Posted on 03/20/2025 7:33:04 PM PDT by bimboeruption
A Vietnam War veteran in Michigan has reportedly received his military honors more than 50 years after he left the U.S. Navy. The awards arrived after a struggle to make records publicly available.
Vietnam veteran Karl Smith, who graduated from Muskegon High School in Michigan and enlisted in the Navy when he was 17 years old while still in school, received his service medals Wednesday, according to a report by WZZM 13.
Smith, who was deployed to Vietnam and served in the Navy from 1969 to 1973, received five awards: the Navy “E” Ribbon, the National Defense Service Medal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Korea), the Vietnam Service Medal (with one bronze campaign star), and the Honorable Reserve Discharge Button.
“It is a pleasure to honor Karl Smith and celebrate his service to our nation in the U.S. Navy. Karl was an exemplary sailor who, after his service, dedicated his life to keeping his community safe as a firefighter and police officer in Muskegon County,” Michigan State Rep. John Moolenaar (R-MI 2nd District) said.
“Brave service members like Karl deserve to be recognized, and it is an honor to present him with the awards he earned in service to our country 50 years ago,” Moolenaar added.
Smith served on the USS Halsey after being assigned to the fleet at the age of 18 and was deployed to the West Pacific during the Vietnam War, according to a report by WOOD-TV.
“The medals don’t mean as much to me as they will the grandkids,” Smith, who was surrounded by family as he received his military honors, said, adding that he is still waiting on receiving certificates.
The awards reportedly came after a struggle to unseal records confirming Smith qualified for the medals.
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
Smith was unable to get recognition for his service because his records were sealed as are the records of all Vets who served on Leahy-class ships.
SOD Hegseth should help these HEROES out.
People who write about the military and ignore the rate and rating of enlisted men and women show either ignorance or a lack of interest.
He may have been “undes”.
Yes, could have been undesignated… but then writing “Seaman Apprentice (E-2)” or “Seaman (E-3)” or whatever he was striking for would have added to the story…. At least she didn’t make him a Private!
Am I the only one who thinks this is crazy? None of these awards were officially awarded. You learned your were eligible to wear them and bought them yourself from the PX or BX.
If a unit Commander had to award medals like these that every service member received just by being there, he wouldn't have time to do anything else.
This Sailor only served from 1969 to 1973. This whole thing is all hosed up.
The Honorable Service Lapel Button, colloquially called "Ruptured Duck" by the members of the military, was a lapel button awarded for honorable Federal military service between 1925 and 1946.
I was thinking the exact same. Those awards are all attendance awards anyone got for just being there.
I am eligible for the Vietnam Cross Of Gallantry and was never issued it. This was basically an attendance award given by the South Vietnamese government and anyone who set foot in South Vietnam can buy one and wear it.
I think the issue is that due to the security classification of his ship, it was never acknowledged to have been in Vietnam. Thus he was technically never authorized to wear some of the ribbons. The exception would be the National Defense Service Medal, which anyone in the service can wear.
Not so, I received the same award in 1982 when my Naval Reserve enlisted service was up, and I accepted an appointment as a warrant officer.
So let me get this straight. You were given a Ruptured Duck like my Dad had at the end of WWII, but in 1982? Were you awarded the button or patch by your Commander in an award ceremony?
The only reason the Ruptured Duck was authorized was during the declared wartime, military members were not allowed to wear civilian clothes when on active duty. So it was created to let civilian authorities know that military members with a Ruptured Duck on their uniform were not deserters.
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