Military medal question

[duckhunt]

My grandfather was a ww2 vet and my uncle was a Vietnam vet. my uncle made a career of it and served for I believe 22 years. My grandfather passed away in 1981 and my uncle just last spring. My aunt and uncle lived in my grandparents house so as my aunt is cleaning stuff out she is finding all kinds of neat stuff. Anyway she found some military medals but doesn't know who they belong to. Is there any way to distinguish if they belong to my uncle or grandfather?

 

[mevertsen]

See if you can get a copy of their DD214.

 

[mevertsen]

A touch of follow up with that. My dad used the DD214 for my wife's uncles to make these little shadow boxes. Not sure if my father in law had the dd214 or if my dad looked it up some other way.

 

[duckhunt]

A touch of follow up with that. My dad used the DD214 for my wife's uncles to make these little shadow boxes. Not sure if my father in law had the dd214 or if my dad looked it up some other way.

I was thinking of doing the same thing.

 

[Dsnow9]

My grandfather had these made for my brother and I before he passed. Wish I would have asked him about what each one meant and stories about each one.

 

[Hunter4Life78]

My grandfather had these made for my brother and I before he passed. Wish I would have asked him about what each one meant and stories about each one.

View attachment 291632

I can tell which one is the Vietnam Ribbon. Second to last row last ribbon with three red stripes.

 

[OpenCountry]

See if you can get a copy of their DD214.

Easiest way for sure. Could check with the local veterans affair rep to see if they can help the family with getting a copy of it.

 

[Farmerj]

My grandfather had these made for my brother and I before he passed. Wish I would have asked him about what each one meant and stories about each one.

View attachment 291632

This page should help you figure out what his “fruits salad” there means. It’s kind of a walking DD201 (records file) you wore on the chest of your dress uniform.

Decorations and Ribbons

www.afpc.af.mil

 

[Dsnow9]

This page should help you figure out what his “fruits salad” there means. It’s kind of a walking DD201 (records file) you wore on the chest of your dress uniform.

Decorations and Ribbons

www.afpc.af.mil

Thanks, is there any way to figure out why they were awarded certain medals? Obviously things like Vietnam are straight forward but some of the others are not.

 

[ccc23454]

Some campain medals are time frame specfic, you could disquinsh based on service dates (assume they served diff time frames) meaning your uncle might have a vietnam but gramp wouldnt etc. You can look up online what each medal is and rule a few out likely from just service dates. To truley dig in yes you would need a dd214 possibly more documentation.

 

[Farmerj]

Thanks, is there any way to figure out why they were awarded certain medals? Obviously things like Vietnam are straight forward but some of the others are not.

Air Force service medal is given out for like 3 or 4 years of service. Similar if it was the army or navy too. The ribbon is the first award, each star is a subsequent award. So a Vietnam service ribbon with one star means he did two tours of duty in Vietnam.

The national defense service medal (next to the Vietnam service medal) would have been given to him for each tour as well.

National Defense Service Medal

BACKGROUNDThis medal was authorized by Executive Order 10448, April 22, 1953, and amended by Executive Order 11256, Jan. 11, 1966. CRITERIAIt is awarded for honorable active military service as a

www.afpc.af.mil

Others are for professional develop And were schools required to advance in rank.

Medals for valor, IE - Bronze star, silver star etc, would have only been for combat service, simulate with a Purple Heart, injured in combat. The awards recommendation paperwork (AF1206) would be the actual form that would have the statement of what he did to be awarded such medal.

 

[Dsnow9]

Air Force service medal is given out for like 3 or 4 years of service. Similar if it was the army or navy too. The ribbon is the first award, each star is a subsequent award. So a Vietnam service ribbon with one star means he did two tours of duty in Vietnam.

The national defense service medal (next to the Vietnam service medal) would have been given to him for each tour as well.

National Defense Service Medal

BACKGROUNDThis medal was authorized by Executive Order 10448, April 22, 1953, and amended by Executive Order 11256, Jan. 11, 1966. CRITERIAIt is awarded for honorable active military service as a

www.afpc.af.mil

Others are for professional develop And were schools required to advance in rank.

Medals for valor, IE - Bronze star, silver star etc, would have only been for combat service, simulate with a Purple Heart, injured in combat. The awards recommendation paperwork (AF1206) would be the actual form that would have the statement of what he did to be awarded such medal.

Thanks, the medals are the ones I am most curious about because he was an aircraft mechanic. I’ll have my dad look into that form.

 

[BoomerUSAF]

My grandfather had these made for my brother and I before he passed. Wish I would have asked him about what each one meant and stories about each one.

View attachment 291632

From bottom right up:
AF marksman, AF longevity, vietnam campaign medal, Vietnam service medal, national defense, AF personnel center medal, the whole third row I’m not familiar with, American defense service, Good Conduct medal, AF good conduct, AF outstanding unit, AF commendation, AF bronze star!

Take my analysis with a grain of salt, because I served long after your Grandfather did so I’m unfamiliar with some of his campaign medals. If he was a mechanic, I’d see how he got those wings on display?! Maybe he was a flying crew chief.

 

[BoomerUSAF]

Thanks, the medals are the ones I am most curious about because he was an aircraft mechanic. I’ll have my dad look into that form.

The medals match the ribbons. The bronze star medal pairs with upper row, left. The yellow medal is a commendation medal and pairs with the upper row, center ribbon!

Your Grandfather was highly decorated!!

 

[Flatbrimmer]

From bottom right up:
AF marksman, AF longevity, vietnam campaign medal, Vietnam service medal, national defense, AF personnel center medal, the whole third row I’m not familiar with, American defense service, Good Conduct medal, AF good conduct, AF outstanding unit, AF commendation, AF bronze star!

Take my analysis with a grain of salt, because I served long after your Grandfather did so I’m unfamiliar with some of his campaign medals. If he was a mechanic, I’d see how he got those wings on display?! Maybe he was a flying crew chief.

The medals match the ribbons. The bronze star medal pairs with upper row, left. The yellow medal is a commendation medal and pairs with the upper row, center ribbon!

Your Grandfather was highly decorated!!

Wow! Way cool!!.

 

[tarheel]

Thanks, is there any way to figure out why they were awarded certain medals? Obviously things like Vietnam are straight forward but some of the others are not.

Certain medals awarded to an individual are usually accompanied by a letter/declaration of why the medal was awarded. Commonly called a "letter to accompany". It will contain awarding organization and justification, usually stating what period of service and other incidentals which apply.

Some of the others such as unit awards require no letter. If an individual was a member of a unit during which time the unit earned the award, he/she is authorized to wear it as a permanent award. If, however, an individual was transferred into a unit which had been awarded a unit medal, they would only be authorized to wear the ribbon as long as they were assigned said unit but must remove it once they are reassigned.

I separated from the USAF in 1970 and not long after that someone decided the members weren't getting enough atta boys so they began dreaming up all these cockamamie awards for some of the most inconsequential things one could imagine. This was about the same time that our youth sports teams and the like began giving trophies to the entire team with no individual recognition. Hooray for the child psychologists!

I'm surprised they didn't give a ribbon for having clean underwear two days in a row.

 

[Gunner46]

From my prospective, as a Vet of two wars.....Share them both, their medals are a family heritage collectively and it doesn't matter which one earned it. My Mom was a 4 gold star mother and I can assure you she never thought for one moment about what medals we earned. Just display them all.....and respect their service.

 

[Farmerj]

I’d be curious about the award letter AF1206 for the bronze star…