in? Would market value today in humdrum condition be $50? $100? What cost to ship to OP from recovery point? Was it used in a crime and destroyed in the normal procedure for old evidence? Did it go to Mexico illegally?

I have a neighbor, age 86, who was wounded in Korea and evacuated to Japan. In the hospital in Japan, he refused the Purple Heart, medal and citation.

Now, in old age, he wants some disability compensation from the VA. He has tried tracing the records through the VA. According to the VA, our Congressman, our two Senators and the White House, his Army records were burned up in a warehouse fire where old VA paper records were stored.

He cannot let go. He has worried our Congressman, both Senators and the White House about his case repeatedly, at who knows what administrative expense. He receives a consistent reply: No record, no payment. Mind you: In the hospital in Japan, he refused the Purple Heart medal and Purple Heart citation, presumably with his name inscribed.

It is JUST TOO LATE.

The sum of our national debt, which consumes 6% of the Federal budget, has to be considered. Not efficient use of tax dollars.

I am a six year US Navy veteran, 1965-1971.

Kinda harsh IMO. While I will agree we could spend our tax dollars wiser. There are other places I would cut first. Maybe Colleges that are spending our tax dollars to fund safe spaces. I'd rather spend my money on the right things to do, even if it isn't as profitable as spending on the wrong things.

 

[Sigarms]

Kinda harsh IMO.

Agreed, but from what I gather, the OP isn't even certain if a report was filed with the police when the theft took place.

The reality is I can't see most anyone really caring enough to take their time up on a theft that took place close to 50 years ago.

The way I see it 2 things could have happened with the gun since it was apparently stolen so long ago...

1 - It's in someones unknowingly hands and isn't going to be going anywhere, because if it were, it would be there by now.

2 - If the gun were used in a crime and recovered under the assumption that it were stolen in the first place, it's either in some LEO's personal hands and it isn't going anywhere, or it ended up destroyed.

 

[dmccarty]

Regarding old military documentation. We have looked up my grandfather's military record and there is not much available. We know when he went into and got out of the USA. We are pretty sure he fought in the PI during WWII but his record is basically his enlistment and discharge dates. Not sure if his records were lost in the big fire or if the records ever really existed.

My grandfather refused to sign up for VA benefits years ago. There was a deadline, something like the end of the 1990's, and he refused to sign up. Years later he needed the benefits, but since he refused to do the paperwork before the deadline, he was scat out of luck.

Later,
Dan

 

[PJSprog]

Agreed, but from what I gather, the OP isn't even certain if a report was filed with the police when the theft took place.

The reality is I can't see most anyone really caring enough to take their time up on a theft that took place close to 50 years ago.

The way I see it 2 things could have happened with the gun since it was apparently stolen so long ago...

1 - It's in someones unknowingly hands and isn't going to be going anywhere, because if it were, it would be there by now.

2 - If the gun were used in a crime and recovered under the assumption that it were stolen in the first place, it's either in some LEO's personal hands and it isn't going anywhere, or it ended up destroyed.

^^^This. Time to move on.

My Father loaned his Marlin 55 shotgun to a family member back in the late '70s, under the promise it would be returned if I wanted it when I was older. I started trying to get that gun back in 1984. I still don't have it. After about a decade, I simply gave up. It was clear he was never going to give it up, and it being an old gun with no serial number and no documentation to fall back on, I had no recourse. Two years ago, I wandered into my LGS and found an identical one for $150. I took it home with me. No, it's not my Father's shotgun, but it still serves as the same reminder.

It's a shame you lost your rifle, and I understand your attachment to it. However, after 50 years ... it may be time to let go.

 

[jeff9366]

My grandfather refused to sign up for VA benefits years ago. There was a deadline, something like the end of the 1990's, and he refused to sign up. Years later he needed the benefits, but since he refused to do the paperwork before the deadline, he was scat out of luck.

If a vet signed up for VA health benefits before a certain date, about fifteen years ago, the vet qualified regardless of income.

Now there is a "means test". Unless the vet has about zero assets, no VA health benefits, despite service.

If your assets are about zero, and honorably discharged, the VA will take you in.