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Distinguished Service Medal Question


vinnie2206
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I requested the American Campaign Medal and the Distinguished Unit Badge - (Now called the Presidential Unit Citation) - as replacement medals, for my father, from the National Personnel Records Center. They responded with a letter stating that they were authorizing shipment of American Campaign Medal and Distinguished Service Medal - (Based on information i provided or in his records).

 

I contacted them twice by online status request with comments, to which they replied that they do not replace badges. I then spoke to someone on the phone and asked if they authorized the DSM in place of the DUB. He said he couldn't say that but that there was something in his records to justify it. I told him that he never was awarded the DSM to my knowledge and never wore that ribbon. He said it could also be something in regs after his military service - (he is deceased, by the way).

 

My question is , Can the National Personnel Records Center authorize my father to have that medal now ? I just don't want to include it in a shadow box if it is not verified !!

 

Thanks to anyone who responds in advance.

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Have you looked up your father in the Military Times Hall of Valor or on the Legion of Valor data base. If he is not in either one of those data bases as having a DSM I think one of the clerks at NPRC made a typo.

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For what it is worth, it might help to know at least when your Dad served and with which branch of the service ... at certain points, regs seem to differ with respect to awards.

 

Dale

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The folks at St. Louis are hardly experts in awards and decorations - of any period or any service. I have a small group that consists of a DSM and Air Medal, both officially named and replaced by St. Louis based on their reading of the records. A knowledgeable reading of the same records shows that the NCO was actually awarded a DFC and Air Medal and his bomb group received a Distinguished Unit Citation. Maybe the request was filled on a Friday afternoon and the technician was in a hurry to get home.

 

Awards are not approved by the technicians at St. Louis. That requires general orders from some military organization, and those are fairly comprehensive.

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In response to rtepak6 - His service was from 1942 to 1948 in the USAAF in the american campaign and the european african middle eastern campaign Panatella Italy. Also 1948 to 1969 in the USAF in Okinawa, Yakota Japan and Africa until eventually AAFB. NCOIC from 1958 to 1969. He was Master Sergeant in WWII and was both crew chief and Line chief in bomber squadrons and had flying status in Korea eventually reaching chief master sergeant when the super grades came out. Also had secret clearence level.

 

In response to usmedalman - I tried looking him up in the data bases you suggested without much luck, but those data bases are ongoing and incomplete from what i read. Also, again, I was unaware of him ever being awarded that decoration when he was active in the service and i have a copy of his records from nprc. The representitive from nprc did say that it could be something that changed post service as well. I am pretty sure that meeting the criteria for that award can be accrued over time in multiple positions. If that has any bearing.

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For what it is worth, it might help to know at least when your Dad served and with which branch of the service ... at certain points, regs seem to differ with respect to awards.

 

Dale

 

In response to rtepak6 - His service was from 1942 to 1948 in the USAAF in the american campaign and the european african middle eastern campaign Panatella Italy. Also 1948 to 1969 in the USAF in Okinawa, Yakota Japan and Africa until eventually AAFB. NCOIC from 1958 to 1969. He was Master Sergeant in WWII and was both crew chief and Line chief in bomber squadrons and had flying status in Korea eventually reaching chief master sergeant when the super grades came out. Also had secret clearence level.

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Have you looked up your father in the Military Times Hall of Valor or on the Legion of Valor data base. If he is not in either one of those data bases as having a DSM I think one of the clerks at NPRC made a typo.

 

In response to usmedalman - I tried looking him up in the data bases you suggested without much luck, but those data bases are ongoing and incomplete from what i read. Also, again, I was unaware of him ever being awarded that decoration when he was active in the service and i have a copy of his records from nprc. The representitive from nprc did say that it could be something that changed post service as well. I am pretty sure that meeting the criteria for that award can be accrued over time in multiple positions. If that has any bearing.

 

Also, I inquired as to if it could have been in error and the rep said he did not believe so.

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