Now here is a believe it or not story

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Now here is a believe it or not story

Post by Niner » Tue Mar 22, 2022 10:37 am

Apparently it is true:
Group portrait of soldiers from D Company, 6th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (6RAR), display the dolls and cigarette-cases presented to them by the South Vietnamese government for their part in the Battle of Long Tan on 1966-08-18. "The government of South Vietnam realised that this battle was significant and wished to award decorations to the Australians involved. But at almost the last moment, with the ceremony already arranged and those attending it already in place, word was received from Australia that the traditional policy of non-acceptance of foreign awards was to be observed. This was embarrassing both to the Vietnamese and to the Australians, and a compromise was reached. The Australians paraded and were presented with dolls in Vietnamese national dress, and also cigarette-cases and lighters. ... It says much for the often-maligned Vietnamese that they went ahead with the ceremony, persisting in observing the spirit of honouring their allies." Front row, left to right: Private (Pte) Noel Grimes of Stuart Town, NSW; Pte Allen May of Wynnum, Qld; Pte Bill (Yank) Akell of Townsville, Qld; Pte Neil Bextrum of Perth, WA; Lance Corporal (LCpl) Bill Roche of Narrandera, NSW. Back row: Second Lieutenant Geoff Kendall of Underdale, SA; Sergeant Bob Buick of Brisbane, Qld; Pte Geoff Peters of Yagoona, Sydney, NSW; Corporal Bill (Bluey) Moore of Stafford Heights, Qld; LCpl Barry Magnussen of Aspley, Qld; Pte Ian Campbell of Murwillumbah, NSW. (Quote from "The Battle of Long Tan" by Lex McAulay).
https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C281863
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Re: Now here is a believe it or not story

Post by Aughnanure » Tue Mar 22, 2022 6:23 pm

I’d believe it and also the miserable attitude of Australia in regard to foreign awards, many of us have a medal from the Korean Government which we defiantly wear with our service ribbons.
Pte Ian Campbell, 2nd row, right, is a distant relative but I’ve never met him.

Foreign awards, when allowed, are supposed to be worn on the right breast, as it has become the custom to wear a deceased parent’s medals on that side there can be some confusion.

I was on a Battalion parade where the US Ambassador awarded the Bronz Star to a Sergeant (whose name I forget) for his actions in Korea, among other things he fired his Bren gun at what he thought was a concealed fox hole and by some fluke of war blew up a tank!!
Last edited by Aughnanure on Tue Mar 22, 2022 6:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Now here is a believe it or not story

Post by Niner » Tue Mar 22, 2022 6:44 pm

All US troops got a medal from the Vietnamese...or at least the orders for one. It was the lowest ranked value and accordingly the last ribbon on the dress uniform....but allowed by the US military. There were other Vietnamese medals or campaign ribbons given to some American troops.
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Re: Now here is a believe it or not story

Post by Niner Delta » Tue Mar 22, 2022 9:14 pm

I have the same except you beat me by a Bronze Star, don't have one of those. (but my ARCOM has 2 V device)
I think we are also authorized to wear the VN Cross of Gallantry (cool name) and the VN Civil or Civic Action Medal.
But it was years ago I looked it up, so maybe I'm wrong.


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Re: Now here is a believe it or not story

Post by Niner » Tue Mar 22, 2022 9:53 pm

There are some campaign ribbons from the US that we both would be eligible for from being in the same Division. They would be worn over the other pocket. You may have been eligible for Division or battalion awards I didn't get because you got there earlier and left ahead of me and then I probably could get something for the time I was there that you weren't. There are some Vietnamese ones we both would have gotten some of as well as the US ribbons. I don't have any of the "authorized but not issued campaign ribbons or medals". I got a second actual Arcom medal issued to me, no V, on my way out of Vietnam ...but I never got the orders. Guess when they handed out medals like malaria pills they probably had rules like ....one to a customer and stopped the orders when they realized I already had one. I had an arcom from six months earlier with no V either. The only one I'm proud of is the Air Medal. You had to have made at least 25 combat insertions by air to get one of them....and a clerk had to have kept track. You and I both had several times 25 insertions because of Eagle Flights.

The sadist thing about medals is how meaningless most of them actually are to the issuing source. I have a friend who did a tour in Vietnam with an MOS that didn't include a combat designation. He got no medals at all but the been there US Vietnam medal. Not even a frigging Arcom for "meritorious service". He did get a good conduct medal before he got out of the Army....I almost forgot that one. He has an I love me medal display on his den wall at home just the same and it is all Divisional campaign medals and Vietnam thank you medals presented to the Division he served in. Talk about not feeling the love....or is it many old soldiers need to feel like they were heroes for some reason.
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Re: Now here is a believe it or not story

Post by Niner Delta » Wed Mar 23, 2022 6:17 pm

There were paperwork errors too. I still have the paper orders for 3 ARCOMs, 2 with V and 1 without. But only one with V showed
up on my DD-214, and all three have my SS number wrong by one digit. No idea why one is on there but not the other two.
Who knows if it was the clerk in Nam or the clerk at Oakland at discharge? Actually, nobody cares....... :lol:
I forgot to mention that this was during the time the Army was transitioning from service numbers to SS numbers, so all the orders
had both numbers on them. They have since gone away from using SS numbers I think.

Was just looking at my DD-214 and my discharge reason was "Early Separation Of Overseas Returnees".... big deal.... :roll:
Of my 3 year enlistment, I spent 2 years, 11 months, and 24 days on active duty. So I got a 6 day early out...... :loco:


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Re: Now here is a believe it or not story

Post by Niner » Wed Mar 23, 2022 6:33 pm

You know about the "spin number" I guess. It was a ...I think...two digit number that was a code the Army had when saying what they thought of you. It was on your DD-214. I'd guess most were pretty innocuous. I think mine was something like.... eligible for reenlistment or something like. I don't think they do that any longer. You used to be able to look up your number online if you were curious.
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Re: Now here is a believe it or not story

Post by DuncaninFrance » Thu Mar 24, 2022 3:59 am

Eoin,
"as it has become the custom to wear a deceased parent’s medals on that side "

That practice is frowned on by many in the UK including the Royal British Legion and I am of the same opinion.
Duncan

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Re: Now here is a believe it or not story

Post by Niner » Thu Mar 24, 2022 9:18 am

In the US wearing or saying you were awarded a medal you weren't awarded is a crime if someone wants to make a case. Telling a totally unbelievable and untrue war story is not a crime however. There is a guy named Urban Miyares who a group of us had a crusade against, that told a really whale sized lie about his military service and obviously profited from it. We first knew of him when he came on a battalion facebook page claiming to be a fellow battalion veteran and surprisingly had the balls to post a link to a speech he gave with his bullshit story. He is still a well respected, rewarded and lauded blind war hero to some and vanity press author. He has done all sorts of speeches and including an appearance at events attended by all sorts of senior brass military men. However, he never mentioned in any of his talks ever receiving any military medals at all. The only ones he could prove is the National Defense ribbon for getting through basic and the Vietnam in country for any number of days at all one. He was likely very aware that doing so would be a path to being involved in a criminal case against him.

https://valorguardians.com/blog/?p=72383
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Re: Now here is a believe it or not story

Post by Niner Delta » Thu Mar 24, 2022 6:39 pm

They quit using the SPN (spin) number on DD-214s. Just looked and my number is 411, although it probably should
have been 41A or 46A ........... :mrgreen:
Those of us from the 9th that stayed in Hawaii were just killing time to discharge and not doing the Army thing
very seriously.
Here is a link with all the SPN numbers and what they mean, just scroll down.....


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https://veteran.com/separation-program-numbers/

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