How can I find tips for how to successfully apply for a military
decoration for a World War II veteran? |
Request for Question Clarification by
tutuzdad-ga
on
09 Sep 2003 21:10 PDT
Are you wanting to apply for a replacement medal (ie. a lost medal),
for a authorized action that was never formally awarded (ie, a purple
heart that he was awarded but never physically recieved), or for
recognition of something that has yet to be officially recognized (ie,
a purple heart that should have been awarded for a combat wound but
said injury was never officially recorded and recognized)?
What award specifically are you seeking and what were the
circumstances? Also, it might be inportant to know if the veteran is
still living or if the decoration would/should/could be awarded
posthumously.
Regards;
tutuzdad-ga
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Clarification of Question by
sfgumshoe-ga
on
09 Sep 2003 21:12 PDT
Specifically, I have submitted documentation for a WWII vet who was
nominated for, but did not receive, a Silver Star for his actions in
France in September 1944. I have submitted to the appropriate office
of the Army the nomination letter written in 1944 -- the Captain who
wrote it is now deceased -- along with letters from two surviving
members of the 180th Regiment of the 45th Infantry Division attesting
to his general valor. However, neither of these surviving members
were witnesses of the acts for which he was nominated for the Silver
Star. I also submitted documentation from the National Archives about
the battle which is described in the nomination letter.
Nothing is known about what action, if any, was taken on the original
nomination for the Silver Star.
The nominee was at the time not yet a citizen of the US, having joined
the 180th from the French Resistance. (Awards are routinely given to
non-US citizens.)
Any information would be welcome concerning:
1) the criteria for awarding such medals, particularly so many years
after the actions that led to the nomination, and
2) whether there is any likely chance of any award being given under
the above circumstances. For example, is the absence of any living
witness to the actions that led to the nomination fatal to the
application for the award?
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Clarification of Question by
sfgumshoe-ga
on
09 Sep 2003 21:14 PDT
Note: the veteran is still alive. Also, all inquiries to the National
Military Records Center for service records have resulted in no
records being found, perhaps because of the 1973 fire. Finally, I
have obtained a referral letter from a Member of Congress which
accompanied the application.
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Clarification of Question by
sfgumshoe-ga
on
09 Sep 2003 22:46 PDT
Another useful way of answering my question would be to provide one or
more examples of persons who were awarded any type of medal of valor,
e.g. Silver Star, Bronze Star, Medal of Honor, within the past ten
years or so for valorous acts during WWII. If such a case or cases
can be cited, then the following Information about them would be most
helpful:
1) What documentation or witness testimony was required to obtain the
medal?
2) Was intercession or lobbying by veterans' organizations, current
military senior officers, or political figures of any benefit in
making sure the application was acted upon favorably?
3) Are there any particular hard-and-fast rules that the Decorations
Committees must follow, e.g., that there must be living witnesses to
the act(s) of valor, or that the original recommendation must be an
original document, or that a copy of the recommendation must be
corroborated by one from an official source such as the National
Archives?
4) In the present instance, the applicant was a foreign national -- in
fact a stateless Jew born in Poland -- who spoke many languages and
had excellent information networks due to his work in the French
Resistance. Though he was never officially inducted and had not set
foot on US soil as of 1944, he was warmly welcomed by the US Army as a
combat intelligence specialist, and his work in S-2 during the battle
of Autrey in France was what led to his being recommended for the
Silver Star. Given these facts, and the absence of any service
record at the NMPRC in St. Louis, is it likely that the Decorations
Committee will decline the application for a Silver Star simply
because of the absence of a 201 file at the NMPRC? Or, conversely, are
they allowed reasonable discretion in evaluating the evidence?
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