It appears that most of his medals are either “I was there” or staff awards.
He does have “Bronze Star Medal with three bronze oak leaf clusters”. However, I once had a 3-star Army general tell me our team of tunnel rats “would get Bronze Stars and promotion to sergeant”. (that never happened)
His next personal decorations are :”Army Commendation Medal with four bronze oak leaf clusters; Army Achievement Medal with one bronze oak leaf cluster;”
There is no mention of the Combat V on any of the three medals. The photo is not sharp enough to tell.
Thank you for your service. Where in Vietnam were you a tunnel rat? My brother was in the U.S. Army, in the re-activated 25th Infantry Division. He was in Cu Chi ‘66-’67. I remember him writing home about the tunnels of Cu Chi, and the stuff that was found in them. I distinctly remember him writing home that they found Singer sewing machines down there, and a lot of other stuff that was sold on the black market. He served as point man from time to time, and carried a grenade launcher. His unit was one of the first to be mechanized over there. When he got back home in April of ‘67, he had one year left on his enlistment. They sent him to Fort Carson, Colorado. They told him that he’d be training new recruits. It never happened. All he’d ever wanted to do from the time he was a young boy, was be a soldier. He never talked about his time over there, and never bad-mouthed the military, although I’m sure he was disappointed at times. Sadly, he died of a massive heart attack at the age of 51 in 1995. Left a widow and four kids. The youngest, a girl was 16 at the time. She’s married with four kids...two boys, and twin girls. The oldest boy will be a senior in high school this year. Other than my two sons, they are the only part of the family I have left.