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Out of Stock?


illibov
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Greetings,

 

I hope this message finds you well. I have posted a couple messages on this board over the last year or so regarding the military history of my granfathers. One served in the Pacific (Navy) during World War Two and the other served in Europe (Army). I've been able to send away for replacement medals and ribbons for my father's father who served on the USS Bennion. It was not a speedy process, but the Navy came through and sent me all the replacement medals which I'm planning on putting together into a shadowbox display. I sent the request for my mother's father's medals at the same time. It took about 9 months before I heard from anyone, and there was a good deal of back and forth with the officials at the Army Human Resources regarding the award documentation. It's been more than a month since we get everything squared away and my request was sent to a different office in Philadelphia to actually send me the medals. I've been able to check the status online and am given the following message:

 

Your request contains awards which are currently not in stock. As soon as inventory is replenished, we will complete your request. However, we can not estimate an approximate ship date at this time. We apologize for this delay.

The medals that should be coming are the Bronze Star Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the American Campaign Medal, the EAME Campaign Medal, the World War II Victory Medal, and the Army Occupation Medal. None of these seems that it should be particularly rare or difficult to source. Does anyone know why these might be out of stock at an office whose job it is to supply them? Is there some other way to speed up the process? Is this a normal wait time for replacement medals of a World War II veteran? I am only being impatient because I'd like to get a display put together while my grandmother is still living. Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

Peace,

Dave

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Hi Dave,

I recommend writing you congressmen and senators and have them pose the question to the military. I think that will motivate them to get off their fourth point of contact (butt for non-airborne types) and get the medals.

Regards,

John

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What was your mother's father's name? Possible there is an award he is entitled that is not identified.

 

His name was Evert VanderRoest. He never talked about his service during the war. As a member of the 303rd Medical Battalion, I imagine that he saw some things that he would not really want to think about again. When he died about 10 years ago, the only thing that we had to go on were the discharge papers that he saved. I worked pretty closely with the 78th Infantry Division association's historian. The only things on his discharge papers were the American and EAME campaign ribbons, the Good Conduct Medal, and the WWII Victory Medal. He helped me successfully work out the entitlement to all the others. Is there anything else to which he might have been entitled?

 

Peace,

Dave

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Hi Dave,

I recommend writing you congressmen and senators and have them pose the question to the military. I think that will motivate them to get off their fourth point of contact (butt for non-airborne types) and get the medals.

Regards,

John

 

Thanks, John. I may just try that.

 

--dave--

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Dave,

 

He must have earned the Combat Medical Badge and/or the Combat Infantryman badge. Have you read the citation for his BSM?

 

Robert

 

His name was Evert VanderRoest. He never talked about his service during the war. As a member of the 303rd Medical Battalion, I imagine that he saw some things that he would not really want to think about again. When he died about 10 years ago, the only thing that we had to go on were the discharge papers that he saved. I worked pretty closely with the 78th Infantry Division association's historian. The only things on his discharge papers were the American and EAME campaign ribbons, the Good Conduct Medal, and the WWII Victory Medal. He helped me successfully work out the entitlement to all the others. Is there anything else to which he might have been entitled?

 

Peace,

Dave

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He must have earned the Combat Medical Badge and/or the Combat Infantryman badge. Have you read the citation for his BSM?

 

He did earn the CMB and that was the basis for the award of the Bronze Star Medal.

 

Peace,

Dave

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