Welcome
Welcome to the Vietnamese Commandos Compensation Commission (VCCC) Home Page!
Check out the latest News and Views below.
More about the VCCC, links to other pages useful to Commandos, and a chance to provide feed back to the VCCC are all linked from the top of this page. Click here if you want the latest statistics concerning claims for compensation.
News and Views
Môùi! Baám vaøo ñaây ñeå ñoïc nhöõng tin töùc caäp nhaät cuûa UÛy Ban VCCC!Jan 2001:
Important Update.
The Vietnamese Commando Compensation Support Staff is officially closed on 15 Jan 2001 under the provisions of the 1997 National Defense Authorization Act. All timely submitted claims approved or denied have been officially closed. All remaining compensation funds have been returned to the U.S. Government Treasury. We will no longer accepting applications or inquiries concerning compensation.
We would like to thank all of the commandos who assist us with critical information. Without them, the Support Staff could not have accomplish its mission.
We also would like to tell all of the applicants that we appreciate their interests in our program. While any service to the United States during the Vietnam War is commendable, unfortunately, the law only allows us to compensate the specified operations, which were mentioned in the law.
For us here at the VCCC, it has been a rewarding experience. We take pleasure in knowing that we are able to change many of commandos' lives and also their love ones. If you have any questions about the VCCC, please direct your comments to the VCCC's Chairman at witschoc@pr.osd.mil.
July 2000:
An important Legal Update.
The Assistant Secretary of Defense (Force Management Policy) Approved Alternate Plan Regarding Payments to Commandos Living in Vietnam
The Vietnamese Commandos Compensation Commission (VCCC) has been working with Bank of America (BoA) since last fall to establish procedures for paying eligible claimants who live in Vietnam. $5 million was placed in an interest-bearing trust account with BoA in December 1999, while BoA secured permission from Vietnam Central Bank to make payments. Commandos would have options including receiving funds in Vietnam or directing funds to attorneys or other third parties in the United States.
The Central Bank, after tentatively granting approval for the transfer of funds within Vietnam, referred the issue to the Office of the Prime Minister. In May, the Central Bank advised BoA that they would not allow these payments in Vietnam. The Commission had to adopt alternatives that do not involve conducting transfers of funds in Vietnam. We consulted BoA and they will be able to direct funds to attorneys or other third parties in the United States, make payments in other Southeast Asian countries, or indefinitely hold the funds in trust, i.e., strictly out-of-country options. The Office of General Counsel advises that this would still meet the statutory requirements for "direct payments", provided the claimants personally makes the election to direct the funds to the desired account.
In August 2000, the VCCC began sending letters to claimants in Vietnam in. The letters provided procedures for claimants in Vietnam on how to direct their funds to any account outside of Vietnam. We have received replies from over 90% of the claimants in Vietnam. Claimants’ funds are currently being transferred to accounts outside of Vietnam.
July 2000 Commission results. The commission considered three claims in July. The claims were previously adjudicated. All three claims were denied of compensation. Personal letters announcing the results to each of the claimants have been mailed. For a full update on VCCC statistics click here.
May 2000:
April 2000 Commission results. The commission considered two claims in April. Both were approved for compensation. Personal letters announcing the results to each of the claimants have been mailed.
January 2000:
January 2000 Commission results. The commission considered two claims this month. Both were denied compensation. Personal letters announcing the results to each of the claimants have been mailed.
December 1999 Commission results. Ten (10) claims were reviewed this month. Five (5) of these were approved and five (5) denied. Personal letters announcing the results to each of the claimants have been mailed.
November 1999:
October 1999 Commission results. Five more (5) claims were considered for compensation last month, with three (3) of these approved and two (2) denied. Personal letters announcing the results to each of the claimants are being mailed soon.
September 1999:
Another Important Legal Update.
For the background on legal issues surrounding compensation of Vietnamese Commandos click here, May and July monthly news summaries (below) also contained legal updates .
Nhöõng tin töùc môùi nhaát veà vuï kieän caùo vaø traû tieàn boài thöôøng cho nhöõng cöïu Bieät Kích Vieät Nam xin baám vaøo ñaây.On April 22, 1999, a three-judge panel from the Court of Appeals dismissed the case against DoD, and remanded the case to the District Court with instructions to dismiss the entire case and all orders entered in it. The attorney who filed the lawsuit had the right to request a rehearing of his case before the entire Court of Appeals, which he did on June 4, 1999. The Court denied the request for rehearing on July 2, 1999, but it was not until August 24, 1999 that the Court of Appeals issued the mandate to the District Court instructing it to dismiss the case. On 17 September, 1999, the District Court judge dismissed the case.
The Assistant Secretary of Defense (Force Management Policy) authorized payments to eligible claimants to begin on 28 September 1999. Ngaøy 22 thaùng tö naêm 1999 vuøa qua, 3 oâng Quan Toøa cuûa Toøa AÙn Thöôïng Thaåm ñaõ baùc boû ñôn kieän Boä Quoác Phoøng vaø phaùn leänh cho toøa Ñòa Phaän ôû Florida phaûi baùc ñôn kieän kia vaø nhöõng quyeát leänh cuûa ñôn kieän ñoù. OÂng Luaät Sö, ngöôøi maø ñöùng ñôn kieän Boä Quoác Phoøng, theo luaät, coù theå khieáu naïi quyeát ñònh cuûa Toøa Thöôïng Thaåm. OÂng ta ñaõ noäp ñôn khieáu naïi vaøo ngaøy 04 thaùng 06 naêm 1999. Ñôn xin khieáu naïi cuûa Luaät Sö ñaõ bò baùc vaøo ngaøy 02 thaùng 07 naêm 1999. Nhöng ñeán ngaøy 24 thaùng 08 naêm 1999, Toøa Thöôïng Thaåm môùi ra leänh baét buoäc Toøa Ñòa Phaän phaûi baùc boû ñôn kieän aáy. Ngaøy 17 thaùng 09 naêm 1999 vöøa qua, Toøa cuûa Ñòa Phaän Florida ñaõ baùc vuï kieän aáy. OÂng Thöù Tröôûng Boä Quoác Phoøng ñaõ ra leänh traû tieàn baét ñaàu töø ngaøy 28 thaùng 09 naêm 1999.September 1999 Commission results. Four (4) claims were considered for compensation, with one (1) of these approved and three (3) denied. Personal letters announcing the results to each of the claimants are being mailed. For a full update on VCCC statistics click here.
August 1999 Commission results. July and August provided 24 more claims to the Commission. Six (6) of these were approved for payment, and 18 were denied compensation. Personal letters announcing the results to each of the claimants are being mailed.
July 1999:
June 1999 Commission results. June brought another 54 claims to the Commission. Five (5) of these were approved for payment, and 49 were denied compensation. Personal letters announcing these results to each of the claimants have been mailed. For a full update on VCCC statistics click.
Legal News.
For the background on legal issues surrounding compensation of Vietnamese Commandos click here.
With regard to the legal update in May (below), the attorney who brought the lawsuit filed an appeal of the three-judge court's decision to all of the appeals court judges on June 4, 1999. As of July 1, 1999, we are still awaiting the decision of the court.June 1999:
May 1999 Commission results. In the month of May the VCCC reviewed 38 applications; all were denied compensation. Personal letters announcing these results to the claimants concerned have already been sent.
May 1999:
Important Legal Update.
On April 22nd, a three judge appeals court panel ruled in DoD's favor, and ordered that the case be sent back to the lower court to be dismissed. This means that the lower court's order that DoD must pay the attorney rather than paying the commandos directly has been ruled invalid. This does not mean that the legal proceedings are finished, however. The attorney who brought the lawsuit still has 45 days to appeal the three-judge court's decision to all of the appeals court judges, which is by June 6th. If that appeal is not filed or is denied, the lower court order will be removed, and DoD will then be free to pay the approved commandos or survivors directly, as we had hoped to do from the outset. We will send letters to everybody who is approved when we are ready to begin payments.
We're sorry for the continued delay in paying approved claims, but these legal matters are beyond our control. You deserve to be paid as quickly as possible, and we plan to begin paying as soon as we are legally allowed to do so. Of course, we continue to process other claims while we wait for the outcome of the legal proceedings.
April 1999:
April 1999 Commission results. It's April and this month the VCCC adjudicated 41 claims for compensation. Ten (10) of the 41 files reviewed were approved for compensation, 31 were denied. Personal letters announcing these results to the claimants concerned are signed and ready for mailing.
March 1999:
March 1999 Commission results. In March the VCCC adjudicated another 63 claims for compensation. Nine (9) of these were approved for compensation, 54 were denied. Individual letters announcing these results to the claimants are signed and hitting the mail in the next days.
February 1999:
February 1999 Commission results. This month the VCCC adjudicated a record 103 Claims for compensation. Eight (8) of these were approved for compensation, 95 were denied. Letters announcing these results have already been sent to each of the persons concerned.
January 1999:
a. January 1999 Commission results. The VCCC adjudicated 55 Claims for compensation in January. Eight (8) of these were approved for compensation, 47 were denied. We'll be sending letters announcing these results very soon.
b. December 1998 Commission results. The VCCC adjudicated 67 Claims for compensation in December. 18 of these were approved for compensation, 49 were denied.
December 1998:
a. A recent US Congressional amendment which changed the VCCC Rules to allow compensation of parents and siblings of Commandos, is now a part of the Federal Register and will soon be published in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). Read the newly released rules by clicking here.
b. Read the update to our Frequently Asked Questions regarding the various legal issues which have affected payments to commandos.
November 1998:
a. November's Commission. The VCCC met to review another 75 Claims for compensation. 22 of these were approved for compensation, 53 were denied. We expect to send letters announcing these results this month. You can access a full update of VCCC's relevant statistics here.
b. The official end to the VCCC application window occurred 15 November 1998. We are still working to complete those claims received before the deadline. If you have questions about the closure of the application process you can e-mail us or call our staff at 703-588-6572/73.
October 1998:
a. The Report to Congress is now posted! Click here to read a complete public update on the Commando compensation program.
b. The official end to the VCCC application process is 15 November 1998. Look through the information contained in this site. If you, or someone you know, were a Commando in either OPPLAN 34A, OP 35 or "Predecessor Operations", and were captured and incarcerated by North Vietnam, you might qualify for compensation. Pay particular attention to the details contained in the bi-lingual application and forward your application immediately to the address provided.
c. On 17 October 1998, the 1999 National Defense Authorization Act became law. Part of this new law amends section 657 of our charter legislation from 1997. One amendment added two new categories of eligible claimants. In the case of a commando who was not married when he died (without children), his parents are eligible for compensation. If there is no spouse, child, or parent when the commando died, his siblings by blood are eligible for compensation. Another amendment authorized the Commission to pay eligible claimants directly, despite the existence of a power of attorney directing otherwise.
September 1998:
Report to Congress: The report to Congress concerning this Commission is expected late Sep 98. The Chairman of the VCCC distributed the draft to the Commissioners for their review and input. The report includes current status report and brief comments on current issues.