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Finally, I'm a Vietnam Vet !


CrueDawg34
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A few months ago I decided to drop a line to the AF records correction guys. I told them I had never gotten the VN service medal and campain medal but had been TDY several times to VN from Clark. Sent them copies of orders, travel vouchers and 214's etc.. Well they just sent me a nice official letter with one each (MEDAL SET,VIETNAM SERVICE ,REGULAR SIZE) They said I spent over 5 months in-country and an updated 214 will be sent to me. Well 40 years late ain't too bad for our gub-ment I guess, ha ha . The campain medal has to be approved by another office, down the hall. I guess it pays to keep your old paperwork! Was this normal to NOT get the medal because we were TDY or did most of you old Clark, CCK and Naha guys get your Vietnam medals?

Edited by Ghostrider
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Didn't you used to be "Crew Chief"? Congrats on the VSM. Now your next best step is to get over to the VA hospital and get your name registered on the Agent Orange register.

In case (God forbid) you should come down with some AO related problem you could qualify for a VA disability.

Happy New Year neighbor.

Muff

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No Muff I ain't "Crew chief". That was Rich Pasintine (sp). He lives over in Hirem Ga. not to far from you.Haven't heard from Rich since after he left Toyota in Marietta. I'm Bill down the road from you. Remember lunch at Vittles just after you moved here? Bill

Edited by Spectre623
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You are right ECLARK and we all knew it too. I knew I was a Viet Vet all along but it's sweet to have that official letter from Randolph AFB and that cute little medal. As I asked in my first post ; Did you old Clark,CCK and Naha 130 maint. guys normally GET or NOT GET awarded the VNSM ? I know the flight crews got them. Just never seemed important back then to us maint pukes. Bill

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Ghostrider, After reading your post, I dug out my DD214 and checked to see if I got any medals. I DID get my VSM ! I also got among the other standard things, was a RVCM. I can't remember what that was. While I was at Naha, the 374th got a Presidential Unit Citation, and something else "Presidential" Neither of those two are on my 214, but they probably weren't important?

Also, during the Pueblo Incident", our planes at Naha participated in a 521 mission to Korea. Do any of you guys remember any of the details? I know the 35th took part in them, but I think all of the squadrons were involved. It seemed we were hauling equipment to Korea to stage a military build-up, and then hauling it back after dark, and then doing it all over again.I am sure I have managed to screw up some of the details, but that's what I remember! I remember being told there was a Korean Medal for that also! I think I got one, but it is not on my 214.

Thanks for your replys,

Ken Carlson

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I did a google search for Korean Service Defence Medle and a lot of folks are eligible but have to dig out old tdy forme etc and apply to USAF. Get full story on Google.

Muff

. Criteria: Service members must have been assigned, attached or mobilized to units operating in the area of eligibility for 30 consecutive or 60 nonconsecutive days, or meet the following criteria:

a. Be engaged in combat during an armed engagement, regardless of the time in the area of eligibility.

b. Is wounded or injured in the line of duty and requires medical evacuation from the area of eligibility.

c. While participating as a regularly assigned air crewmember flying sorties into, out of, or within the area of eligibility in direct support of military operations. Each day that one or more sorties are flown in accordance with these criteria shall count as one day toward the 30 to 60 day requirement.

d. Personnel who serve in operations and exercises conducted in the area of eligibility are considered eligible for the award as long as the basic time criteria is met. Due to extensive time period for KDSM eligibility, the nonconsecutive service period for eligibility remains cumulative throughout the entire period.

e. The KDSM may be awarded posthumously to any soldier who lost his/her life without regard to length of such service. Only one award of the KDSM is authorized for any individual.

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Hey Jim that is great. Makes good sense not to throw away all those years of active duty...plus the out fit at Maxwell can use a good wrench like you. You will be glad you stuck it out when you hit 60. Those are a great bunch of guys at Maxwell, have been on many a deployment with them. Went to the desert twice with them and several Panama rotes with them. Bill

Edited by Spectre623
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A few months ago I decided to drop a line to the AF records correction guys. I told them I had never gotten the VN service medal and campain medal but had been TDY several times to VN from Clark. Sent them copies of orders, travel vouchers and 214's etc.. Well they just sent me a nice official letter with one each (MEDAL SET,VIETNAM SERVICE ,REGULAR SIZE) They said I spent over 5 months in-country and an updated 214 will be sent to me. Well 40 years late ain't too bad for our gub-ment I guess, ha ha . The campain medal has to be approved by another office, down the hall. I guess it pays to keep your old paperwork! Was this normal to NOT get the medal because we were TDY or did most of you old Clark, CCK and Naha guys get your Vietnam medals?

We never got the medals, just a set of orders authorizing the medal and an annotation on our service record. Each squadron had an awards and decs officer and NCO and they were responsible for making sure people got the awards. Originally, you got the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal for Vietnam service but after the VNSM came out in 1965, you had the option of converting it. I don't think any of the DD 214s issued before 1975 had anything in them about being a Vietnam vet. I've got three and none of them say anything about Vietnam service. One of them shows my reenlistment location at Cam Ranh Bay in July 1966 but that is the only reference to Vietnam.

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  • 1 year later...

A few months ago I decided to drop a line to the AF records correction guys. I told them I had never gotten the VN service medal and campain medal but had been TDY several times to VN from Clark. Sent them copies of orders, travel vouchers and 214's etc.. Well they just sent me a nice official letter with one each (MEDAL SET,VIETNAM SERVICE ,REGULAR SIZE) They said I spent over 5 months in-country and an updated 214 will be sent to me. Well 40 years late ain't too bad for our gub-ment I guess, ha ha . The campain medal has to be approved by another office, down the hall. I guess it pays to keep your old paperwork! Was this normal to NOT get the medal because we were TDY or did most of you old Clark, CCK and Naha guys get your Vietnam medals?

My DD214 is so vacant one would think I had never left basic training. I did the Nam thing as well as a thirty day stint in Korea. I honestly have no idea who was supposed to keep our paperwork up, but they failed. That said, it was my experience if you moved around much while you were overseas. You were simply out of sight and out of mind on just about everything.

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Hey Spectre623 how are you? In answer to your question about record keeping, I can say that it was non existent. I did not receive either of the Viet Nam medals r an air medal and nothing was noted on my DD214. They lost my medical records also. If I knew I would be filing claims for disabilities when I became old I would have found a way to get and keep copies of everything. Good news however, I did get a good conduct medal notation on my DD214.

Take care.

Wil

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  • 2 years later...

has anyone gotten a Expeditionary Medal "exchanged" for the RVN Svc Ribbon ? Several official websites say it's authorized. towards the end of the VN war I flew in country with the 776 TAS and in Freq Wind and Eagle Pull in the 7ABCCC. I was a brand new 2Lt and knew nothing. How do I begin investigating this ? I wrote AFMPC and got the "mac salute" plus a few more web links I already knew about. thnx so much. Jim Summers

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I have a question after reading this thread. I looked at my DD 214 and AFEM AFR 900-10 was noted in the medals section. Is this for service in Vietnam as I was at TSN as a crew chief 1965 and prior to that at Clark and Naha on rotation from the 314 TCW.

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