While I was in the 47th Arty, we wore a Presidential Unit Citation that was earned in WWII by a legacy unit. What struck me as odd is that the 56th Arty I was in just before I was mustered out was awarded a Navy PUC in the Korean conflict. It seems the N Koreans had fortified their batteries facing the bay and the Naval guns couldn't do enough damage so a field arty battery dug in on their flank and took out their guns.

I also still have the ribbon from Mary Jane Henley's pony tail.

Maybe someone here can answer this question --How is it possible to have been awarded the NDSM when I have been out of the National Guard since 1989 and never saw any active duty ??

Must've been an error in processing your DD-214. I'm assuming you weren't awarded the medal while you were in uniform?

Originally Posted by AJChenMPH

Must've been an error in processing your DD-214. I'm assuming you weren't awarded the medal while you were in uniform?

No in fact I didn't recieve my ASR until 05' and that was only because I asked about it since it was listed on my NGB-22 form (Report of Separation and Record of Service)

Originally Posted by Guardsman_Ca

No in fact I didn't recieve my ASR until 05' and that was only because I asked about it since it was listed on my NGB-22 form (Report of Separation and Record of Service)

Is it possible the medal was awarded to your unit for action/duty performed before you got out but was not presented until after you got out?

This is what I rate:

Current as of: Apr 03, 2007
WT GLOBAL WAR ON TERRORISM SERVICE MEDAL 1
LA LETTER OF APPRECIATION 3
GC MARINE CORPS GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL 1
NN NATIONAL DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL 1
NU NAVY UNIT COMMENDATION 1
MT MERITORIOUS MAST 1

Can ya believe it? I have been working in billets at least one pay grade above mine the entire 4+ years I have been in and never received any recognition other than a pat on the back. I also have one Certificate of Commendation that I still need to submit to the Unit Diary.

EDIT:

There are a few that I noticed that may have forgotten medals they rate. If this is the case please edit to make sure that you have listed all of what you rate. The reason I say this is that some of what I have read in this thread does not jive with what I know. For the Marines on this forum: Check Marine Online and list what it has there for you under the awards section (see above).

If I recall correctly: If you have served for 1+ months I believe you rate the GWOT (service) medal. If you have deployed for 30+ days in support of OIF or OEF you rate the GWOT (Expeditionary).

Note: The National defense ribbon is not a "fire watch" ribbon. It is a ribbon (last I knew) given out to those persons serving during a time of war. http://www.gruntsmilitary.com/natdef.shtml

Originally Posted by Marinerhodes

Is it possible the medal was awarded to your unit for action/duty performed before you got out but was not presented until after you got out?

That's a possibility since I enlisted in a Signal Company but finished my enlistment with an Armored Company.

There's still something fishy, though -- NDSM is only awarded for defined periods of time, and only for active-duty personnel. If you never saw active duty, then you shouldn't have been awarded the NDSM. Unless your unit was activated at some point...?

And another thing: if you got out in 1989, then it was before Desert Shield/Storm. Supposedly, the NDSM wasn't awarded between Vietnam and the first Gulf War. So you would have had to have been activated for active duty for Vietnam. You wouldn't had to have been activated for deployment, just activated for Federal active duty.

The only way to know what's in your military records is to go to http://www.archives.gov/veterans/evetrecs/ and follow the instructions.

I requested a copy of my DD-214 because my copy didn't list my NDSM, I was in from 1962-1965, and Good Conduct Medal. The copy you receive is poor at best and usually wrong. Your PERSCOM jacket with original copies
is correct. The copy I got when I separated listed an Expert badge for M1 carbine, Sharpshooter with M1 Rifle, and a Marksman with Missile and .45 Pistol hangers.
I requested an updated copy which was a DD-215 and it listed a GC medal, NDSM, Expert M1-Carbine and Missile hangers and Sharpshooter with M1-Rifle hanger.

All the info I recieved came from St Louis ( MPRC)
---------------
Missileer I'm sorry if this thread is going off track that was not my intention.

In Australia we never got any gongs for doing our JOB right.
That is one thing ill never understand about yanks, you get a medal for anything and everything "PTE XXX, YOU ARE HEREBY AWARDED THE SNAPPY SALUTE MEDAL, WELL DONE SON"
Dont take this personally, but what a load of wank
And dont get me wrong, Campaign/service medals are not what i am talking about. of course these have merit.
As do Decorations (not like the christmas tree type)