Who is This U.S. Military Hero?

[slava1stclass]

To all:

An absolutely impressive array of combat decorations spanning three wars - even the legendary Audie Murphy would acknowledge this. Can you name the recipient?

Let the contest begin.

Regards,

slava1stclass

[coastie]

Are my eyes going bad or do I see 2 silver star ribbons on the second row?

[slava1stclass]

Are my eyes going bad or do I see 2 silver star ribbons on the second row?

coastie,

Excellent question. Your vision is 20/20. The two ribbons are used because he's been awarded 10 Silver Stars. The U.S. Army uniform regulation prohibits the wear of more than four devices/appurtenances on a service ribbon. Until a very recent change to the regulation, there was no way to indicate one had been awarded a 10th award of a given decoration. An extra service ribbon was therefore authorized in such instances. The USAF, however, has been using this method for some time.

If he would have received an 11th award of the Silver Star, the second ribbon would go away and he would wear the base service ribbon with two silver oak leaf clusters.

Regards,

slava1stclass

Edited June 6, 2006 by slava1stclass

[coastie]

Colonel David Hackworth, the clue he was in the merchant marines.

[Guest Darrell]

coastie,

Excellent question. Your vision is 20/20. The two ribbons are used because he's been awarded 10 Silver Stars. There is no way five separate oak leaf clusters would fit on one service ribbon so the extra service ribbon is used (this is authorized by U.S. Army regulation).

If he would have received an 11th award of the Silver Star, the second ribbon would go away and he would wear the base service ribbon with two silver oak leaf clusters.

Regards,

slava1stclass

10 SILVER STARS .. whoooaaah !!!

[Dave Danner]

The decorations may "span" three wars, but Hack only served in two. Hack was eligible for the Victory Medal but he never held himself out to be a World War II veteran. Korea and Vietnam were his conflicts, and in terms of total number of valor awards he was the most decorated soldier of the post-war era (but not the most highly decorated soldier).

Arguably, the most highly decorated soldiers of the post-war era were Lloyd L. "Scooter" Burke, Lewis Millett, Robert L. Howard, Patrick H. Brady and Thomas H. Tackaberry. Burke, Millett, Howard and Brady all received the Medal of Honor and the Distinguished Service Cross, as well as one or more Silver Star Medals and lesser awards. Tackaberry received three Distinguished Service Crosses. If you add in sailors, airmen and Marines, you also have several others with the Medal of Honor, America's highest award, and their service's second-highest award (Navy Cross or Air Force Cross), plus lesser awards, an accomplishment Hack didn't match.

[slava1stclass]

The decorations may "span" three wars, but Hack only served in two. Hack was eligible for the Victory Medal but he never held himself out to be a World War II veteran. Korea and Vietnam were his conflicts, and in terms of total number of valor awards he was the most decorated soldier of the post-war era (but not the most highly decorated soldier).

coastie and Dave,

Correct - Hackworth it is. While Hackworth may not have believed his World War II service in the United States Merchant Marine constituted wartime service, as coastie noted, the fact that he was awarded the Merchant Marine Pacific War Zone Bar (for service in the Pacific zone including the North Pacific Ocean, South Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean east of eighty degrees east longitude) and the Merchant Marine Victory Medal (awarded to members of the crews of ships who served 30 days or more during the period December 7, 1941 to September 3, 1945) speaks otherwise. Whether he actually saw combat/served under fire while with the MM in the Pacific theater is another matter.

Great information, too, on the other highly decorated Army veterans!

Regards,

slava1stclass

Edited June 6, 2006 by slava1stclass

[Scott]

Wow - that's an amazing record of service and valor assembled there. I thought only the Navy/Marines used numbers on the Air Medal?

Scott

Edited June 16, 2006 by Scott

[Allan H.]

Wow - that's an amazing record of service and valor assembled there. I thought only the Navy/Marines used numbers on the Air Medal?

Scott

Actually, the first service to authorize the use of numerals on the Air Medal was the US Army during the Vietnam war. Troopers of the "Air Cav" were amassing HUGE numbers of Air Medals, especially when returning to Vietnam for subsequent tours of duty. Hugh Mills, author of "Low Level Hell" and a Cav trooper in C/ 16 Cav wore numerals for a whopping 63 subsequent awards to his Air Medal ribbon.

Allan

[Dave Danner]

Actually, the first service to authorize the use of numerals on the Air Medal was the US Army during the Vietnam war. Troopers of the "Air Cav" were amassing HUGE numbers of Air Medals, especially when returning to Vietnam for subsequent tours of duty. Hugh Mills, author of "Low Level Hell" and a Cav trooper in C/ 16 Cav wore numerals for a whopping 63 subsequent awards to his Air Medal ribbon.

Allan

The late Major General William J. Maddox, Jr., who commanded the 13th Combat Aviation Battalion, 1st Brigade/25th Infantry Division and the 164th Combat Aviation Group in Vietnam, and who had served in World War II and Korea before that, amassed 127 Air Medals, which is the record.

He also had the Distinguished Service Medal, the Silver Star with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters, the Legion of Merit with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters, the Distinguished Flying Cross with 7 Oak Leaf Clusters, the Bronze Star with "V" and 3 Oak Leaf Clusters, the Purple Heart with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters and the Army Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster.