Question on behalf of my better half..........

[mrmpa]

he served in the Marine Corps from 1968-'72. He was assigned as a Fleet Marine & served aboard 2 ships. One ship was in the China Sea & shelled Vietnam.

Though he was not on the ground in Vietnam, is he eligible for a Combat Ribbon? He calls himself a Vietnam Era Vet, but some Vets he has met at the VA say he is indeed a "Vietnam Vet", is he?

We are trying to straighten out his ribbons, when he was discharged a Second Lieutenant filled out his papers & we are pretty sure he is missing some awards.

Thanks.

[The Wielding Truth]

1. I would say so. "One ship was in the China Sea & shelled Vietnam." He was part of that war.

So that makes him a Vietnam War Vet.

[douglas9]

2. USMC Combat Action Ribbon Criteria

http://www.leatherneck.com/forums/showthread.php?506-USMC-Combat-Action-Ribbon-Criteria

http://www.amervets.com/201areq.htm

[The River]

3. Yes

The waters off of Vietnam (Gulf of Tonkin not China Sea) were a part of the
combat zone. If his ship was shelling the coast he participated in combat. He is a Vietnam Vet not Vietnam Era. He should have a ribbon/medal that looks like my avatar.

His DD 214 should list all the awards he is eligible to wear.
Lots of web sites sell replacement medals/ribbons

[mrmpa]

5. There lies the problem.........

a 2nd Lieutenant filled out his discharge forms & did not list ribbons & awards we believe should have been noted.

[denbot]

4. The nearest "Federal Building" will have a Veterans Administration floor.

You can fill out forms there to have medals or ribbons noted on your DD-214.

Years ago I called the Naval Records Office in D.C., and told a clerk my name, ship, and when I was on it. It took a while but one call seemed to have worked faster then filling out a records correction request to add a campaign ribbon to my DD-214

[mrmpa]

6. He was at the VA today......

to get new hearing aids. I asked him to check with someone as to how he could get his personnel records, because he has forgotten the names of the ships he was assigned to.

We got a contact to follow up with.

[denbot]

7. He might be able to look up his regiments history.

It will note where and when a unit was deployed.