|
National Defense Service Medal (2001-2022)
|
Criteria
The National Defense Service Medal is awarded for honorable active service as a member of the Armed Forces during the Korean War, Vietnam War, the war against Iraq in the Persian Gulf, and for service... The National Defense Service Medal is awarded for honorable active service as a member of the Armed Forces during the Korean War, Vietnam War, the war against Iraq in the Persian Gulf, and for service during the current War on Terrorism. In addition, all members of the National Guard and Reserve who were part of the Selected Reserve in good standing between August 2, 1990, to November 30, 1995, are eligible for the National Defense Service Medal. In the case of Navy personnel, Midshipment attending the Naval Academy during the qualifying periods are eligible for this award, and Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) Midshipmen ae only eligible if they participated in a summer cruise that was in an area which qualified for a campaign medal. MoreHide
|
Comments
Military service from 1959 to 1963.
|
|
|
I got to Ft Monmouth in January, 1960. Since my school had not started yet, I was assigned to a holding barracks. We were given work assignments around the post. My first assignment was shoveling snow off of the walkways. Being from North Dakota, I was good at that. I do not remember which student barracks I was assigned to. I remember the classrooms and working on the GE microwave gear. One of my more vivid memories was being sent off to Pittsburgh to bring back an AWOL prisonner. He was a tall, gangly kid who I guess, just got home sick. I was called to the CO's office together with a Spc4 who would be in charge. We were issued .45 automatics with extra magazines. I had never fired a .45 before but it didn't seem like a big deal. We caught the train in Red Bank and rode it to Pittsburgh, went to a police station and picked the kid up. Felt sorry for him. He was going to do some "bad time". I graduated from microwave radio school in August, 1960 and got leave to go home. There was another fellow who was going further west than North Dakota so I hitched a ride with him and shared the gasoline. He would not let me drive, however. Even when he fell asleep at the wheel and damn near creamed us on a bridge abutment. He dropped me off in Sioux Falls and I took the Jack Rabbit Lines bus to Fargo where my Dad picked me up. It was quite a drive for him because he lived in Dickinson, at the other end of the state at that time. After my leave was over I flew back to New Jersey. Part of the trip was on a DC-3 from Fargo to Minneapolis. Northwest Airlines. That was quite a thrill. I remember the stewardess struggling up the aisle before the plane took off.