When it comes to having served in the military: the Marine Corps, the Army Reserve, and the Army National Guard I can say now that it is all over and done with, this is what I have to show for doing it all. The photo was taken on a VFW shirt showing all my ribbons and badges. Each has a different story and reason why I received it. Note: I am not displaying Army marksmanship medals because the Marine Corps ones are harder to qualify for, and mean more to me if I am to be honest. Some of the ribbons are “been there and done that” while others I truly earned with blood, sweat, and tears. Out of the 23 ribbons listed, I feel the best one is the Combat Actin Ribbon for it shows that I have been in combat and luckily survived. I can truthfully say I did my job and even though men die in combat, I can say that I never screwed up and got anyone killed….that I can live with.

I will detail each item going from row to row and left to right and top to bottom.

 

(top) Army Expert Field Medical Badge (USAR)

(row-1) Army Commendation w/2 bronze oak leaf clusters (USAR/ORANG)

(row-1) Navy & Marine Corp Achievement Medal (USMC)

(row-2) Army Achievement Medal w/4 bronze oak leaf clusters (USAR/ORANG)

(row-2) Combat Action Ribbon ¹ (USMC)

(row-2) Navy Presidential Unit Citation w/3 bronze stars (USMC)

(row-3) Navy Unit Commendation w/2 bronze stars (USMC)

(row-3) Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation w/1bronze star (USMC)

(row-3) Marine Corps Good Conduct w/3 bronze stars (USMC

(row-4) Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal w/4 bronze clusters (USAR/ORANG)

(row-4) National Defense Medal w/1 bronze stars (USMC/ORANG)

(row-4) Vietnam Service Medal w/1silver star & w/4 bronze stars ¹ (USMC)

(row-5) Humanitarian Service Medal (USMC)

(row-5) Armed Forces Reserve Medal w/ silver hourglass (USA)

(row-5) Army NCO Professional Development Medal w/numeral 4² (USAR/ORANG)

(row-6) Army Service Medal (USAR/ORANG)

Army NCO Professional Development Medal w/numeral 4² (USAR/ORANG)

(row-6) Vietnam Cross of Gallantry  Medal w/bronze star (RVN)

(row-6) Training Service Medal 2c (RVN)

(row-7) Vietnam Cross of Gallantry  Unit Award w/palm & frame (RVN)

(row-7) Vietnam Civil Action Medal w/palm & frame (RVN)

(row-7) Vietnam Campaign Medal w/’60 date attachment (RVN)

(row-8)Oregon Emergency Service Ribbon w/1 bronze oak leaf clusters ³ (ORANG)

(row-8) Oregon Faithful Service Ribbon (ORANG)

(row-8) Oregon Recruiting Ribbon w/4 bronze oak leaf clusters  (ORANG)

(Bottom) Marine Corps Sharpshooter Rifle Badge

(Bottom) Marine Corps Pistol Expert Badge

 

¹ Criteria: Awarded to members of the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard for combat action ground or surface, it is a personal military decoration. Qualifying personnel must have been in a ground or surface combat fire-fight, or action during which they were under enemy fire, and that their performance under fire must have been satisfactory….. To be blunt, this shows I was in it.

² A silver star is worn in lieu of 5 bronze stars

³Numeral 4 is the highest of 4 levels of NCO training & development

⁴ Each cluster represents 3 new recruits enlisted + 1 for the ribbon

 

Definitions:

Oregon Army Nation Guard – ORANG

Republic of Vietnam – RVN

U. S. Army  Reserve – USAR

U. S. Marine Corps – USMC