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DO YOU HAVE ALL OF YOUR AWARDS? |
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DO YOU HAVE ALL OF YOUR AWARDS? |
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ABOUT VETERANS SKYTROOPERS HOMEPAGE
| Many men and women who served in the military may be
entitled to medals they don't know about. You may have read or seen news reports of
veterans who received medals several years after their discharge from the military.
Sometimes it may have been due to lost paperwork about a heroic action or citations
awarded by the president or congress long after a war. Even though long overdue some have
received awards of a bronze star for bravery, a purple heart, unit citations and very
rarely, even the medal of honor. Those who never got their medals still may request them - as may the next of kin of a deceased veteran. You will need to send the vet's full name, service number, branch of military, dates of service and signature (or that of next of kin). Be specific, if possible, about the medals you are requesting. If possible use the proper forms. Contact the local service officer of a veteran organization such Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, Vietnam Veterans of America, etc. for assistance. When I returned, Vietnam veterans were coming home to a nation that was very divided about the war. I didn't know what kind of reception to expect and had often heard of veterans who had garbage thrown at them or other degrading treatment. At the airport I was greeted by my wife, five month old baby girl, my brother and his wife. Fortunately we did not have a bad experience and were mostly ignored. With very vivid memories of the hardship of combat and the feelings many had toward Vietnam veterans, I did not wear my uniform in my home town. When a close friend came to visit, I gave him my medals. Years later I wanted my children to know I had served my country honorably and have my medals to hand down to them someday. I wrote to the National Personnel Records Center and after two months received a reply that they had received my request and it would be processed as soon as possible. After several more months, I had decided that it was lost in the paper shuffle and gone forever. Finally, a large envelope arrived with the citations that had a particular medal embossed near the top with the description of why the medal was awarded and the appropriate signatures at the bottom. About a month after that the actual medals came and now I had all of my U.S. Army medals again. An enclosed letter mentioned any foreign awards would have to be obtained from military surplus or other sources and only one re-issue of medals was allowed. It took over six months but now I had something to pass on to my children. My wife's father had served in the Navy during World War 2 and was able to get some of his medals replaced. She presented them to him by surprise one day and we could tell he was thrilled to get them. It wasn't very long afterward that he passed away. I may have been very fortunate as others have sent in requests, waited patiently and never heard or received anything. If you decide to make a request for replacement of your military awards and decorations, I would recommend getting assistance from a veteran service organization. They will know the proper forms to use and how to fill them out. I also think you will have a better chance with the backing of a known veteran organization. Military medals and patches may also be purchased from some civilian businesses. One such source is listed here: The Battlezone |
