"Veterans Urged To Where Military Medals"

[systemofadown1162]

Around these parts it's kind of difficult to wear medals/ribbons without having rubber-neckers and people gauking at you as if you had the plaque or were from Mars or something.

I found this out first hand when I was assigned as a low-life Army recruiter up here in Northcentral Wisconsin back in the mid 90's. This is a typical small town rural area and there is no military presence (bases, etc) within about a 3 hour drive. Needless to say, when you walked down the street in your class B's or worse yet your class A's, people would just stop and stare at you like you had two heads or something. All the guys in the recruiting station used to joke that this area was full of communists since nobody around here ever saw a U.S. servicemember in dress uniform and hardly anyone ever joined the military either.

I agree though...I'm proud of my 9 years of service and if people have a problem with me wearing my awards then they can tell it to my face.

John

That happens to me every time I go rucking in my neighborhood. And the sad thing is that half of my community are in the service.

Anyway I wear mine every day even though Im not a vet or actually in the service for that matter. Will have to wait another few years before I can start earning the real stuff.

[Jack Cook]

This is sort of cool.........
So who's got what???
http://www.usmedals.com/ribbons.html?s=navy&changeRibbonSelection=1&curSel=

[Former Member]

This is sort of cool.........
So who's got what???
http://www.usmedals.com/ribbons.html?s=navy&changeRibbonSelection=1&curSel=

Bronze Star
Army Commendation Medal w/2 Oakleaves
Army Achievement Medal w/6 Oakleaves
Army Good Conduct Medal (3rd award)
National Defense Service Medal
Southwest Asia Service Medal w/3 Campaign Stars
Humanitarian Service Medal
Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia)
Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait)
Combat Infantryman's Badge
Expert Infantryman's Badge
Basic Parachutist Badge
Air Assault Badge
Basic Field Recruiter Badge (otherwise known as the "shield of shame" or the "license to lie" )

John

[marine air]

THANKS TO ALL THE VETS!!

Have a frosty brew tonight in honor of the Marine Corps 231st birthday and Kenneth Walsh, Marion Carl, Boyington, Joe Foss, George Peppard, Lee Marvin, Ted Williams, F.Lee Bailey, James A Baker, Senator elect James Webb,Howard Pardue, Pete Parish, and so many other fine people many of whom have "gone west."

"Semper Fi - CARRY ON !!"

[tom d. friedman]

10 years ago i pursued getting my dad the silver star he was screwed out of in a battle on new guinea in 1944. i tried to cut through the red tape to get it for him. it was to be a surprise. however, i had to spill the beans as to my project, & ask him some details to help in getting it. he got madder than you can imagine at me. he said if he wanted it after so many years he would do it on his own. typical ww 2 vet.... very humble, & not tooting his horn for the duty he felt abligized to do in defending his country.

[Jack Cook]

Bronze Star
Army Commendation Medal w/2 Oakleaves
Army Achievement Medal w/6 Oakleaves
Army Good Conduct Medal (3rd award)
National Defense Service Medal
Southwest Asia Service Medal w/3 Campaign Stars
Humanitarian Service Medal
Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia)
Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait)
Combat Infantryman's Badge
Expert Infantryman's Badge
Basic Parachutist Badge
Air Assault Badge
Basic Field Recruiter Badge (otherwise known as the "shield of shame" or the "license to lie" )

Very Cool John!
I think you put us all to shame.
I have 4+ rows. My favorite are my Navy Achievement Medal and the Coast Guard Unit Commendation that my P-3 squadron got for running anti-drug missions out of Howard Air Base in 86. Plus of course my wings. Of course in Desert Storm they were giving the stuff out by the bucket full. We rated a cruise by the ribbons and for me it was a 6 ribbon cruise!

[Shay]

A flash in the pan compared to jpeters but I'm still proud of them.

__________________________________________

-Navy Good Conduct Medal (2nd Award)

-National Defense Service Medal (2nd Award)

-Navy Rifle Marksmanship (Expert)

-Navy Pistol Marksmanship (Expert)

-Global War On Terror Service Medal
__________________________________________

I've received a couple of LOA's and several command and dept. awards.

Shay
____________
Semper Fortis

[phil65]

To all what served "Happy Veteran's Day"

[Randy Haskin]

10 years ago i pursued getting my dad the silver star he was screwed out of in a battle on new guinea in 1944. i tried to cut through the red tape to get it for him. it was to be a surprise. however, i had to spill the beans as to my project, & ask him some details to help in getting it. he got madder than you can imagine at me.

I think you'll find that the legit combat veterans don't really want to be recognized for their actions like that. Although some might see it as flattery or at attempt to give due recognition, I'd venture to say that the man who was there in combat doesn't desire to re-live whatever events inspired his extraordinary actions.

Personally, I kind of like the idea of vets wearing medals on Veterans Day. There are so many ordinary Americans amongst us who have served, often galliantly, and nobody knows about it. They deserve positive recognition, and this is a pretty neat way to have it.

On the other hand, this also opens up the flood gates for the imposters and wanna-bes to go buy whatever they want and pin it on.

It's unfortunate in this day and age that it comes to this, but as we've seen there are numerous imposters who fake service for any number of reasons. We all agree it's despicable.

Perhaps vets should have to carry their DD214s and citations with them as proof. Yeah, it's ridiculous that vets should have to "prove" what they've given and accomplished, but it's the only way I can think of to foil the imposters muddying the waters.

[Former Member]

Very Cool John!
I think you put us all to shame.
I have 4+ rows. My favorite are my Navy Achievement Medal and the Coast Guard Unit Commendation that my P-3 squadron got for running anti-drug missions out of Howard Air Base in 86. Plus of course my wings. Of course in Desert Storm they were giving the stuff out by the bucket full. We rated a cruise by the ribbons and for me it was a 6 ribbon cruise!

I agree Jack...some units were handing out awards like candy during Desert Storm. Our unit was a bit more restrained and reserved most of the higher awards for the officers and higher enlisted soldiers (1sg and above). It's the old rule of "the higher the rank + more responsibility = higher awards". I was one of the few lower enlisted soldiers to receive the Bronze Star, with only 2 Sergeant E-5's and 1 Staff Sergeant E-6 receiving the award. Either way it doesn't mean a lot because it was simply for meritorious service and does not have the "V" for valor device. You have to keep in mind also that the Army has a bad habit of giving away Army Achievement Medals for just about anything. I spent 9 years in and it's not uncommon to have multiple awards of the same type. I still keep in touch with a few of my buddies that I served with and are still on active duty. A few are almost at the 20 year mark and joke that when they put their dress uniform on, they look like a 3rd world dictator!

John

[Former Member]

Perhaps vets should have to carry their DD214s and citations with them as proof. Yeah, it's ridiculous that vets should have to "prove" what they've given and accomplished, but it's the only way I can think of to foil the imposters muddying the waters.

Actually I've heard of some vets doing this...mainly the vets that do public speaking engagements or ceremonies and were awarded some of the top decorations like the Navy Cross, Distinguished Service Cross, Medal of Honor, etc and do in fact carry copies of their DD-214 or official orders for the award to confront anybody that might question their decorations.

John

[Randy Haskin]

I agree Jack...some units were handing out awards like candy during Desert Storm. Our unit was a bit more restrained and reserved most of the higher awards for the officers and higher enlisted soldiers (1sg and above).

Ya know, I think that it's been this way since the beginning of time. Just look at how many times the medals of Vietnam vets have come under scrutiny (e.g. Kerry's Purple Heart). I think this happens in every war.

An ex-boss of mine whom I flew with during "Shock and Awe" noted that something was afoul from the USAF side of things during ALLIED FORCE in 1999. He wrote this email to the website of the famous Col Hackworth -- and got in a whole heap of trouble for it at the time! Some of his comments are exaggerated for effect...but some of them are dead-nuts true.

After arriving at ACSC, I began hearing what a cluster the whole Kosovo air war had been from my buddies from Europe with targets being selected at 1600 Penn Ave, D.C., only after approval from the French only to be missed by incompetent aircrews due to all the cuts in training and all the contingency flying. Anyway, none of this could upset my newly found "no worries" attitude and I just chalked it up the crazy political times.

Then some of my close fighter brethren relayed to me the medal frenzy - it went something like this: If you supported the operation from Missouri, England or Aviano and you're a LtCol - you get a Bronze Star. If you saw a Surface to Air missile in flight - you apply for a DFC. If you threat reacted - you're a shoe-in. Each wing gets a Silver Star to distribute - What, a f*cking lottery for a Silver Star?!

My buds told me it became fighter wing versus fighter wing versus bomber wing to see which wing commander could win the most Kosovo Olympic Gold. You either jumped on the team bandwagon or you were considered against it.

It further inbred worse since it was primarily an Air Force show - therefore our LtCols with their Bronze Stars could outperform the other services when competing for those hallowed joint jobs - You Gotta Be Sh*tting Me! The service with the motto "Integrity in all we do" is mortaging its dignity to promote its manufactured self image. I'd love to see an article comparing all the sorties of WWII - pilot KIA in WWII - to the DFC ratio of WWII and then compared to the Kosovo debacle.

As a closing note, there is an Army Ranger in my ACSC class who lost his kneecap and another chunk of his leg in Somalia - I don't know what decorations he received along with his Purple Heart from that event, but I am embarrassed to look him in the eye as we pass in the hallway thinking of the medal charade we paraded out of our last demonstration of impotence and the real sacrifice he and his brothers made on the ground.

On another note, after the combat flying during the opening months of IRAQI FREEDOM was over, there was a similar thrash in my fighter squadron to write up medals. Nobody particularly thought they deserved any recognition, and when the Squadron Commander ordered all the pilots/WSOs to submit a narrative of their "best" mission for a Squadron awards committee to evaluate, everyone initally balked at it. Everyone in my squadron then got an email from the Squadron Commander that said something to the effect of this:

"The tanker pilots are going to be writing themselves up for Distinguished Flying Crosses for flying over Baghdad once and seeing a SAM in flight. You, who have been flying over Baghdad and getting shot at with guided SAMs every night for the last 6 weeks can either NOT write yourself up for a medal and bitch when that tanker guy gets one, OR you can swallow your pride, allow us to write you up for a medal, and then feel like the correct person was recognized when the medals are awarded. YOU may not think what you've done is a big deal, but leave it to the Headquarters Medals board to make that decision -- you might be surprised."

[Bill Greenwood]

It seems to me any vet, whether it is Jack Cook or John Kerry can and should be able to wear medals he earned in public. I am about as anti Nam war as anyone, but short of some personal atrocity we don't hold the indivdual responsible for the error of a govt or a country. We honor a Yeager, but not a Nixon, and a Hartmann, but not the Nazis. Does this make any sense, as I am trying to be brief?