Awarded by the Republic of Vietnam to Units of the United States Armed Forces in Recognition for Valorous Combat Achievement and Heroic Conduct while Fighting the Enemy. May be awarded with Gold Star, Sliver Star, or Bronze Star. Note: Palm device is for citation for Unit Awards and for Medal Award at Army or higher level Bronze Star device is for citation at the Brigade and Regiment Levels Sliver Star device is for citation at the Division level Gold Star devices for citation at the Corps level.

REPUBLIC of VIETNAM PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION

The Emblem was tendered to the Military Assistance Advisory Group

REPUBLIC of VIETNAM CIVIL ACTIONS UNIT CITATION
Awarded by the Republic of Vietnam to Units of the United States Armed Forces in recognition of Meritorious Civil Action Services

REPUBLIC of VIETNAM CAMPAIGN MEDAL
Authorized by the Department of Defense 20 June 1966. Thus allowing United States Military Personnel to accept a Service Medal tendered by Foreign Government. Requirements are that a US. Service Man first earns the US. Vietnam Service Medal and serve six months in direct support of Military Operations in Vietnam. A Person who was wounded and Evacuated before serving six months was also eligible. This Award was also made Posthumously.

NOTE: IN the Center of the Army Medal and Ribbon there is a Sliver Plated Banner Device with the Date Inscribed " 1960- " to denote the Period of the War.

Check your DD-214 Form for those Decorations that you have earned. Did you receive them? What about an Good Conduct Medal, or some other Decoration that you were supposed to received but it is not mentioned on your DD-214 Form? You are also entitled to a Cold War Recognition Certificate.

When you returned home from Vietnam, you didn't receive your Decorations, but the DD-214 Form is accurate. Here's what you do! First, locate your DD-214 Form, then call or go to the Veterans Administration and request a SF-180 form. It is important that you use an SF-180 Form; with this form you can request other information including your Medical Records. You may also be able to acquire this form from your Town or Village Veterans Center or most Veterans Groups Chapters will have them. Remember you don't have to be a member. They will help! You can download it from the web but be careful that you are not downloading and out of date form.

Award actions pertaining to Army retirees and veterans are normally handled by the National Personnel Records Center in St.Louis, MO; also known as NPRC. In order for NPRC to research a specific award action, the request must be submitted to them in writing. The request should include a copy of the former soldier's separation or discharge document and any other documents DD-214 that support the request. Unfortunately, due to the large volume of correspondence that NPRC receives, the requestor should allow a reasonable period of time for NPRC to research and respond to the request. (7 months or more see note) NPRC's address is: National Personnel Records Center, Attention: Army Reference Branch, 9700 Page Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63132-5100. IF you have had a claimed for disability in prior to this request! Your Medical records will no longer be in ST. Louis. You or your Doctor will have to make another request (SF-180) for your Medical Records to the Veterans Administration. It is well know that the Veterans Administration is very careless with these records. So be prepared to wait several months for your records.

Almost all Vietnam Veterans should have been awarded a Good Conduct Medal. Others were written up for other Decorations but the paper work didn't go thru. What do you do when your DD-214 doesn't have your Decoration listed? Well you don't give up! Many times as People rotated back to the States or to other Units. The person taking over their duties did not follow up on the paper work for the Awarding of a Decoration especially if the one receiving the Decoration had rotated back to the States. If you have all the paper work send your SF-180 form and your DD-214 form to the address listed above and expect a very long wait for a ruling on you request. Instead I would suggest that you call your Congress Person or US. Senator and present a written report on which Decorations you were to receive. Make sure you give the Names and Ranks of all those involved both those who recommended you for the Award and those who knew of your Decorations, Of Course, and the circumstances, which led to receiving the Award. I believe this is the only way to accomplish this mission. Don't forget get in contact with a Veterans Group.

NOTE from NPRC: Recently, the Department of the Army and the National Archives and Records Administration entered into an agreement, which gives the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) authority to verify entitlement to replacement awards, and decorations for discharged, retired or deceased Army veterans. This was previously the responsibility of the Army Reserve Personnel Command (AR-PERSCOM). Army medals requests submitted within the last two years are currently in the process of being transferred from AR-PERSCOM to NPRC. The transfer of this work will take a number of months to complete. Once the transfer has been completed, requests pertaining to these specific Army medals will be answered as quickly as possible.AR-PERSCOM estimates a backlog of 98,000 routine requests for Army medals, going back two years; and at least 4,300 Congressional requests for Army awards and decorations, which may also be up to two years old. We understand the desire to obtain the medals as quickly as possible; however, multiple requests for the same awards will further complicate the process. Once the transfer is complete, we will begin responding to both the backlog of requests and all new inquiries in an expeditious manner. If you are now requesting medals, or you previously wrote to NPRC or AR-PERSCOM requesting medals, we ask that you do not write again. If you wish to submit a medals request for the first time, please do so after March 1, 1999. We appreciate your patience in this matter.

Medals and Awards Page 4

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