where can I obtain a certificate of a medal?

[BOTTLEDZ28]

I have a few medals that have been awarded to me that I cannot seem to locate the actual award for anymore. Over the years and a few houses later, they have gone missing. Is there a website out there that can help me out. The awards I need new certificates for are:

Humanitarian Service
Joint Meritorious Unit
National Defense Service

all thress of these are in my DD214 form.

I am not 100% sure if I actually recieved an award for these since it has been some time and I have quite a few. These may have been issued to an entire unit I was with and for that, I may not have been given a personal award. I dont remember but I just need to know if there is a site out there that offers new ""copies" of the award certificates

[Native Warrior]

You can either submit a request in writing to the National Personnel Records Center with your Full Name, SSN, years of service, and branch of service asking for verification of the awards that you are entitled to. You are also authorized a replacement of medals or ribbons and any authorization directives that are maintained.

Address for snail mail:

National Personnel Records Center, Military Personnel Records 9700 Page Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63132- 5100

Or you can go online and request verification at:

http://www.va.gov/vaforms

I've made several requests over the years and within 4 to 6 weeks, I've received any replacements or new awards requested.

Hope this helps and good luck

[BOTTLEDZ28]

Thanks, I just tooka peek at that site. You wouldnt happen to know which form it is called would you. There are so many.

[SSgtOfMarines]

You don't get citations for unit or campaign awards/medals.

[BOTTLEDZ28]

Thats what I thought. I had a feeling that some of the awards I have where never presented to me but rather just "added to my SRB". I just could not remember. Thanks

[thewookie]

So, I have a question. Well, two. I had a fire years ago and I lost a lot of my original awards (specifically speaking about personal ones) can I request a copy of the actual award citation of those personal awards lost from this link provided?

I'm also missing a medal, maybe two from being listed on my DD-214, one that I know for sure is the 3rd NAM that I got right before I got out, at the time I didn't care if it was in there or not cause I was going home. The other one is a NMUC that I found out later that my unit was awarded while I was there, and I think/know I rated it while I was there (MCSFTC). I spoke to someone about the missing "stuff" on my DD-214 and I have a DD-215 "request" out there trying to rectify that.

But seeing this makes me think I might also be able to get a copy of the actual award citations (the write up) for the 3 NAM's I got?

Thanks for any help!
Semper Fi

[Native Warrior]

Standard Form 180, “Request Pertaining To Military Records", will get you a copy of your SRB that should include the awards and citations page. On this page you'll be able to see what awards were put...

[thewookie]

Nice, thanks Sgt. Hunt!

[crate78]

To file an appeal or determine eligiblity, use DD Form 149. If you go to Google and type in "DD Form 149" it will come up so you can print it out.

[Sgt Leprechaun]

Believe it or not, you can, in fact, get the citations for your unit awards. The unit historian (usually an officer collateral duty job, or in the S-1 shop) is supposed to keep copies of those citations. More recent ones will, in fact, be there. Older ones will have been sent with other 'historical' records away from the unit.

All you have to do is locate the unit, and simply ask for a copy. If the unit has a website, sometimes the award citation will be posted there.

For the Humanitarian Service Medal, these are awarded for specific actions (Hurricane relief, for example) and a list of those actions can be located here: (It's an army site, but it's about the most comprehensive one I've seen). Also, the HSM, while awarded to units/ships, is supposed to be an 'individual' award.

http://webpages.charter.net/usaihp/humsvops.html

Also, there is no certificate or document for the HSM.

[thewookie]

Another question, what's the difference between a MUC and NMUC or is it the same thing? From that listing that Sgt. Hunt put up I can confirm the MUC, at least one.

And Sgt. Lep., thanks for that additional info, I bet I can contact the S-1 shop at the Training Company down in Chesapeake and get a copy, even a "duplicate" of the NAM I left there with? Sentimental type of thing. I was able to get Bill Rogers to send me a new certificate from his school that I went to. Good stuff thanks!

[Sgt Leprechaun]

You are welcome!

The NMUC is the 'new' name for the same ribbon/award.

[Doc Hickman]

So am I reading this correctly in thinking that they will actually go through my records and let me know of any awards that I am entitled to, even if it's one that I wasn't aware of while I was in?

[jerryd6818]

So am I reading this correctly in thinking that they will actually go through my records and let me know of any awards that I am entitled to, even if it's one that I wasn't aware of while I was in?

That's the way it's supposed to work but don't expect the process to be 100% accurate.

Example: When I got out, I had the National Defense medal, Viet Nam Service medal (no campaign stars) and Good Conduct Medal.

Years later, I found out, through renewed contact with guys I was in Viet Nam with, that I rated more awards.
+ Three campaign stars for the Viet Nam Service medal
+ Presidential Unit Citation
+ Republic of Viet Nam Campaign Medal
+ Vietnam Civil Action Unit Citation
+ Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation

I filled out a SF-180 and mailed it with a copy of my DD-214.

I received a copy of my SRB and medical records, though the medical records were not complete. A year and a half later, I received my updated awards. Only two of the missing awards were there, the Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Viet Nam Campaign Medal.

I know I rate the others because one of the guys I went over with and came back with sent a copy of his DD-215 to me and they're all on it. Now I have to do it again and wait another year and a half just to get the campaign stars and those two foreign awards put on my DD-215.

The Few. The Proud.
Jerry D.

[Quinbo]

There is copies of meritorious masts and the write up for my NAM and all that other stuff in my microfishe. The trick now days is to find a place that still has a microfishe reader. Every page of your SRB should also be in there.

[Doc Hickman]

microfishe? were in the hell did you get that at?

[Doc Hickman]

Where did you get a copy on microfishe? I know that a lot of geneology(sp) centers have viewers in them, maybe some old libraries.

[Quinbo]

Now this isn't all that long ago. In 98 I signed a letter that stated I requested a copy of my microfishe along with my DD-214. You can still to this day request a copy of your microfishe.

[Native Warrior]

most public libraries or a community college will have the reader that prints. Sometimes the output is a little darker, so you have to adjust the brightness to get a good readable copy. It also depends on the quality of the original, if it's old and faded when it's scanned in, then your output will be fuzzy.