mariner Posted November 10, 2007 Share Posted November 10, 2007 (edited) Hi Guys,Can anyone explain to me how the Purple Heart multiple awards device system works? I`m aware that there are oak leaf clusters & stars, but what do they all represent? Edited November 10, 2007 by mariner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul R Posted November 10, 2007 Share Posted November 10, 2007 For the Army and the Air Force, each Purple Heart awarded after the first is noted with the application of a Bronze Oak Leave Cluster. For the Marines, Coast Guard, and Navy, a gold star is used for each sequential award, until the sixth. Upon the sixth award of the medal, the four gold stars are replaced by a single silver star(which represents five awards). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted November 10, 2007 Share Posted November 10, 2007 At least for the Army, the most bronze oak leaf clusters which can be worn is 4 (representing PH awarded 5 times). If you are unlucky enough to get hit again after that, the 4 bronze clusters plus the new award are represented by a silver oak leaf cluster, so the basic award plus a silver cluster equals 6 awards. Then you can have silver plus 1-4 bronze for more awards, and then it would go to two silver. If you have that many, I don't want to be in a foxhole with you, because you are a real bullet magnet. Doc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mariner Posted November 10, 2007 Author Share Posted November 10, 2007 Cheers Guys. Makes perfect sense now.I agree you wouldn`t want to share a trench with someone who continually gets hit...I saw a documentary recently during which a guy won his 4th Purple Heart in Vietnam. I wonder whats the most that have ever been won by one guy? Any ideas...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul R Posted November 10, 2007 Share Posted November 10, 2007 The most Purple Hearts received by one person is eight. Six U.S. Army soldiers share that distinction: * Richard J. Buck - Four Purple Hearts in the Korean War and four in the Vietnam War * Robert T. Frederick - Eight Purple Hearts in World War II; also received two Distinguished Service Crosses * David H. Hackworth - Eight Purple Hearts in the Korean War and Vietnam War; also received two Distinguished Service Crosses and ten Silver Stars * Robert L. Howard - Eight Purple Hearts in the Vietnam War; also received the Medal of Honor * William L. Russell - Eight Purple Hearts in World War II; Silver Star * William Waugh - Eight Purple Hearts in the Vietnam War; also received the Silver Star.Per:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purple_Heart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigjarofwasps Posted November 11, 2007 Share Posted November 11, 2007 Check out this...http://www.hackworth.com/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Hackworth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_Haynes Posted November 11, 2007 Share Posted November 11, 2007 Much mythology -- for which there are some less delicate terms -- surrounds Hackworth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hunyadi Posted November 12, 2007 Share Posted November 12, 2007 From what I understand - today you cant get more than two oak leaf clusters in a conflict beofre you get sent home... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted November 12, 2007 Share Posted November 12, 2007 From what I understand - today you cant get more than two oak leaf clusters in a conflict beofre you get sent home...Hunyadi--- I haven't ever seen any Army regulation or policy to that effect. Do you have a reference you can provide? Doc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul R Posted November 12, 2007 Share Posted November 12, 2007 I have never heard of that reg, either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W McSwiggan Posted November 12, 2007 Share Posted November 12, 2007 As I recall the esteemed Senator and former Presidential candidate from Massachusetts was rotated out of Vietnam for having been awarded three Purple Hearts. I can not say if this was by regulation or Department of the Navy policy. It was a bit of a talking point and became rather contentious. The "Swift Boat" veterans were particularly vocal and unsupportive...I will leave my personal feelings a mystery in an attempt to avoid subsequent political rantings from both sides. From what I understand - today you cant get more than two oak leaf clusters in a conflict beofre you get sent home... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_Haynes Posted November 12, 2007 Share Posted November 12, 2007 There are regulations and there are policies. While there is a difference, I doubt if even in human history has either been rigirously applied. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigjarofwasps Posted November 12, 2007 Share Posted November 12, 2007 Much mythology -- for which there are some less delicate terms -- surrounds Hackworth. Ed, tell tell.......Surely he must be the most decorated American soldier that ever served? I was going to ask for his book for Christmas, but would very much like to hear your views, before I do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted November 12, 2007 Share Posted November 12, 2007 As I recall the esteemed Senator and former Presidential candidate from Massachusetts was rotated out of Vietnam for having been awarded three Purple Hearts. I can not say if this was by regulation or Department of the Navy policy. It was a bit of a talking point and became rather contentious. The "Swift Boat" veterans were particularly vocal and unsupportive...I will leave my personal feelings a mystery in an attempt to avoid subsequent political rantings from both sides. Keeping out of the politics, that rotation was neither by Navy policy nor by regulation. I know of several Naval personnel with three or more PH in Viet-nam who were not rotated out. Doc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_Haynes Posted November 12, 2007 Share Posted November 12, 2007 Others may address this better than I, but he is surely the most self-advertised US soldier ever. A lot of self-serving fact-stretching here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigjarofwasps Posted November 12, 2007 Share Posted November 12, 2007 Others may address this better than I, but he is surely the most self-advertised US soldier ever. A lot of self-serving fact-stretching here.Cheers Ed, I`ll give the book a bash..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigjarofwasps Posted November 12, 2007 Share Posted November 12, 2007 Billy Walkabout, decorated American Indian veteran, dies at 57Walkabout received the Distinguished Service Cross, Purple Heart, five Silver Stars and five Bronze Stars. He was believed to be the most decorated Native American soldier of the Vietnam War, according to U.S. Department of Defense reports. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigjarofwasps Posted November 12, 2007 Share Posted November 12, 2007 Audie Murphy's Military Award ListMilitary Service Number 01 692 509 Medal of HonorDistinguished Service CrossSilver Star With First Oak Leaf ClusterLegion of MeritBronze Star With "V" Device and First Oak Leaf ClusterPurple Heart With Second Oak Leaf ClusterU.S. Army Outstanding Civilian Service MedalGood Conduct MedalDistinguished Unit Emblem With First Oak Leaf ClusterAmerican Campaign MedalEuropean-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal With One Silver Star, Four Bronze ServiceStars (representing nine campaigns) andone Bronze Arrowhead (representingassault landing at Sicily and Southern France)World War II Victory MedalArmy of Occupation With German ClaspArmed Forces Reserve MedalCombat Infantryman BadgeMarksman Badge with Rifle BarExpert Badge with Bayonet BarFrench Fourragere In Colors of the Croix de GuerreFrench Legion of Honor, Grade of ChevalierFrench Croix de Guerre With Silver StarFrench Croix de Guerre with PalmMedal of Liberated FranceBelgian Croix de Guerre 1940 Palm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigjarofwasps Posted November 12, 2007 Share Posted November 12, 2007 So just who was the most decorated American soldier? You`d think the answer would be easy.....http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Who_was_the_most...merican_historyBut it seems not!Then you could argue.... does say the acts required to win 2 DSC & 10 SS say out rank a MH?& whilst I on about it, who was the most decorated British soldier? Could you say one of the double VC winners or the SAS guy who won 4 DSOs, or is there someone else......? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hunyadi Posted November 12, 2007 Share Posted November 12, 2007 My information comes from my brohter-in-law serving in Iraq whose unit NCOs were told that if they get wounded three times they are sent homeside. He's an NCO, so the other ranks may or may not know. But for that particular division / regiment (???) it seems to be a policy. So I will backstep a bit on a total picutre. He got hit three times, the second one was a slight shrapnel wound that the medic was able to fix up for him, but he didnt get it reported further than that as he was afraid that he would get hit soon and then sent back while his men needed him. He did get hit a third time with a through and through gunshot wound. But he was able to stay in country and finish up his term. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted November 12, 2007 Share Posted November 12, 2007 My information comes from my brohter-in-law serving in Iraq whose unit NCOs were told that if they get wounded three times they are sent homeside. He's an NCO, so the other ranks may or may not know. But for that particular division / regiment (???) it seems to be a policy. So I will backstep a bit on a total picutre. He got hit three times, the second one was a slight shrapnel wound that the medic was able to fix up for him, but he didnt get it reported further than that as he was afraid that he would get hit soon and then sent back while his men needed him. He did get hit a third time with a through and through gunshot wound. But he was able to stay in country and finish up his term.Sounds like a good source, so I can't argue with you. However, it sounds like a local unit policy, and I really wonder how they could actually carry it off, since there is no published policy on the subject. Glad your brother in law managed to finish his tour, and apparently wasn't hit too badly. Doc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hunyadi Posted November 12, 2007 Share Posted November 12, 2007 Sounds like a good source, so I can't argue with you. However, it sounds like a local unit policy, and I really wonder how they could actually carry it off, since there is no published policy on the subject. Glad your brother in law managed to finish his tour, and apparently wasn't hit too badly. DocFirst one was the worst with schrapnel up and down one side - kept him out of action for about a month, then four months later the schrapnel wound to the hand (for which he still cant feel his thumb - another reason he didnt want to report it, probably out of fear of being declared unfit for combat...) Then the last through n through. Talking with my father the Army didnt have any official mehtods; for trying to keep the veterans alive as its a tricky thing to balance. If you say you have a policy of three wounds and you go home - there are alot of folks getting superficial wounds and going home early, but you also dont want to waste those with combat experience either, so apparently the commanders are given the choice for who gets sent home when and why. During Vietnam the JCS ran it as a 'ground' operation so the Army and Airforce fell under the main Amry set of rules, ideas, etc... the Navy was considered as secondary to the operation and as such when it came to awards, (in particular) the Navy was on their own to give them out and determine who got to go home, (a situation of 'oh you fired the six inch guns at the shore line - give that gunner a bronze star!) but this also came at a local unit level. Apparently the unit of the Senator made a nice policy of three PH's and you go home - it was an easy way to get him out of their hair....accoriding to my fahters sources - he worked for the JCS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mariner Posted November 15, 2007 Author Share Posted November 15, 2007 (edited) Cheers Guys... but going off topic slighty...Individual decorations and service medalsDistinguished Service Cross (with Oak Leaf Cluster)[2] Silver Star (with nine Oak Leaf Clusters)[2] Legion of Merit (with three Oak Leaf Clusters)[2] Distinguished Flying Cross[2] Bronze Star Medal (with "V" Device & seven Oak Leaf Clusters)[2] Purple Heart (with seven Oak Leaf Clusters)[2] Air Medal (with "V" Device & Numeral 34) (One for heroism and 33 for aerial achievement)[2] Army Commendation Medal (with "V" Device & 3 Oak Leaf Clusters)[2] Good Conduct Medal[2] World War II Victory Medal[2] Army of Occupation Medal (with Germany and Japan Clasps)[2] National Defense Service Medal (with one Bronze Service star)[2] Korean Service Medal (with Service Stars for eight campaigns)[2] Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal[2] Vietnam Service Medal (2 Silver Service stars)[2] Armed Forces Reserve Medal[2] 34 Air Medals, surely this is a typing error? How on earth could you win that many awards? What type of things is it awarded for? Also what do all the stars on the campaign medals mean? Edited November 15, 2007 by mariner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted November 16, 2007 Share Posted November 16, 2007 During the Viet-nam War, Air Medals were given for heroism, but also for a certain number of combat flight hours. I don't remember the number, as it changed in different periods, but helicopter pilots of that era who flew lots of hours commonly had 20+ air medals. 34 is not at all unbelievable. Doc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBFloyd Posted November 16, 2007 Share Posted November 16, 2007 Air Medals were based on missions flown or hours flown, in various capacities. That's the part that's easy to follow. After that it gets very confusing.In the Air Force in VIetnam, fighter crews generally got an Air Medal for 5 combat sorties; airlifters got them based on hours flown. The number of missions required also varied over time. I know several forward air controllers who worn multiple ribbons to hold their Air Medal oak leaf clusters.At the same time, the Army awarded Air Medals to those who had duties involved regular flights, but who were not aircrew (e.g., unit commanders using helicopters for on-scene command posts). The ARmy went to numbers instead of oak leaf clusters to manage the display of additional awards.34 Air Medals is not unusual at all. I knew several with 70+ and the highest number I recall seeing was 124 awards.Also, the stars on campaign medals represent specific campaigns. These campaigns are designated by each service by specific dates and geographic boundaries (to earn the star, you had to be in the area within the dates).There are so many exceptions, amendments and changes to the rules, hoever, that is no short answer to the questions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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