Attention Viet Nam Veterans

[FistFu68]

Whats this We Chit I don't know You from Jack Chit like too keep it that way Savvy

[manilalaguna29]

I believe the ribbon she is talking about is the Vietnam gallantry cross w/palm unit citation. This was awarded to all who served in Vietnam as was the civic action ribbon. The gallantry cross with palm is a different award and was awarded to individuals. No Marines were awarded the Vietnamese Presidential unit citation during the Vietnam war 1961 - 1975.

[b2542]

as far as the RVN PUC goes I believe you can only wear it if you were a member of the US Military advisory Group during the months of Aug - Sept 1954

[IGNACIO CASTIL]

Some of you old jarheads that served in nam in 66-67,there were alot of support units that served with the grunt (mud marines) units.My question is that alot of those units were awarded the CAR.I know that there is a web site that shows all the units that recieved the PUC and NUC.If anybody knows,I would like to hear from you.

Semper FI-----Ignacio

[manilalaguna29]

The CAR is an individual award and was not awarded to units. It wasn't approved until 1969. During the Gulf War and current hostilities, it has been awarded to Navy ships. It can be issued to individuals retroactive to 1941 who meet the criteria.

[ggyoung]

Some units offices were not very good at putting things in ones SRB>

[IGNACIO CASTIL]

Your right that a lot of our ribbons were not put in to our SRB'S.Now we are having a hard time to have them put into our 214.When we went to Nam in 66,we stoped in Okinawa left our entire sea bags there,when we came back 13 months later we were given a complete set of every thing we had in that sea bag.They put on all our ribbons on our greens.35 years later some of those ribbons are not in my 214.I'm 62 years now,where am I going to find some body that served with me in Nam.What a mess.

[Riven37]

You can be in combat and never get the CAR did you know that...same for the PH you can get wounded in combat and never get it...all depends on your unit.

The CAR is an individual award and was not awarded to units. It wasn't approved until 1969. During the Gulf War and current hostilities, it has been awarded to Navy ships. It can be issued to individuals retroactive to 1941 who meet the criteria.

[Riven37]

We relied on one Office Poogie sitting inside the Battalion CP typing up in our SRB's while reading after action reports of the day...how many LT's did you see sitting down writing into his little book after a fire fight I never did, when would he find the time. Most of the time he wrote things down long after coming back in, hours later, memories from the human mind are unreliable ever 30 minuets, the mind makes changes to the events.

Your right that a lot of our ribbons were not put in to our SRB'S.Now we are having a hard time to have them put into our 214.When we went to Nam in 66,we stoped in Okinawa left our entire sea bags there,when we came back 13 months later we were given a complete set of every thing we had in that sea bag.They put on all our ribbons on our greens.35 years later some of those ribbons are not in my 214.I'm 62 years now,where am I going to find some body that served with me in Nam.What a mess.

[ggyoung]

You can be in combat and never get the CAR did you know that...same for the PH you can get wounded in combat and never get it...all depends on your unit.

In 1965 Col. Fisher (the Bull) of 2/4 had a standing order that you have to be in a Bn. Aid station for 3 days before he wound sign off on a PH. Yet some other Bn. all you had to do was to get a bloody nose to get the PH.

[FistFu68]

You mean like that Gunny Ermy Hollywood Marine

[HST]

You can be in combat and never get the CAR did you know that...same for the PH you can get wounded in combat and never get it...all depends on your unit.

Man, thats no s*it. I remenber when the rumor that an officers fitness report would be down if a lot of guys under his command got the PH. I saw officers come out to the LZ and pull tags off of guys who were dinged, and tell tghem to get the F8ck back to their units, threaten them with a cm for malingering or a self inflicted wound... but let some lifer get three schatches and it was three PH's with maybe a bronze kicker. Fact is most of this stuff is bullsh*t, some of the bravest, baddest dudes I ever saw got nothing, especially if they didn't take sh*t from the lifers.

[FistFu68]

I know 3 former Lt's from my Company that wrote each other Up for Silver Stars and got them for an Op we were on.But when the Chit was hitting the Fan they were Leading from the Rear had too pry them outta the Trench Line Us Peons got not a thing but Chit Burning Detail after the Op.These 3 Chickenchits are still alive,they do not Communicate with any of Us Survivors Just themselves.Better that way Might Get Drunk and Run over the Bastards with my Truck

[ggyoung]

That is why it is sooooooooooooooo hard for enlisted to get any medals

[Zulu 36]

My father told me the criteria for a PH during WWII (or at least in the 6th Marines) was your enemy caused wound had to be treated at the BAS and you had to spend at least 24-hours under medical care. Dad said had he turned into the BAS every time he was wounded, he could have potentially received over 12 Purple Hearts.

However, he just fixed himself, got a buddy, or the platoon Corpsman to do it. The only time he was evacuated to the BAS was for a concussion suffered when his patrol was struck by "friendly" naval 5" gunfire. Luckily, he was the only one hurt and was back in action in a couple of days. No PH as it was "friendly fire."

Funny thing is he spent about four-months in a Naval Hospital back in the States having hundreds of tiny pieces of Japanese fragmentation taken out of his hide, but still no PH since there was no BAS record of his wounds.

He didn't really seem to care. I guess making it through Saipan and Tinian alive was good enough for him.