Examples of officially named U.S.
Decorations of the Vietnam War era.
A few notes on commonly asked questions.
Are all U.S. medals named? Why or why not?
No, the majority of awarded American decorations are not named to the
recipient. Generally speaking awards are named when they are mailed to the
recipient or his family or on occasion when they are awarded in a specific
ceremony. Lastly the recipient may return his awards to the government for
naming.
What is "official" naming?
Any medal named by order of a U.S. Government issuing agency can be
considered officially named. Most often that is done by the Quartermaster
Depot but medals
named by order of an area commander can also be considered officially named
though for authentication purposes they should come with accompanying
documentation. Many examples can be found of medals named in the CBI
theater during WWII and in Japan during the Occupation and the Korean War that
were officially named and presented however not done by an issuing agency such
as the Philadelphia Quartermaster Depot.
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS
Typical Marine naming for posthumous awards of the VN
period is small capital letter impressed naming with rank/name/USMC in 3-4
lines.
Two interesting
asides. 1st...a retired Marine Col. who held the unenviable position in
1963-4 of giving out USMC KIA medals related that the first medal he gave out
was hand engraved with flourishes. I believe the story and it would be
interesting to verify that. 2nd... there was a note
in one of Al Gleims auctions that stated he believed the Marines ceased naming
awards after Tet due to the large number of casualties. This has since
become 'gospel' to medal collectors, in my opinion
though this may be true for a temporary point I doubt that it is true for more
than a short period of time and have encountered at least one officially named
Posthumous group from the post-Tet period.
Shown below: Clifford A. Roberts, USMC KIA 7/9/65. Using remaining stocks of medals,
Roberts PH is a Type II WWII full wrap broach medal and came in the short Type
II case of issue.
Ralph M. Williams, USMC KIA 4/2/66.
Joe L. Ronje, USMC KIA 10/13/66
* Note that the lettering can be slightly out of alignment but this is
noticeable
only on close inspection and the letters are never hand engraved or unevenly
struck.
There are observed hearts with the naming set very low to the center and other's
with the
naming perfectly centered.
SIDNEY C. KREISHER, USMC, KIA 4/4/67
Courtesy O'Shea
A Marine Corps posthumous 1967 Silver Star / Purple Heart
pair.
The naming on the SS is identical to that on the PH.
Cpl. Curtis E Crawford
G CO, 2ND BN, 3RD MARINES, 3RD Marine Division
United States Marine Corps
13 August 1947 - 28 February 1967
UNITED STATES NAVY
Posthumous named Silver Star medal to a US Navy Hospital
Corpsman who served with M company 3rd Bn 4th Marines and was Killed in 1968 .
This is a WWII contract US Navy Silver Star with a Wrap Brooch and thick
planchet . It is properly machine engraved " Earl R./ Burnley. Jr / HN USN
" . HN Burnley was KIA May 16, 1968 at Quang Tri Province. Courtesy
O'Shea.
Posthumous Navy trio awarded for a Vietnam
action.
The following three are courtesy of Adam Rohloff.
This USN Bronze Star to Stull is posthumous.
The Commendation Medal and Purple Heart to Siow are
posthumous. Interestingly the PH is a Navy type I, with silver gilt planchet and
split wrap brooch. Siow was an enlisted man in Observation Squadron
67, flying spy missions in Laos. He was lost when his P-3 Orion went down in
January of 1968.
* Note the 'squiggle' between the rate & USN on the medals above &
below.
Air Medal to Rauscher is a non-posthumous award, so
apparently official engraving wasn't restricted to just KIA decorations.
Rauscher was a radar intercept officer in VF-14, flying off the USS Franklin D.
Roosevelt, awarded the AM in 1966.
WALTER A. CICCHIANI HM2 USN, KIA 4/30/68 CORPSMAN
Courtesy O'Shea
Lt. Commander Richard F. Collins went MIA November 22nd
1969 flying an A6A Intruder in a mission off the USS Ranger.
Below is shown Lt. Commander Collins' Purple Heart as awarded to his family in
1978 upon the Navy's finding of death changing his status from MIA to KIA.
Not the naming is in a different style than the 1960's awards and that it
reflects his MIA rate increase to Commander.
UNITED STATES AIR FORCE
Posthumous Purple Heart to USAF Pilot killed in 1965.
Officially named in a style commonly found on USAF awards.
This Air Force Silver Star was awarded to Airman Shubbuck
posthumously for an action on Jan. 16, 1966.
ROBERT M. ELLIOT, USAF, KIA 2/14/68 MIA DECLARED DEAD IN
1979, 34TH TFS
Courtesy O'Shea
This trio is named to Lt. Richard VanDegeer, an Air Force
pilot killed in 1975 in the Mayaguez Incident. The group trio is
unquestionably correct as it was sent to his family and include the original
documents. It includes possibly the only known
posthumous award of the Joint Service Commendation medal. The naming is
very atypical of what would be found and shown for example I would normally say
stay away from naming like this unless you know the source and it comes with
original documents as this group does.
1959 & 1960 awards of the USAF Distinguished Pistol
Shot medal
UNITED STATES ARMY
Col. Marian A. Tierney served in Vietnam 1966-67 as Chief
of U.S. Army Nurse Corps. She earned her Soldier's Medal in a plane crash
near An Khe in '66. The SM would have most likely been issued to her in
1967 and the Legion of Merit at a different time.
SSgt. Bobby V. Hayslip KIA 5/19/67 1st
Cavalry Division.
A slightly different than usual naming style.
JOSE C. AGUON: Silver Star, KIA 6/2/68 199th Light
Infantry.
Courtesy O'Shea
Sgt. Arthur Foxworth. The top medal is his officially
named WIA Purple Heart for wounds received 1/14/65 at LZ XRay, medal awarded
12/8/66. The second Purple Heart with the Bronze Star were awarded
posthumously. KIA 10/28/69, awarded to family 1/16/70
Roger L. Henson, KIA Dec. 1967 with the 25th
Division.
Medals issued to family in Feb. 1968.
The letters are .08 - .09 mm tall as is correct.
ROBERT D. OSIER JR. KIA 7/26/70 173RD A/B
Courtesy O'Shea
Deeper & heavier naming than usually encountered.
The Army Gold Distinguished Marksman Medal below is
officially named as presented in 1969. Courtesy Ebay.
SPECIALIST FOURTH CLASS (E-4) JOHN ANDREW JABLONSKI
COMPANY C, 6TGH BATTALION, 31ST INFANTRY, 9TH INFANTRY DIVISION
For extraordinary heroism in action on August 8, 1968, while serving as team
leader during a reconnaissance0in-force mission near Can Giuoc. HQ US ARMY
Vietnam General Order number 5752. (Dec. 17, 1968).
Family
Many posthumous awards for the Vietnam
War were awarded to the family
neatly mounted in frames. I have found nothing printed by the military
concerning this
practice however this group to Richard Knight is solid proof.
Below is the frame with Captain Knight's posthumous awards and a newspaper
account of the medals being presented to his Mother in August of 1971.
Officially named DSM to General John H. Hay, JR 1971.
U.S. COAST GUARD
A group of interest showing the variations in late
naming.
Though not strictly Vietnam related this Coast Guard
Achievement Medal to Adm. Faigle is officially named in a pattern not
normally associated with the period.
These medals are officially named as a
retirement set to General Coats around 1971-3
General Hayes' DSM for Vietnam as 1st Div.
Cmdr.
