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The Combat Infantryman Badge


Steve B.
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Again, I am separated from my regulations, and therefore cannot quote chapter and verse, however, World War Two recipients of the Combat Infantry Badge are automatically eligible for award of the Bronze Star. This authorization does not apply to those awarded the CIB since World War II.

 

The rationale behind this was as follows: By 1944 the United States was experiencing a severe man power shortage; not in terms of overall numbers serving in the Armed Forces, but rather in the Infantry alone. George Marshall attributed this to failure to predict the tremendous draw on manpower by the Army Air Forces, which even the most far sighted planners pre 1941 had not envisioned. By 1944, this shortage became critical and resulted in cancellation of the Army Scientific Training Program (freeing up soldiers being trained at US universities for technical MOS's), drafts of Army Air Force personnel being removed from training and retrained as infantry, etc. As a morale builder for the Infantry, it was decided to make qualication for the BSM on receipt of a CIB. The logic was that Army Air Force personnel were receiving the Air Medal purely on a number of hours flown, in addition to their wings.

 

This rule still applies (BUT ONLY TO WWII RECIPIENTS), and several years ago I worked on a case for a member of my VFW post. He had received the CIB for operations on the Rohr River shortly after the Bulge. His separation papers had a notation typed outside of any box on the form in the upper right hand corner that said "CIB-served as Infanryman" and dates denoting a several week time period. After those few weeks, he reverted to his usual MOS as a truck driver. The veteran told me that one day his unit was told to send a few dozen drivers up to the front to fill out combat infantry units, and after a few weeks they went back to their parent unit.

 

Of course, this fellow was getting elderly, and he had heard about these awards of the BSM, and it bothered him he had never actually received the medal. I wrote St. Louis several times explaining the situation and forwarding copies of his documentation and heard nothing. I was concerned he might die and never have received his award. By chance, that summer I was vacationing in Germany at the Armed Forces Recreation Center at Berchesgaden, where I struck up a conversation (over a few beers) with a retired Colonel who worked for OMH (Office of Military History). He said his office dealt with St Louis all the time, and when he got back to DC he would try and expedite the matter. A month or two later his medal and certificate were mailed to the veteran. Several months later he died. His family told me he was so proud that his service was finally recognized.

 

The citations for such awards read "For Meritorious Service in Combat" in the Pacific or European Theater as appropriate. Such awards are not entitled to the "V" device.

 

I agree that the Bronze Star was awarded to all World War II recipients of the Combat Infantryman Badge. However, I don't believe this was done until around 1947 so CIB holders would not have actually received the Bronze Star during the war and most of them would have been long since discharged when the regulations were changed. My grandfather earned the CIB in World War and even though he served in the National Guard and Army Reserve from 1952 until 1977, he did not know about the Bronze Star until I sent off to St. Louis for his medals in the '80s. When they arrived, there was a Bronze Star as well as a certificate for the medal indicating it was based on his award of the CIB.

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The second one is a particular favorite. A bullion embroidered CIB on Army Green backing, complete with embroidered ribbons for service in the Korean War.

post-2275-1200076167.jpg

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This CIB arrived today and I´m very pleased with it.

 

Like some opinions and can any body determine the era? WW2 I hope

 

Regards

 

Karsten

post-2146-1200161074.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...
The second one is a particular favorite. A bullion embroidered CIB on Army Green backing, complete with embroidered ribbons for service in the Korean War.

 

 

That is a great story regarding the veteran receiving his BSM.

 

I intend to delve into collecting the CIB, this has been a very informative post...and I suppose it will become expensive!!

 

buy! Buy! BUY!

 

Jeff

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Theoretically, what is the most multiple awards of either the Combat Infantry or Combat Medic Badges that a soldier may qualify for? I believe that it is four - World War II, Korea (1950-1953), Vietnam Era (Vietnam through Somalia including post 1953-Korea) and Global War on Terrorism. If that is correct, what was the rationale for lumping so many different conflicts (Vietnam, Laos, Dom. Rep., Grenada, Panama, Gulf War I, Somalia, etc.) into one qualifying period. Also, if the information I have read is correct, those CIB's with gold borders and stars for something like the 5th through 8th awards that you sometimes see for sale were manufactured during the early part of the Cold War when it was thought we would have numerous conflicts. Why did the Army back off on making those awards? Any thoughts?

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I think there is at least one other group: WWII, Korea, Vietnam, 1980s-2000, and GWOT. Guys that were in Gulf War I and then OEF/OIF wear 1 star.

 

It seems the 'smaller conflicts' are grouped together due to the relatively short period of time they went on.

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craig_pickrall

The most anyone has ever received is 3. I think the rules for awarding them is buried in the thread linked below but it will take some looking to find them. Most of the small, quick wars after Vietnam fall in the same time period for awarding the CIB so you basically have WW2, Korea and Vietnam as the 3 award periods. Now with the war in the mid-east there is another award period but no one from WW2 and Korea has a chance at one of those. There is a fresh new crop of double awardees in the system now.

 

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/ind...p?showtopic=379

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Here's a link to The Institute of Heraldry's CIB page: http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/Badges/C...rymanBadges.htm

 

and the CMB page: http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/Badges/C...dicalBadges.htm

 

The rules & award periods are essentially identical.

 

The official reason for the long "Vietnam" period is unknown to me, but I personally believe that they were waiting for a "real" war before they authorized another award period and ended up waiting too long.

 

99.9% of the 5th through 8th CIBs for sale are fakes/repros. I believe the same is essentially true for 4th awards, but some "real" ones may be in production even if no one currently is authorized to wear one.

 

Steve

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I have these two EIB but I´m not sure what era they are from?

 

I´m pretty sure the Sterling is a ww2/Korean but don´t know with the T21 stamped, other than it looks much newer.

 

All opinions and comments are very welcome.

 

Best Regards

 

Karsten

post-2146-1201520561.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...
Here's a link to The Institute of Heraldry's CIB page: http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/Badges/C...rymanBadges.htm

 

and the CMB page: http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/Badges/C...dicalBadges.htm

 

The rules & award periods are essentially identical.

 

The official reason for the long "Vietnam" period is unknown to me, but I personally believe that they were waiting for a "real" war before they authorized another award period and ended up waiting too long.

 

99.9% of the 5th through 8th CIBs for sale are fakes/repros. I believe the same is essentially true for 4th awards, but some "real" ones may be in production even if no one currently is authorized to wear one.

 

Steve[/quote

 

Actually, this is NOT true. There are some real sample pieces of the METAL ones in gilt that came as sames from Army sources, and they are few and far between. However, the cloth examples are readily available at $5-10 on HBT. They are real, and came out in surplus quantities in the 70s. They are not desireable, and not faked.

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I like it a lot. Not fake. I'm guessing from the 1950's. The pinback is very unusual. No clue as to where it was made. The badge itself looks US-made, but the pinback style suggests a foreign maker (German?).

Whatever it is, great CIB!

Kurt

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Thank you, it is already a beginning.

The seller was just me no information, since he had no idea that he has it as a badge Russian Sold because of the star on top :rolleyes:

 

Sandro

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IMPERIAL QUEST
... since he had no idea that he has it as a badge Russian Sold because of the star on top :rolleyes:

 

Sandro

 

Now that is funny....

 

Nice badge.

 

Welcome to the forum. ;)

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