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marinegreen
08-10-07, 07:29 PM
Someone tell me if they heard of higher enlisted Marines getting the Bronze for being pencil pushers. There was another podunk Iowan who is a 1st shirt in the guard who recieved a Bronze for pushing the pencil and correcting a few errors with his eraser, had something to do with convoys wracking up 2,000,000 miles. A former friend ( traitor fuqer) was a CSM in Iraq and got the same thing for the exact same mileage. I dont remember hearing of a Marine Co. Gunny,1st shirt or SgtMaj who were pencil pushers recieve it during my time in the Corps. The only reason I'm pizzed about this is because we have young men and women loosing arms,legs,partial skulls who get a purple hearts.:devious: :thumbdown . Those are the deserving star winners......................

FistFu68
08-10-07, 07:43 PM
:evilgrin: I SAW IT OFTEN,REMINGTON RAIDER'S;IN THE 'NAM ERA.THE BIG DIFFERENCE WAS THE (COMBAT DISTINGUISHING DEVICE)W/V-SPEAK'S FOR ITSELF!!!:evilgrin: S/F:iwo:

OLE SARG
08-10-07, 09:38 PM
LOOK AT FATASS murtha - he got one and was ashamed of how he got it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SEMPER FI,

bootlace15
08-10-07, 09:50 PM
if you ate dick,you'd be ashamed of it to..... bootlace15 out

sparkie
08-10-07, 10:42 PM
Mirtha,,,,,, Almost laughable, Almost.

bigdog43701
08-11-07, 06:09 AM
saw a cook get one for volunteering several times to go to the nam...like fist said though, it's the combat V that sets it apart and makes you look at the man in awe.

davblay
08-11-07, 06:50 AM
I once met a man who was a company clerk with an Army unit in the Nam. He wrote a very inspiring recommendation for himself, got it indorsed by his Commander, then on up the line to the Secretary of the Army. Got himself a SILVER STAR for what ever he just made up! Told me this himself, and had proof of his status, and he did! Everything was in order and no one can dispute his authorization wo wear it. He said he just wanted to prove that a clerk had enough power to get it done. But he never corrected that little experiment, still wearing it on his lapel now that he's retired. So I guess it would be a piece of cake for a well trained clerk to write up a Bronze star!

Sgt Leprechaun
08-11-07, 08:27 AM
Sadly, it does happen. And, the Bronze Star can, in fact, be awarded for "Meritorous" service, not just valor in combat. Pencil pushing in a combat zone could qualify as "Meritorous" service.

This is why there is the "V" distinguishing device, denoting Valor in combat. You see someone with a Bronze Star, no "V", it's "Meritorous". In Vietnam, it was referred to by some as the "Field Grade Good Conduct Medal".

Dav, I have no doubt your story is true. Jacked the hell up, but true nonetheless.

marinegreen
08-11-07, 09:07 AM
I was told not to long ago that there were 72 guardsman recieved the bronze star in one state and they were all pencil pushers. Even if its considered a Field grade good conduct its just damn shameful that the pencil pusher/office poogee should earn it unless he picked up a weapon and popped off a few rounds at the enemy who were trying to overrun the CP !

a4ever
08-11-07, 06:07 PM
This is from SECNAVINST 1650.1G.

Bronze Star Medal (BS)
a. Authorization. Executive Order (E.O.) 9419 of 4
February 1944 as modified by E.O. 11046 of 24 August 1962 and
the Defense Authorization Act of 2001, Section 1133.
b. Eligibility Requirements
(1) Awarded to any person who, while serving in any
capacity with the Armed Forces of the United States, distinguishes
himself/herself on or after 7 December 1941 by heroic or
meritorious achievement or service, not involving participation
in aerial flight.
(a) while engaged in an action against an enemy
of the United States;
(b) while engaged in military operations involving
conflict with an opposing foreign force; or
(c) while serving with friendly foreign forces
engaged in an armed conflict against an opposing armed force in
which the United States is not a belligerent party.
(2) To justify this decoration, accomplishment or
performance of duty above that normally expected, and sufficient
to distinguish the individual among those performing comparable
duties is required, although less than the requirements for the
Silver Star or Legion of Merit. Minor acts of heroism in combat
or single acts of merit or meritorious service in connection
with military or naval operations may justify this award.
(3) The recipient must be in receipt of Imminent
Danger Pay during the qualifying period.
c. Combat Distinguishing Device. The Combat Distinguishing
Device may be authorized for valor (heroism).

So yes, someone can be awarded this Medal for being a "Pencil Pusher".
If the facts are inflated.

a4ever
08-11-07, 06:53 PM
"....Got himself a SILVER STAR for what ever he just made up! Told me this himself, and had proof of his status, and he did! Everything was in order and no one can dispute his authorization wo wear...

Robert Browell
08-11-07, 07:25 PM
I agree with the others,without the "V" for valor it's just a glorified typin award:banana: I heard you could get one in the Air Force for makin it through boot camp without gettin caught touchin yourself!!!;)

yellowwing
08-11-07, 08:22 PM
Any Marine with the V device should not pay for his first drink down at the MCL. My Sea Daddy Top Brown got his for, "Doing what every other Marine was doing as part of the job, someone just noticed when I did it."

davblay
08-11-07, 10:54 PM
Hey SSGT, I had a Major in the Army JAG to investigate this when I found out about it. after 9 months of "INVESTIGATING" they found "NO PROOF OF FRAUD" as it was signed by all the appropriate...

marinegreen
08-11-07, 11:01 PM
How many that recieved it would wear it if it had the intitals "PP" (pencil pusher) on it ?? I bet they would requesrt to not recieve it or maybe take the "PP" off of it ........ Guess I shouldnt dwell on it but IT does bug me that they hand em out so freely !!!!

Sgt Leprechaun
08-12-07, 05:07 AM
The GOOD news is, the Marine Corps doesn't hand them out like candy, unlike every other service. You see a snuffie wearin a Bronze Star, you for sure know he/she EARNED it.

huey guns
08-12-07, 04:16 PM
Sounds like Kerry, wrote is own PH,and whatever else would push up his polictal points.

Scottyva
08-12-07, 05:05 PM
What about the very effiecent Aide-de-Camps that Generals rate? or even their drivers? This sounds like something that would happen to those that are visible to the REMFs.

crate78
08-12-07, 05:57 PM
An older cousin of my wife's got the Bronze Star as an Army First Lieutenant in Germany in WWII. All he would ever say was they gave him the Bronze Star for getting his platoon lost in the Black Forest.

I suspect his was for real, simply because he wouldn't talk about it. Most fakes feel like they have to spout off some kind of story to justify it. The cousin was a lifelong bachelor and passed away several years ago, so unless his brother has his citation, (which he hasn't admitted to) it would be hard to prove anything, now.

crate

a4ever
08-13-07, 09:53 PM
davblay,
Thanks for clearing up that it was not a buddy.