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Trying to figure out these awards....


spartanhonor559
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spartanhonor559

Hey everyone. I am new to the forum, but I am trying to put together some shadow boxes for all my family members who served. My father was one of those and I do have his DD-214. I know they sometimes leave military awards off the DD-214 as they did mine and my grandfathers. So before my dad passed, he bought all the awards he claimed to of had and gave them to me for a shadowbox. However, out of all the awards he handed me, I can only find 3 of them. The other 3 seem to be non-existent military awards. Me and him did not have a good relationship and as such I believe he may have lied about some of these. If anyone can help identify them, thanks for your help.

 

The 3 I was able to identify and have been removed from the pictures are:

National Defense Service Medal

Vietnam Service Medal

Cold War Medal

 

If any of this info will help you in determining these, here you go.

Branch: US Navy

Dates: 05/30/1972 - 01/21/1977

Rate and Rank: PH3 (Photographers Mate 3rd Class) and TMSA (Torpedoeman Seaman Apprentice)

Ship: USS America and USS L. Y. Spear

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Cobra 6 Actual

Some of these I believe are commemorative medals. Take a look at this site: https://www.usamm.com/collections/commemorative-medals/vietnam

 

Also the Cold War Victory Medal was issued as a certificate. I think the medal ribbon is also considered a commemorative. (The states of Louisiana and Texas, however, actually issued a medal.)

 

P.S. - And, yes, sometimes, unfortunately, awards and decorations are left off of DD-214’s.

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spartanhonor559
14 minutes ago, Cobra 6 Actual said:

Some of these I believe are commemorative medals. Take a look at this site: https://www.usamm.com/collections/commemorative-medals/vietnam

 

Also the Cold War Victory Medal was issued as a certificate. I think the medal ribbon is also considered a commemorative. (The states of Louisiana and Texas, however, actually issued a medal.)

 

P.S. - And, yes, sometimes, unfortunately, awards and decorations are left off of DD-214’s.

And you were right. I found them. All of the remaining ribbons were commemorative awards

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Cobra 6 Actual

Cool. You’ve solved the mystery. That site, USAMM, and the other, Medals of America, are the primary purveyors of commemorative and official medals.

 

And since commemorative medals are unofficial, you are correct that they would not be worn on a uniform nor issued by the military.

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The first ribbon, the orange one with the green borders, is the Dutch War Remembrance Cross (Oorlogsherinneringskruis). Officially given to a handfull of US miltary personell.

Unofficially and totally incorrectly worn by a lot of US personell as a Commemorative medal. 

 

Below is an example with the ribbon folded in a U shape,  the so called typical Dutch military way.

 

Regards

Herman 

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