The Vietnam Service Medal is a military award of the United States Armed Forces
established in 1965 by order of President Lyndon B. Johnson. The medal
is awarded to recognize service during the Vietnam War and is authorized to
service members of each branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, provided they meet
the award requirements. The distinctive design has been
attributed to both sculptor Thomas Hudson Jones, a former employee of the
Army Institute of Heraldry and Mercedes Lee who created the design.
Award criteria The Vietnam Service Medal is awarded to
any service member who served on temporary duty for more than 30
consecutive days, or 60 non-consecutive days, attached to or regularly serving
for one, or more, days with an organization participating in or
directly supporting ground operations or attached to or regularly serving for
one, or more, days aboard a naval vessel directly supporting military operations
in the Republic of Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos within the defined combat
zone between the dates of 15 November 1961 and 28 March 1973, and from 29
April 1975 to 30 April 1975. For the United States Navy, vessels operating in
Vietnamese waters qualify for the Vietnam Service Medal provided that the
naval vessel was engaged in direct support of Vietnam combat operations.
The United States Air Force also grants the Vietnam Service Medal exclusively to
flight crews that flew missions over Vietnamese air space, even if the home
base of the flight mission was hundreds of miles away requiring in flight
refueling. The Vietnam Service Medal is retroactive
to 1961 and supersedes and replaces the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal which
was issued for Vietnam service prior to 1965. Defense Department regulations do
not permit the simultaneous presentation of both the Vietnam Service Medal, and
the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, for the same period of service in
Vietnam, however the AFEM may be exchanged for the VSM upon request from
a service member. Veterans of the Vietnam War may exchange the AFEM for
the VSM and have military records updated to reflect the difference by
contacting the National Personnel Records Center, which is the current
agency that provides record corrections reflecting an AFEM upgrade to the
Vietnam Service Medal. The Republic of Vietnam also issued its
own service medal for the Vietnam War, known as the Republic of Vietnam
Campaign Medal. This is a separate military award which was accepted by the
U.S. Congress and the U.S. Military in accordance with DoD 1348 C7. Six months
of service in support of military operations in the Republic of Vietnam
was the normal requirement for the award.
Medal and ribbon appearance The Vietnam Service Medal is a rounded
bronze shaped medal, 1-1/4 inches in diameter. The obverse side consists of a
figure of an oriental dragon behind a grove of bamboo trees, are above the
inscription "REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM SERVICE". On the reverse, a crossbow
facing upwards with a ready to be fired lighted torch of the Statue of Liberty,
above an arched inscription "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA".
The Vietnam Service Ribbon is 1-3/8 inches wide and consists of the
following vertical stripes: three narrow strips of red with wider stripes of
yellow in the center, flanked by even wider stripes of yellow on each side and
narrow 1/8-inch stripes of primitive green on the ends. The yellow with red
stripes suggest the flag of the Republic of Vietnam and the green represents the
Vietnamese jungles. = Ribbon devices =
The Vietnam Service Medal is authorized three devices for wear on the suspension
ribbon and on its service ribbon: Service star: for participation in or
support of operations in the seventeen designated campaigns of the Vietnam
Conflict, a bronze 3/16 inch star is authorized for wear on the Vietnam
Service Medal suspension and service ribbon for each of the campaigns from 15
March 1962 to 28 January 1973; a bronze star is also authorized for Operation
Frequent Wind, 29-30 April 1975, for USN, USMC, and USAF personnel. A silver
3/16 inch star is authorized in lieu of five bronze stars.
Arrowhead device: assigned or attached member of a U.S. Army unit with direct
combat assault credit for a parachute jump, helicopter assault landing, combat
glider landing, or amphibious assault landing.
FMF combat operation insignia: for Naval personnel attached to the Marine Corps
during Marine Corps combat operations. Vietnam campaigns
The Department of Defense established thirty military campaigns during the
Vietnam War which covered all service branches. In 2010, the Department of
Defense consolidated the original list of campaigns from the original 30 to a
list of 18 by combining the Air Force campaign list with the other armed
services. The United States Army, and Coast Guard recognize seventeen 3/16"
service stars on the Vietnam Service campaign streamer. Additionally, the
United States Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force recognize Operation Frequent Wind.
= Department of Defense consolidated campaign periods =
= USAF original campaign periods = See also
Arrowhead device Awards and decorations of the United
States military Fleet Marine Force Combat Operation
Insignia Campaign star
Service star Notes
References External links
Media related to Vietnam Service Medal at Wikimedia Commons