Additional Awards
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.
Sgt Grit wants to hear from you! Leave your comments below or submit your own story!
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.
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.
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?
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
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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