Marksman Posted May 12, 2015 Share #1 Posted May 12, 2015 Hello, never saw such a light and crude NDSM before - it almost feels like aluminium Maker marked CN-GI (Columbia Button and Nailhead Corp.) Greetings Stefan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marksman Posted May 12, 2015 Author Share #2 Posted May 12, 2015 2# Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marksman Posted May 12, 2015 Author Share #3 Posted May 12, 2015 crude Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McDermut99 Posted May 12, 2015 Share #4 Posted May 12, 2015 With a National Defense medal it wouldn't surprise me if it were of relatively poor quality. Almost every (if not every) American military service personnel received this medal since it has been established. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Ragan Posted May 12, 2015 Share #5 Posted May 12, 2015 Many who served in the 50's didn't qualify because their service did not fit the dates required. If service all occurred between 28 July 1954 and 31 Dec. 1960, you didn't get the NDSM. I think there was a time in the late 1970's into the 1980's when this medal was not awarded. Someone will need to verify those dates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeff arthur Posted May 12, 2015 Share #6 Posted May 12, 2015 Hello Stefan,I have one of these CN-GI National Defense Service Medals,they date from late Vietnam Conflict,somehow they passed Government inspection for meeting the contract specifications ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12A54 Posted May 12, 2015 Share #7 Posted May 12, 2015 Many who served in the 50's didn't qualify because their service did not fit the dates required. If service all occurred between 28 July 1954 and 31 Dec. 1960, you didn't get the NDSM. I think there was a time in the late 1970's into the 1980's when this medal was not awarded. Someone will need to verify those dates. Regardless, it remains the most commonly awarded US medal of all. 6.8 million who served during the Korean War Era and 9 million during the Vietnam Era earned the NDSM. In the early 90s (Desert Storm Era) 1.8 million earned it. And many more have earned it since then. Way more than any other US service or campaign medal.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capa Posted May 12, 2015 Share #8 Posted May 12, 2015 I missed out on it: 1983-87. I knew I was special! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marksman Posted May 12, 2015 Author Share #9 Posted May 12, 2015 Thanks all, I just wonder how this medal passed thru the inspection. The medal is to modern for me so i Put it in my Box. I dint remember that i ever Saw such a light medal. Greetings Stefan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BROBS Posted May 12, 2015 Share #10 Posted May 12, 2015 some (most) modern or semi modern US medals are of very poor quality. -Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marksman Posted May 12, 2015 Author Share #11 Posted May 12, 2015 Long time ago since i had a modern us medal in my Hand - maybe thats why im so shocked now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyboy53 Posted May 14, 2015 Share #12 Posted May 14, 2015 Sometimes quality is exchanged for necessary quantity in a short span of time. As for most commonly awarded medal, since when. I had served in the Air Force 13 years before I earned it for Desert Storm. Certainly it is one of the oldest continually awarded service medals; now four times since created by General Dwight Eisenhower in the 1950s. but...wait for it...wasn't that his intention in creating the NDSM -- one common "blanket campaign" medal awarded for multiple designated periods. I know plenty of people who served their county honorably and never received this medal. I know others for whom this or a unit award ribbon was all they received during their period of service...and they treasure this medal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BEAST Posted May 14, 2015 Share #13 Posted May 14, 2015 Currently this is a common medal, but when I joined in 1982 only Vietnam era vets wore this and by the 80's these were getting rare to see at the battalion level and below. And this was on active duty. This medal was not authorized for the reserves/National Guard during Vietnam, so only those who served on AD during Vietnam or Korea were authorized the medal, so they were even more uncommon in the reserves. Also, I believe this medal is the modern day equivalent to the WWII American Campaign Medal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12A54 Posted May 14, 2015 Share #14 Posted May 14, 2015 Allow me to clarify: 6.8 million who served during the Korean War Era and 9 million during the Vietnam Era earned the NDSM. In the early 90s (Desert Storm Era) 1.8 million earned it. During Korea (the first eligibility period was 27 Jun '50 to 27 July '54) the total number of US Servicemembers worldwide ('50-'53) was 5,270,000. (Of those, 1,789,000 served in theater.) It is correct that RC were not eligible during this period. The Vietnam era for the NDSM was 1 Jan '61 to 14 Aug '74. From 1964 to 1975, 8,744,000 served worldwide (and 3,403,000 deployed to SEA). The Desert Storm eligibility was 2 Aug '90 to 30 Nov '95. Eligibility included reserve components. Total servicemembers worldwide was 2,322,000 (and 694,550 deployed to the Gulf). The current eligibility period is 11 Sep '01 - and is still open to everyone including reserve components and even some cadets. I don't know how many total have served (active and reserve) since 2001, but it's a huge number. Current servicemember population snapshot is 2,212,635 - each of whom is eligible for the NDSM. Bottom line - the NDSM may not have been "common" when BEAST and Flyboy53 came on active duty, but suddenly in Aug '90 1.8 million were awarded.... And again on 11 Sep '01. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firefighter Posted May 15, 2015 Share #15 Posted May 15, 2015 I missed it by 4 years.Got out in '86 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulR Posted May 20, 2015 Share #16 Posted May 20, 2015 There is no way that this is an official US striking of the medal. The standards are much higher, even today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RustyCanteen Posted May 20, 2015 Share #17 Posted May 20, 2015 It's real; I have seen them straight from vets who received them in the early 1970s. Just not the best finish on the edges. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marksman Posted May 20, 2015 Author Share #18 Posted May 20, 2015 Thats what i though to - but it seem its all legit. Thank you all for the nice replies! I learnd every day here in the forum! Greetings Stefan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulR Posted May 21, 2015 Share #19 Posted May 21, 2015 It's real; I have seen them straight from vets who received them in the early 1970s. Just not the best finish on the edges. Are the versions you saw made from the lightweight metal described above? I am glad that they did not continue to use that technique. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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