Separation Record: Campaign Credits and Decorations

[Midwestern85]

Looking for some clarity on a separation record for an artillery man of the 977th Field Artillery Battalion, Battery C.  The questions are centered around building a shadow box for this family member, so I would like the decorations to be accurate.

 

Question 1: Concerning battle/campaign credits, the image shows 5 campaigns listed.  Stantons and several other sources (such as this article: Lankford, "977th Field Artillery Battalion") list a total of 7 campaigns: Central Europe, Naples-Foggia, Rhineland, Rome-Arno, Souther France, ANZIO, AND ARDENNES-ALSACE.  Is it safe to assume that the omission of those last two campaigns are either an oversight or a lack of space in the form block?

 

Question 2: The article cited above states the 977th was part of the beach assault ("with arrowhead") of the Southern France campaign.  How can I verify this?

 

Question 3: The following decorations are cited in the separation record: American Defense Service Medal, EAME Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal.  I think additionally I can add the WWII Victory Medal, correct?

 

Question 4: The morning reports for this man indicated he was in several locations within Germany between 28-April-1945, to 17-July-1945.  I believe this meets the criteria for the Army Occupation Medal, correct?  Do I need to have this verified by some entity to properly display it?

 

Question 5: Assuming this unit does have 7 campaign credits (question 1 above), and the unit does have an arrowhead for the Southern France campaign (question 2 above), the proper way to present the EAME Service ribbon is with one silver battle star and one bronze arrowhead, correct?

 

Thank you.

[72psb]

#5-- Silver star = 5, 2 bronze stars total 7 credit. 

Your soldier may not have been with the unit during the missing campaigns.

#3--Yes

#4-- Maybe

[Midwestern85]

72psb- doesn’t the medal count as the first campaign?  So medal + silver star + bronze star= 7 credits, correct?

 

[atb]

No, the ribbon or medal with no stars simply means presence in the theater of operations with no campaign credits. Campaign and service awards are not like individual decorations.

[CinamonToastCrunch]

He doesn't have any battle star credits. It would say in the decorations and citations section the amount of battle stars he received next to the EAME medal. It only says EAME campaign medal so he wouldn't have received battle stars.