Posted on Apr 19, 2017
Why are officers recognized with awards more than enlisted?
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It seems to me that officers are recogized far more often then enlisted soldiers. I mean an officer and junior enlisted could do the same exact thing, or an enlisted could do more then an officer and chances are the officer will be given a higher award. Why? I have been in for almost 8 years and only have 1 AAM which is my only actual award.
Awards
Officers
Enlisted
Recognition
Fairness
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 573
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Man, there are a LOT of officers responding with their thoughts on why the enlisted ranks don't get the amount or level of awards that officers get.
And most of these answers are hilarious. But only because I'm a RETIRED MSG and it doesn't matter to me anymore.
There is an unwritten law in the Army that the higher the rank you are, the higher the award you get for doing a thing. and I am not whining, it really doesn't matter to this retired Soldier so I am speaking objectively.
I have been on the receiving end of not getting the award that an officer who did the same thing DID get, I have put in Soldiers for Awards and seen officers that I put in get upgraded while enlisted (especially lower enlisted) get downgraded for THE SAME ACTIONS.
And when I have mentioned these discrepancies, I have been told "that must just be your unit," "that's probably not what happened," or my favorite, "you don't understand the dynamics of what happens at higher levels."
I WAS the higher damned level. I ran a Batalion and a Brigade S2 Section. And I repeatedly watched as enlisted Soldiers got awarded lesser awards than officers, often for events in which the enlisted Soldier did something well beyond the officer's actions.
This is an Army-wide issue, and one that has been going on for decades. In 1993 as a Private I got an Certificate of Achievement for beating the best time on the "Green Hell" obstacle course in Fort Sherman Panama. My partner, a junior NCO, got an AAM. Later I found out that two officers, a 1st Lieutenant and a Captain, recieved ARCOMs for getting the "best time," which wasn't actually the best time but what translated to the "best time for a pair of officers," which they happened to leave off of the award citation.
In Iraq in 2009 I put a couple of Soldiers in for ARCOMs for their actions in the Intel field. I put our OIC in for an ARCOM as well, because I knew that putting him in for anything less would be a ska in the face that would cause all of my Soldiers' Awards to get slapped down. Our OIC had only been with us for bout a third of the deployment, prior to that we were without an OIC, having myself and one other NCO to run things. Our OIC was awarded a Bronze Star, and most of my Soldiers received AAMs.
I and most NCOs have long understood that the system is INCREDIBLY flawed, and that one just needs to Lee their teeth together and grind it out because the people who would CHANGE the flawed system are the same people who currently BENEFIT from the flawed system - namely, officers. and it's not ONLY officers; Senior NCOs are often given awards that are WILDLY out of proportion for the actions they have taken. Not too long ago a 1SG got an ARCOM for reporting Soldiers who were complaining ONLINE about their leadership. This, to me, says that her "trolling" of these Soldiers is equal in merit to the Army as my actions in COMBAT that merited an ARCOM. Which is, obviously, fucking RIDICULOUS.
I am not trying to offer any type of fix for this, I am simply stating the facts: officers (and to an extent senior NCOs) receive preferential treatment when it comes to awards. Anyone who tells you different is either delusional, bullshitting, or an officer who is trying to defend a flawed system.
And that's okay. My DD-214 is two pages long with all of the damned awards and decorations I received by being in the wrong place at the wrong time for the Army over three different decades, and I've found that once you're out not a single one of them matters.
So drive on, Airborne. Huaa?
And most of these answers are hilarious. But only because I'm a RETIRED MSG and it doesn't matter to me anymore.
There is an unwritten law in the Army that the higher the rank you are, the higher the award you get for doing a thing. and I am not whining, it really doesn't matter to this retired Soldier so I am speaking objectively.
I have been on the receiving end of not getting the award that an officer who did the same thing DID get, I have put in Soldiers for Awards and seen officers that I put in get upgraded while enlisted (especially lower enlisted) get downgraded for THE SAME ACTIONS.
And when I have mentioned these discrepancies, I have been told "that must just be your unit," "that's probably not what happened," or my favorite, "you don't understand the dynamics of what happens at higher levels."
I WAS the higher damned level. I ran a Batalion and a Brigade S2 Section. And I repeatedly watched as enlisted Soldiers got awarded lesser awards than officers, often for events in which the enlisted Soldier did something well beyond the officer's actions.
This is an Army-wide issue, and one that has been going on for decades. In 1993 as a Private I got an Certificate of Achievement for beating the best time on the "Green Hell" obstacle course in Fort Sherman Panama. My partner, a junior NCO, got an AAM. Later I found out that two officers, a 1st Lieutenant and a Captain, recieved ARCOMs for getting the "best time," which wasn't actually the best time but what translated to the "best time for a pair of officers," which they happened to leave off of the award citation.
In Iraq in 2009 I put a couple of Soldiers in for ARCOMs for their actions in the Intel field. I put our OIC in for an ARCOM as well, because I knew that putting him in for anything less would be a ska in the face that would cause all of my Soldiers' Awards to get slapped down. Our OIC had only been with us for bout a third of the deployment, prior to that we were without an OIC, having myself and one other NCO to run things. Our OIC was awarded a Bronze Star, and most of my Soldiers received AAMs.
I and most NCOs have long understood that the system is INCREDIBLY flawed, and that one just needs to Lee their teeth together and grind it out because the people who would CHANGE the flawed system are the same people who currently BENEFIT from the flawed system - namely, officers. and it's not ONLY officers; Senior NCOs are often given awards that are WILDLY out of proportion for the actions they have taken. Not too long ago a 1SG got an ARCOM for reporting Soldiers who were complaining ONLINE about their leadership. This, to me, says that her "trolling" of these Soldiers is equal in merit to the Army as my actions in COMBAT that merited an ARCOM. Which is, obviously, fucking RIDICULOUS.
I am not trying to offer any type of fix for this, I am simply stating the facts: officers (and to an extent senior NCOs) receive preferential treatment when it comes to awards. Anyone who tells you different is either delusional, bullshitting, or an officer who is trying to defend a flawed system.
And that's okay. My DD-214 is two pages long with all of the damned awards and decorations I received by being in the wrong place at the wrong time for the Army over three different decades, and I've found that once you're out not a single one of them matters.
So drive on, Airborne. Huaa?
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SGT Beth Day
As an E4, I had to fill in for an injured officer during an NTC deployment. A rather serious matter came up and I had to deal with it. My boss told me had the officer dealt with it, he would have been put in for an MSM. He said since there was no way an E4 would get that, he was trying hard for an ARCOM. It got downgraded to an AAM. Sigh.
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CPT Jerry Lucas
1SG Steven Malkowski - Eisenhower only wore a few of the of the more important awards. Here is his list of awards:
USA and Foreign Decorations of Dwight D. Eisenhower
USA
Distinguished Service Medal-Army (with Oak Leaf Clusters)
DSM (October 7, 1922)
1st OLC (September 7, 1943)
2nd OLC (July 13, 1945)
3rd OLC (February 7, 1948)
4th OLC (June 2, 1952)
Distinguished Service Medal-Navy (June 25, 1947)
Legion of Merit, Legionnaire Class (November 25, 1943)
Mexican Border Service Medal (July 9, 1918)
Victory Medal, WWI (April 9, 1919)
American Defense Service Medal (April 2, 1947)
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with 9 stars (July 22, 1947)
Victory Medal, WWII (April 2, 1947)
Army of Occupation Medal-Germany (April 2, 1947)
Argentina
Order of the Liberator General San Martín, Great Cross (May 12, 1950)
Austria
Order of Merit, Type II, Grand Cross (October 13, 1965)
Belgium
Croix de Guerre of 1940 with Palm (July 30, 1945)
Order of Leopold, Grand Cordon with Palm (July 30, 1945)
Brazil
Order of Military Merit, Grand Cross (June 19, 1946)
War Medal (July 1, 1946)
Order of Aeronautical Merit, Grand Cross (August 5, 1946)
National Order of the Southern Cross, Grand Cross (August 5, 1946)
Campaign Medal (August 6, 1946)
Chile
Order of Merit, Grand Cross (March 12, 1947)
China (Nationalist)
Order of Yun-Fei (Order of Cloud and Banner), Grand Cordon, Special Class (September 18, 1947)
Czechoslovakia
Order of the White Lion, First Class (October 11, 1945)
The Order of the White Lion for Victory, Star, First Class (October 11, 1945)
War Cross of 1939 (October 11, 1945)
Denmark
Order of the Elephant (December 19, 1945) [70-633.2]
Ecuador
The Order of the Star of Abdón Calderón, First Class (March 30, 1949)
Egypt
The Most High Order of Ismail, Grand Order with Star (May 24, 1947) [61-195.1]
Ethiopia
The Order of Solomon, Knight Grand Cross with Cordon (February 14, 1948)
The Most Exalted Order of the Queen of Sheba (May 16, 1954)
France
Legion of Honor, Grand Croix (June 15, 1943)
Croix de Guerre with Palm (June 19, 1943)
Order of the Liberation (September 5, 1945)
Médaille Militaire (May 21, 1952)
Greece
Order of George I, Grand Cross with Swords (July 13, 1946)
Royal Order of the Savior (March 14, 1952)
Guatemala
Cross of Military Merit, First Class (April 30, 1947)
Haiti
National Order of Honor and Merit, Grand Cross with Gold Badge (July 3, 1945)
Italy
Military Order of Italy, Knight Grand Cross (December 5, 1947)
The Order of Merit of Malta, Sovereign Order of Malta, Grand Cross (April 1, 1952)
Japan
Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum, Grand Cordon (September 27, 1960)
Jerusalem
Grand Order of the Holy Sepulchre (September 15, 1953)
Luxembourg
Order of the Grand-Duchal de la Couronne de Chéne, Grand Croix (August 3, 1945)
Médaille Militaire (August 3, 1945)
Mexico
Order of Military Merit, First Class (August 17, 1946)
Order of the Aztec Eagle, First Class (August 15, 1946)
Medal of Civic Merit (August 15, 1946)
Morocco
Order of Ouissam Alaouîte Chérifien, Grand Croix (July 9, 1943)
Order of Mohammed (November 25, 1957)
Netherlands
Order of the Lion of the Netherlands, Knight of the Grand Cross (July 14, 1945)
Norway
Royal Order of St. Olaf, Grand Cross (November 20, 1945
Royal Order of St. Olaf, Grand Commander (April 17, 1946)
Pakistan
Order of Pakistan, Nishan (December 7, 1957)
Panama
Order of Vasco Nuñez de Balboa, Grand Cross (August 13, 1946) [61-211.1]
Order of Manuél Amador Guerrero, Grand Master (June 8, 1956)
Philippines
The Distinguished Service Star (December 12, 1939)
The Order of Sikatuna, Raja (June 16, 1960)
Shield of Honor Medal, Chief Commander (April 9, 1961)
Poland
Order of Polonia Restituta, Chévalier (May 18, 1945)
Order of Military Virtue, First Class (September 25, 1944)
Cross of Grunwald, First Class (September 7, 1945)
Thailand
The Most Illustrious Order of the Royal House of Chakri (June 28, 1960)
Tunisia
Order of Nichan Iftikhar, Grand Cordon (May 29, 1943)
U.S.S.R
Order of Victory, Chévalier (June 5, 1945)
Order of Suvorov, First Class (February 19, 1944)
United Kingdom
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, Knight Grand Cross (G.C.B) (June 12, 1943)
Order of Merit (June 12, 1945)
African Star with Silver Numerals 8 & 1 (November 18, 1943)
Yugoslavia
Commemorative War Cross 1941-45 (April 29, 1967)
Citation: From Chief, PSB, TAGO to Chief, PRB, TAGO; October 2, 1957; Subject: Decorations, Awards and Service Medals; AGPS-AD-C 201 Eisenhower, Dwight D.
Last Revised Date
August 09, 2024
USA and Foreign Decorations of Dwight D. Eisenhower
USA
Distinguished Service Medal-Army (with Oak Leaf Clusters)
DSM (October 7, 1922)
1st OLC (September 7, 1943)
2nd OLC (July 13, 1945)
3rd OLC (February 7, 1948)
4th OLC (June 2, 1952)
Distinguished Service Medal-Navy (June 25, 1947)
Legion of Merit, Legionnaire Class (November 25, 1943)
Mexican Border Service Medal (July 9, 1918)
Victory Medal, WWI (April 9, 1919)
American Defense Service Medal (April 2, 1947)
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with 9 stars (July 22, 1947)
Victory Medal, WWII (April 2, 1947)
Army of Occupation Medal-Germany (April 2, 1947)
Argentina
Order of the Liberator General San Martín, Great Cross (May 12, 1950)
Austria
Order of Merit, Type II, Grand Cross (October 13, 1965)
Belgium
Croix de Guerre of 1940 with Palm (July 30, 1945)
Order of Leopold, Grand Cordon with Palm (July 30, 1945)
Brazil
Order of Military Merit, Grand Cross (June 19, 1946)
War Medal (July 1, 1946)
Order of Aeronautical Merit, Grand Cross (August 5, 1946)
National Order of the Southern Cross, Grand Cross (August 5, 1946)
Campaign Medal (August 6, 1946)
Chile
Order of Merit, Grand Cross (March 12, 1947)
China (Nationalist)
Order of Yun-Fei (Order of Cloud and Banner), Grand Cordon, Special Class (September 18, 1947)
Czechoslovakia
Order of the White Lion, First Class (October 11, 1945)
The Order of the White Lion for Victory, Star, First Class (October 11, 1945)
War Cross of 1939 (October 11, 1945)
Denmark
Order of the Elephant (December 19, 1945) [70-633.2]
Ecuador
The Order of the Star of Abdón Calderón, First Class (March 30, 1949)
Egypt
The Most High Order of Ismail, Grand Order with Star (May 24, 1947) [61-195.1]
Ethiopia
The Order of Solomon, Knight Grand Cross with Cordon (February 14, 1948)
The Most Exalted Order of the Queen of Sheba (May 16, 1954)
France
Legion of Honor, Grand Croix (June 15, 1943)
Croix de Guerre with Palm (June 19, 1943)
Order of the Liberation (September 5, 1945)
Médaille Militaire (May 21, 1952)
Greece
Order of George I, Grand Cross with Swords (July 13, 1946)
Royal Order of the Savior (March 14, 1952)
Guatemala
Cross of Military Merit, First Class (April 30, 1947)
Haiti
National Order of Honor and Merit, Grand Cross with Gold Badge (July 3, 1945)
Italy
Military Order of Italy, Knight Grand Cross (December 5, 1947)
The Order of Merit of Malta, Sovereign Order of Malta, Grand Cross (April 1, 1952)
Japan
Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum, Grand Cordon (September 27, 1960)
Jerusalem
Grand Order of the Holy Sepulchre (September 15, 1953)
Luxembourg
Order of the Grand-Duchal de la Couronne de Chéne, Grand Croix (August 3, 1945)
Médaille Militaire (August 3, 1945)
Mexico
Order of Military Merit, First Class (August 17, 1946)
Order of the Aztec Eagle, First Class (August 15, 1946)
Medal of Civic Merit (August 15, 1946)
Morocco
Order of Ouissam Alaouîte Chérifien, Grand Croix (July 9, 1943)
Order of Mohammed (November 25, 1957)
Netherlands
Order of the Lion of the Netherlands, Knight of the Grand Cross (July 14, 1945)
Norway
Royal Order of St. Olaf, Grand Cross (November 20, 1945
Royal Order of St. Olaf, Grand Commander (April 17, 1946)
Pakistan
Order of Pakistan, Nishan (December 7, 1957)
Panama
Order of Vasco Nuñez de Balboa, Grand Cross (August 13, 1946) [61-211.1]
Order of Manuél Amador Guerrero, Grand Master (June 8, 1956)
Philippines
The Distinguished Service Star (December 12, 1939)
The Order of Sikatuna, Raja (June 16, 1960)
Shield of Honor Medal, Chief Commander (April 9, 1961)
Poland
Order of Polonia Restituta, Chévalier (May 18, 1945)
Order of Military Virtue, First Class (September 25, 1944)
Cross of Grunwald, First Class (September 7, 1945)
Thailand
The Most Illustrious Order of the Royal House of Chakri (June 28, 1960)
Tunisia
Order of Nichan Iftikhar, Grand Cordon (May 29, 1943)
U.S.S.R
Order of Victory, Chévalier (June 5, 1945)
Order of Suvorov, First Class (February 19, 1944)
United Kingdom
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, Knight Grand Cross (G.C.B) (June 12, 1943)
Order of Merit (June 12, 1945)
African Star with Silver Numerals 8 & 1 (November 18, 1943)
Yugoslavia
Commemorative War Cross 1941-45 (April 29, 1967)
Citation: From Chief, PSB, TAGO to Chief, PRB, TAGO; October 2, 1957; Subject: Decorations, Awards and Service Medals; AGPS-AD-C 201 Eisenhower, Dwight D.
Last Revised Date
August 09, 2024
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1LT Peter Suedfeld
CPT Jerry Lucas - A relevant historical fact might be that Eisenhower never personally participated in combat.
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A very reasonable question with a very simple answer. Junior officers, the ones in closet contact with enlisted personnel aren't very adept leaders. They are lucky to know how to do the simplest tasks of leadership let alone something sophisticated like recommending personnel for awards and decorations. Their immediate superiors aren't much better. However senior officers who are well aware of the significance that decorations can have on a military career rarely witness the accomplishments of the troops as individuals. What's the solution? If you witness an act of valor or a significant accomplishment that you feel is worthy of recognition, bring it to the attention of your immediate superior. Suggest a that they submit a recommendation for recognition if they're too dense to take the hint. Write it up yourself if you have to. Then hope that someone does the same for you when you deserve it. If anyone gives you trouble for following my advice, refer them to me.
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SSG Jack Simpson
SGT Victoria Belbusti - I'm going to out myself here. In 20 yrs of service, I never received a medal when leaving a unit. My first unit was Stratcom, Strategic Communications Command Europe. I served with AFCENT NATO (Allied Forces Central Europe) Brunssum NL from 72-76. I was there during the Bicentennial. For my bye bye Award, I received a Pewter Coin the Commander STRATCOM had struck, 1 of 200 supposedly given to the best soldiers in the entire command. No certificate no promo points. My second unit, HHC 46th Spt Gp (CORPS) Ft. Bragg, I was given a plaque from my fellow NCO's, one of 5 ever given at the time, an honor I cherish but again, no Promo points. My official award fell through the cracks when the Signal Officer, a female Captain, got caught in the act with the COSCOM Cmdr. a Colonel. Both got relieved and transferred really fast. I ran into her in Bremerhaven Germany, and she asked me about the ARCOM she had started the paperwork on. It never got completed. My third Unit was the 97th Signal Bn (Constabulary), CENTCOM NATO in Mannheim FGR. I found out just before getting on the plane to come home in 80' that I was recommended for a NATO Award, but it got denied and no one did a U.S. award recommendation. My fourth unit, C company 311 MI Bn CEWI (ABN) Ft. Bragg. At the time I was there the Army was allowing E-7's the privilege to volunteer for six-month tours in South America as advisors. My PLT Sgt volunteered twice and that made me acting Plt Sgt. When I was Plt Sgt my plt won Plt of the month three times consecutively and Plt of the year just before the E-7 returned from his second tour. I then ran afoul of the Plt Sgt because I "showed him up". he and his friend the 1st Sgt made sure I paid for that. I went to ANOC and upon returning to the 311th found out I had been transferred to HHC 101st Abn BN Div Artillery as the COMSEC Custodian. I was with them for 6 months before being sent back to Germany. I was told that I hadn't served with them long enough to be recommended for an award. And in my 5th unit, 1st Bn,9th Field Artillery Bde (PERSHING) I messed myself up when I refused to take a special training related to the launching of the nuclear missiles because one of the launch options was a first strike option and I objected to that. I would later accept the training when the option was canceled. But the damage was done. 2 yrs and 8 months of shunning and retribution for my initial refusal. No award on leaving. And then I got my first Award ever for Desert Storm and retired shortly after returning to the U.S. again no award, and because the 1st Sgt "forgot" to put in a retirement ceremony request, no ceremony either. End of story.
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MSG (Join to see)
So 2nd and 1st Lieutenants, the direct leaders of troops, don’t have the knowledge to recommend those troops for awards.
That is what you said.
There are literally entire classes in ROTC and at West Point on taking care of subordinates.
I know, because I’ve taught those classes.
I had a 2LT come to me in Afghanistan halfway through our tour and ask me what awards the Soldiers in our Section should get. I told him to put them all in for the highest awards he could, because they’d be knocked down in review.
He put three Soldiers in for Army Commendation Medals, and me in for a Bronze Star.
All three got Army Achievement Medals, and I got an Army Commendation Medal because I got injured in a non-combat action and left early, so I missed TWELVE DAYS of the tour. They awarded the Brinze Star to another Senior NCO who hadn’t left the FOB a single time.
It’s not that Junior Officers don’t know how to do the job of recommending Soldiers for awards. It’s a numbers and favorites game.
Those Junior Officers know quite well HOW to do it; they often are told NOT to do it.
He’ll, in Iraq one time I had a 1LT tell me and all of the Soldiers in my Intel Team to write our own award recommendations so that he’d could submit honest awards. We all did. Then Command copied and pasted some of our descriptions, word for word, to the 1LT’s and a couple of other Officers’ Bronze Star award recommendations, dropping us all down to ARCOMs and AAMs.
That’s not lack of adeptness. That’s bean counting for the benefit of Officers.
That is what you said.
There are literally entire classes in ROTC and at West Point on taking care of subordinates.
I know, because I’ve taught those classes.
I had a 2LT come to me in Afghanistan halfway through our tour and ask me what awards the Soldiers in our Section should get. I told him to put them all in for the highest awards he could, because they’d be knocked down in review.
He put three Soldiers in for Army Commendation Medals, and me in for a Bronze Star.
All three got Army Achievement Medals, and I got an Army Commendation Medal because I got injured in a non-combat action and left early, so I missed TWELVE DAYS of the tour. They awarded the Brinze Star to another Senior NCO who hadn’t left the FOB a single time.
It’s not that Junior Officers don’t know how to do the job of recommending Soldiers for awards. It’s a numbers and favorites game.
Those Junior Officers know quite well HOW to do it; they often are told NOT to do it.
He’ll, in Iraq one time I had a 1LT tell me and all of the Soldiers in my Intel Team to write our own award recommendations so that he’d could submit honest awards. We all did. Then Command copied and pasted some of our descriptions, word for word, to the 1LT’s and a couple of other Officers’ Bronze Star award recommendations, dropping us all down to ARCOMs and AAMs.
That’s not lack of adeptness. That’s bean counting for the benefit of Officers.
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2LT Zoey Roosevelt
Having been enlisted, then commissioned, and now being someone who is doing a PhD in Global Leadership, my opinion on the awards is that officers receive training and guidance that informs them of the importance of earning awards and medals, while many enlisted people invests more time mildly talking about accomplishments. The change needs to be within the enlisted. It's time to strategically think like someone who is worthy of being awarded those awards and medals, who envisioned them placed on the records of all who earned them, rather than complaining about it being unfair that many officers have more recognition on their records than the enlisted.
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CPT Jack Durish
2LT Zoey Roosevelt - You are serving in a far different Army than the one I served in. Inasmuch as you say you were enlisted, then commissioned, it's tempting to assume that you attended OCS -- though some enlisted attend an Academy. I'm going with OCS -- that's how I was commissioned. (Are OCS grads still referred to as "Mustangs"?) My class was the last under the old POI that demanded spit-shined everything -- floors, helmet liners, etc. Inasmuch as we expected to face an enemy armed with every type of weapon from WWI forward, we spent a lot of time mastering them all. It was a six month cram course that left little time for such niceties as awards and decorations. Leadership? That was taught in practical exercises. (Do they still use the Leadership Reaction Course?)
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Don't get wrapped around the axle on awards, sometimes there is not much rhyme or reason. Do you best always, I never worried about any awards. End of tour before PCS orders is a give away award in my book and does not occur that much in the Marine Corps. We also don't give promotion point for them either. Yes, looks nice on your uniform but you evals and performance are what count in my book. Semper fi and keep charging.
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SGM (Join to see)
I hear what you're saying. I was the Operations Sergeant Major in a Joint Task Force and had to do Navy/Marine "FitReps" which were our NCO Eval Reports on Senior or "Staff" Navy PO's and Marine NCO's. Naturally they were a different format so I recruited the help of some senior Navy and Marine NCO's to advise me. I received some good SA on the workings and I was as honest and straight as possible. Nice comment Master Guns.
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PO1 Craig Anthony
Your eval system was probably tightly adhered to compared the navy, were slags would get 4.0, forcing the worthy to get 4.0, even if they were only a 3.8.
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CPT Jack Durish
SFC James Welch - I had a Master Sergeant in my command when I was stationed in Hawaii. He only wore one ribbon, a Silver Star with an OLC. Of course I was curious and pulled his 201 file to see what was going on. The abbreviated version of the story (I've posted the full thing in another thread somewhere on RP) is that he lied about his age (13) to enlist for WWI and being large for his age, got away with it. He mustered out immediately following the war but reenlisted for WWII (no lying needed). Same for Korea. When he tried to enlist for Vietnam, he had to contact a very senior officer to pull some strings and he did a tour there. Retired with 20 years active duty, every day in wartime/combat service (except Vietnam - no combat for him there). And yes, he had plenty of awards and decorations. Would've looked like a potentate if he wore them all. The two Silver Stars he wore (he had others) were awarded by John J. Pershing.
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