The National Defense Ribbon is no longer awarded to trainees
Moderators: DuncaninFrance, Niner Delta
The National Defense Ribbon is no longer awarded to trainees
The National Defense Ribbon was a ribbon issued to all trainees of any service upon completion of basic training for many decades, including the Vietnam war. It was almost meaningless as a decoration. But now it's gone, thanks to the outgoing Biden administration. https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your ... -december/
About the only thing the ribbon is good for now days is if you see the photo of some US military somebody in a uniform you could go down from the top to the National Defense Ribbon and know only those above such ribbon actually meant something other than a travel designation.
For those who aren't familiar with US military ribbons, in the attached photo the National Defense Ribbon is the bottom row first ribbon. Above that ribbon are "real" decorations. Award ribbons are worn in a ranking order of supposed military value above the NDR with the highest valued first followed in order by whatever comes behind. Behind that NDR is a been to Vietnam ticket punch Ribbon and the green one is a thankyou issued to every US military person by the no longer in existence Republic of Vietnam. In other words, travel ribbons and decorations issued by foreign countries for generally one to every customer reason.
About the only thing the ribbon is good for now days is if you see the photo of some US military somebody in a uniform you could go down from the top to the National Defense Ribbon and know only those above such ribbon actually meant something other than a travel designation.
For those who aren't familiar with US military ribbons, in the attached photo the National Defense Ribbon is the bottom row first ribbon. Above that ribbon are "real" decorations. Award ribbons are worn in a ranking order of supposed military value above the NDR with the highest valued first followed in order by whatever comes behind. Behind that NDR is a been to Vietnam ticket punch Ribbon and the green one is a thankyou issued to every US military person by the no longer in existence Republic of Vietnam. In other words, travel ribbons and decorations issued by foreign countries for generally one to every customer reason.
- Niner Delta
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Re: The National Defense Ribbon is no longer awarded to trainees
I have the same 2nd row as you, but I never got a Bronze star. But I did add the non-existent
Combat Artillery Badge that I think you sent me. Luckily, no one cares if I added it. ...
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Combat Artillery Badge that I think you sent me. Luckily, no one cares if I added it. ...

. .

Peace is that brief, quiet moment in history.......... when everybody stands around reloading.
Re: The National Defense Ribbon is no longer awarded to trainees
Vern, you sent me the full size non approved Combat Artillery Badge. It's in my I love me awards wall frame.
- Niner Delta
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Re: The National Defense Ribbon is no longer awarded to trainees
Oh OK, I just remembered one of us sent one to the other. Anymore I'm lucky to remember what day it is.
I have paper orders for 3 ARCOMS, but only one shows on my DD-214. They have my RA number correct on all three orders,
but my SS number is one digit off on the other two. ..
I remember the old saying that... "One of these medals and 25¢ will get you a cup of coffee." (Now it's $3.00 I guess.) ..
.
I have paper orders for 3 ARCOMS, but only one shows on my DD-214. They have my RA number correct on all three orders,
but my SS number is one digit off on the other two. ..

I remember the old saying that... "One of these medals and 25¢ will get you a cup of coffee." (Now it's $3.00 I guess.) ..

.

Peace is that brief, quiet moment in history.......... when everybody stands around reloading.
Re: The National Defense Ribbon is no longer awarded to trainees
I was given two arcoms at different times. Both were handed to me and not in any ceremony. The first because I was with the infantry and the artillery awarded it. The last one, by some level of the 101st Division, I was handed over a counter on the day I checked out of Vietnam for the World. I was told the order would get to me.....but didn't.
I was at the reunion that I was the instigator of in Branson in 2015. Colonel Jack Logan was setting in a chair in the gathering room among a large group as he watched a collage of images from my site I had playing on the TV. He says to his wife next to him, and maybe to me too, that he always enjoyed pinning medals on the troops. I told him about my Arcom handed but not officially ordered. I figured they were one to a customer medals and since I already had one from the 9th the orders for the second one must have been canceled in the 101st. Logan didn't say anything. But Logan was the real deal. I liked the guy even though he wasn't battalion commander when I was there. He was a West Pointer. He was in charge of Ranger school for a while. He spent his last years in Arizona. He's buried at West Point now.
I was at the reunion that I was the instigator of in Branson in 2015. Colonel Jack Logan was setting in a chair in the gathering room among a large group as he watched a collage of images from my site I had playing on the TV. He says to his wife next to him, and maybe to me too, that he always enjoyed pinning medals on the troops. I told him about my Arcom handed but not officially ordered. I figured they were one to a customer medals and since I already had one from the 9th the orders for the second one must have been canceled in the 101st. Logan didn't say anything. But Logan was the real deal. I liked the guy even though he wasn't battalion commander when I was there. He was a West Pointer. He was in charge of Ranger school for a while. He spent his last years in Arizona. He's buried at West Point now.
- Niner Delta
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Re: The National Defense Ribbon is no longer awarded to trainees
They just handed me 3 ARCOM orders, never anyone awarded them. The 2 with the "V" device have the wrong SS number,
and yet the one listed on my DD-214 says with "V". Never figured that one out. Got one "V" with artillery and one with infantry.
I remember the artillery one as we kept firing support during a mortar attack, VC liked to mortar us while attacking infantry
in the field. Got the 3rd one just before pullout, guess it was my reward for not getting dead. ...
.
and yet the one listed on my DD-214 says with "V". Never figured that one out. Got one "V" with artillery and one with infantry.
I remember the artillery one as we kept firing support during a mortar attack, VC liked to mortar us while attacking infantry
in the field. Got the 3rd one just before pullout, guess it was my reward for not getting dead. ...

.

Peace is that brief, quiet moment in history.......... when everybody stands around reloading.
Re: The National Defense Ribbon is no longer awarded to trainees
My air medal came from the infantry and show me with an infantry MOS. When I got to be the acting FO the infantry company clerk wouldn't record air insertions anymore....coming from me a lowly enlisted man. I guess when an LT FO had handed them the numbers he had no problem recording them previously. I had two RTO's one after the other and neither of them got an air medal. The artillery battery could have cared less about medals for guys they sent to the infantry....unless maybe they were KIA. We didn't really seem to belong to them. At the time it didn't really matter to me at all, strangely enough. Now in my old age I feel a bit miffed even though medals are more meaningless now than they were then.
I got put in for a medal in Cambodia by the FO that I never got that would have had a V attached. The FO got promoted to Captain and out of the field right after we returned to Vietnam so I don't blame him for it getting lost. He was and is a good guy and a West Pointer. He retired as a full bird colonel. He came to Branson and I was glad to see him again.
I got put in for a medal in Cambodia by the FO that I never got that would have had a V attached. The FO got promoted to Captain and out of the field right after we returned to Vietnam so I don't blame him for it getting lost. He was and is a good guy and a West Pointer. He retired as a full bird colonel. He came to Branson and I was glad to see him again.
- Niner Delta
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Re: The National Defense Ribbon is no longer awarded to trainees
I know what you mean about feeling miffed about medals now, but not caring back then. I got hit with a grenade
booby trap and got several small pieces of shrapnel in me and still have one in my right hand. The medic in the field
filled out the tag and put it on the chopper with the guy that got hit worse than me. He put bandages on me and I stayed
out in the field. Guessing it flew out of the chopper as I never heard any more about getting a Purple Heart and at the time
I didn't really care about it, but now wish I had it. Oh well, too late. But still miffed..
.
booby trap and got several small pieces of shrapnel in me and still have one in my right hand. The medic in the field
filled out the tag and put it on the chopper with the guy that got hit worse than me. He put bandages on me and I stayed
out in the field. Guessing it flew out of the chopper as I never heard any more about getting a Purple Heart and at the time
I didn't really care about it, but now wish I had it. Oh well, too late. But still miffed..


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Peace is that brief, quiet moment in history.......... when everybody stands around reloading.