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Today, the Silver Star, Navy Cross, Distinguished Service Cross, and Air Force Cross are known as awards that recognize heroic actions by service members in combat. But they were created on the heels of serious controversy over other awards. During the Civil War, Congress created the Medal of Honor to recognize valor.
What are combat service medals?
Military medals can recognize bravery or gallantry, heroism, or meritorious service. They may be awarded for actions during peacetime or war, in defense of civilians or fellow service members, and they can be earned for actions taken during the course of combat or outside of direct military conflict.
Is the Good Conduct Medal considered a military decoration?
The Good Conduct Medal is one of the oldest military awards of the United States Armed Forces.
How can you find out what medals A veteran was awarded?
Individuals can request information on military service medals, decorations and awards online: https://www.archives.gov/personnel-records-center/awards-and-decorations.
How do you find a combat veteran?
A combat veteran is generally one who has a military record indicating they received Hostile Fire Pay, or were deployed to and served in a combat zone.
Do all ribbons have medals?
Ribbons—All military medals have a corresponding ribbon and are displayed according to specific protocols and regulations and are service-specific. To highlight, the Combat Action Ribbon and Overseas Service Ribbon do not have a corresponding medal and is only displayed with other ribbons.
How can I Find my Uncle for free?
Find your uncle by using Instant Checkmate, an online background checking service. Enter your uncle’s full name, age, and last known city of residence. Narrow down the results by what you know — including age or related persons.
How can I find out if my uncle has distanced himself?
If you don’t find a matching report by searching his name, then search one of your parent’s or grandparent’s names — your uncle may appear under their related persons. If your uncle has distanced himself from your family, then chances are it was for a good reason.
What do the souvenirs of private Alan Short tell us?
Souvenirs of Private A.L. Short give a wealth of information about him. The small medallion indicates he was a member of New York’s Irish “Fighting 69th” National Guard Regiment. The identity disks give his name, rank and service number, as well as his unit, the 165th Infantry, which was the new designation assigned the “Fighting 69th” in the AEF.
What happened to my grandfather’s military records in 1973?
The 1973 fire destroyed [many but not all] U.S. Army personnel records created from 1912 to 1963, but it did not damage U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps personnel files. See NARA article for details. Despite the fire at the National Personnel Records Center, I want to see if they have any information on my grandfather.