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November 18, 2016 Grunt.com Admin

Additional Awards

By: Harry

This story may be of interest to some, maybe not so much to others. The best way to start,I guess, is from the beginning.Last Sept my close friend J.J.(Viet-Vet 101st Abn. 69-70) invited me to go along with him to a Veterans reunion in Kokomo Indiana I reluctantly accepted knowing I would be hanging around with a bunch of Army guys but it turned out OK (There was a group of “Walking Dead” 9th Marines campsite not to far away so I had backup if I needed) Maybe there are some of you out there that have been to this reunion,It is huge!! I could tell a lot of stories about this place but, not this time. During the weekend I heard a conversation concerning one of the vets getting his discharge upgraded from general to honorable but what really caught my attention was the fact that when he received his DD-215 granting him the request (He said it took almost a year and half ) there were additional awards listed that he did not know that he had earned.On a hunch,this past Spring I submitted a DD-149 to the Medals and Awards Branch HQ USMC they in turn forwarded it to NPRC in ST.Louis.All I ask for was a search to see if I or my unit earned any additional awards.I received my answer today It took 8 months but I received a copy of a DD-215 . In short it states the following. Delete:Vietnam Service Medal(w1star) Add: Vietnam Service Medal With 4 Bronze Service Stars /Presidential Unit Citation Ribbon/Meritorious Unit Citation Ribbon/ Republic of Vietnam Meritorious Unit Citation (Civil Action Color with Palm and Frame ) Ribbon Bar. Might not sound like that big of a deal but, it is what it is !! Harry.

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Comments

L/CPL W. J. Rainey - June 15, 2020

I was aboard the USS Fort Snelling LSD 30 for 6 months (Nov 76-May 77) on a Med cruise. There’s records showing I was attached to the ship but nothing showing I ever left the Continental United States. Amazing.

John Mason Echo 2/27. Delta 1/9 - June 15, 2020

I had no problems with getting all my awards, I submitted my info online. Two months later I received all my medals. They were all correct, but the don’t send any foreign awards. I will have to purchase them. All my medals were stolen in a burglary, so I really appreciate this service.

Jim Wilson, Viet Nam ’66-’67 - June 15, 2020

I agree with Cpl. Mumphs “Who are these clowns?” It took me multiple requests to multiple locations including the Bureau of Naval Records (address provided by a Lt. Gen.) trying to get the Combat Action Ribbon. Each request was denied stating they had no record of me being in a combat area! After two years, It took a local congressman to get involved and I finally received the combat action ribbon. Why can’t we get the same service that the congressional staffers receive?

Kenneth J Mumford - June 15, 2020

NPRC records I requested are also bogus in many regards. My favorite is one page listing me as 0311 (correct) but as a BAR man. Really? Never carried one in my career. Fired one one time for familiarization during ACT at Pendleton. Who are these clowns? Cpl. Mumphs

Top Pro USMC ’64-’84 - June 15, 2020

In the spring of this year I noticed an article on Military.com that record requests to NPRC may now be done electronically, so I thought I would give it a try. To keep it simple, I just asked for all awards and decorations which I had accrued. I had actually forgotten about it, then one day about a month ago I received a letter and attached NAVPERS-1650/96 from NPRC listing all of my awards. Now, I spent 20 years on active duty from May 1964 to June 1984 in the Marine Corps, a lot of time aboard various ships, but never a days duty as a sailor. Yet, there it was, the very first award was the Navy Good Conduct Medal with 1 silver and 1 bronze star. Needless to say, the rest of information was just as bogus. Its a damn shame with all of the technological innovations available that some civilian employee can’t read a simple military record.

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