Please clear up difference between Ribbons and Medals.

[Virginian]

It is my understanding that the medals are awarded with a unique color or design of ribbon. These ribbons are then worn above the left pocket of the uniform to represent the medal and are called "Campaign Ribbons". (Medals could get heavy and noisy if they were worn there.) Medals are not carried around, but sent home if one is in a war zone.

Instead of duplicate ribbons, tiny oak leaves are attached to the existing ribbon to indicate the medal was earned more than once.

Anyone can purchase the medals or ribbons at a military supply store.


Someone please set me straight on this. It is my belief that the campaign ribbons are such a representation of the medals, that they could be referred to as medals.

[benburch]

In the Navy

The terms are usually interchangeable.

[CatWoman]

1. Glad you started this thread

"ribbons" and "medals" are interchangeable.

When one is awarded a medal, he is given the ribbon, to be worn on the uniform, along with the medal (in a decorative box) and the citation.

[BlueEyedSon]

2. Clarification:

[Virginian]

3. At the time, Dubya probably couldn't tell the difference. n/t

[CatWoman]

4. Virginian -- where you from?

I was born in Portsmouth.

And I, too, am a Redskin fan.

:hi:

[TheDebbieDee]

10. LLLLLOOOOOoooooolllllllll BlueEyedSon

[seemslikeadream]

21. Blue you know I have to follow you with this

you were my inspiration

[havocmom]

5. Ribbons and medals are both representations of the citation

Ribbons worn on daily uniforms, medals on dress uniform and usually kept in a box otherwise. They are two sides of the same coin.

Cheney would have known this had he paid as much attention to the guys in uniforms as he did the guys in boardrooms of military contractors who could give him cushie jobs tho he had no expereince....

Pluck the Chicken Hawks!

[Tinoire]

6. There's really not much to clear up.Kerry is exploiting linguistic nuances

to get him out of a charade, a lie he tried to perpetrate for 33 years.

When you receive an award, the medal, attacked to a long ribbon was traditionally hung around your neck (routinely these days, except for the highest, most ceremonial awards, you just have a snippet of the ribbon designed to fit in a small box, and that is pinned to your jacket).



Ribbons, worn on semi-formal uniforms, are tiny and look like this:

(Purple Heart)

The vets threw their medals attached to the longer ribbons hence their outrage at this entire charade. Even the very Progressive Veterans for Peace, who where many of the ones who threw their ribbons, have been appalled at the lie and called Kerry out on it a long time ago. There is no misunderstanding. There is no nuance. There is just someone caught in what he taught was a small lie he could get away with for a charade. If Kerry was too attached, as are many soldiers, and not angry enough to throw his own medals away, there was no need to pretend.

The first hint of a bit of disconnect in your style was when during your first Senate campaign you denied returning your war medals, with a thousand other veterans, in protest of the war during Dewey Canyon III. That was a bit of a shock, since for most veterans who returned their medals in that emotional ceremony on Friday, April 23, 1971, it was a very proud and healing moment. Your 1984 campaign response: You had returned the medals of a WWII acquaintance at his direction. All those 13 years everyone thought you had had the courage and leadership to return medals that to veterans who returned them represented medals of dishonor drenched in the blood of innocent Vietnamese who did not deserve to die for a lie, any more than our fellow US Americans. I guess you knew then that you were to be running for office.

http://www.brianwillson.com/awolkerry.html




Hope that helps.

[papau]

16. Love Brian - not :-( Kerry did not lie but did try to have it "both ways

Something he has to stop.

In a Court the ruling would be told the truth in all statements over last 30 years.

But with the average guy - say you through the ribbon - and drop the term "medal"

[Tinoire]

17. We're just quibbling you and I

I classify a charade as a lie... the lie for me is also in the intent. Kerry could have easily cleared this up decades ago and now what should have been a non-issue is catching up with him. Though I have seen quotes, if they are to be believed, where he did outright lie and claim to have thrown 6,7,8 of his medals.

Chinks in the armor can be deadly when going against Messiah Bush.

On edit: But Brian Willson, I do love. That is a TRUE American hero... A vet losing both legs as he tries to stop a train from carrying arms to South America and incessantly working for peace and justice is someone I admire greatly. And a hell of a nice fellow too.

[papau]

18. Is that the Vermont Brian?

:-)

Folks in the Northeast Kingdom were distraught when he lost his legs because the train was ordered to not stop.




But I still say Kerry told the Truth - but he must wake up to who his audiance is - Folks want one side or the other.

Can we bring Dean back?

[libertad]

7. Ribbons represent medals and are worn to represent the medal,

you can buy them at a uniform shop for very little. Little stars on the ribbons represent additional medals of the same type that have been awarded. They are awarded to you, and are your property. Ribbons can be easily replaced at little cost. The action was symbolic and is NO BIG DEAL!!!

[Virginian]

9. Little stars on the ribbons represent additional medals of the same type

If the stars represent the duplicates, what are the Oak Clusters for?

[TheDebbieDee]

12. The second award of a medal.....

gets you a gold oak cluster. The third award of a medal gets you an gold double oak cluster. The fourth award of a medal gets you a gold triple oak cluster.

The fifth award of a medal gets you a silver oak cluster.

[edison1958]

15. Bronze actually.....

...not gold. Silver for 5th OLC as you said.

[edison1958]

14. Army and Air Force....

....use Oak Leaf Clusters for most additional awards. Navy and Marines use stars for additional awards...not sure what USCG uses but probably stars?

(Exceptions--National Defense Service Medal=star for 2nd/subsequent awards. Armed Forces Reserve Medal=hourglass for 2nd/subsequent awards.) Probably others but these are the ones that come most to mind.

[libertad]

8. Cheney and Bush DIDN'T serve. That is the big deal, not this

crap about throwing away ribbons. This is so petty.

[TheDebbieDee]

11. Anyone can purchase the medals or ribbons..........

at a military supply store.

This is true, Virginian. That's why medals or ribbons are just decoration without an authenticating set of military orders.

[trof]

13. See my post

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x1479700

[Virginian]

19. Next question... Has anyone ever heard of

a tombstone promotion? Are they valid in national cemeteries?

[edison1958]

20. Posthumous Promotions...

....are authorized under certain circumstances. You must have been on an approved promotion list, and there are other rules I'm not aware of. (That's the way it works in the Army. Not sure about the other services. An acquaintance who was killed in the Pentagon on 9/11 received a posthumous promotion to Colonel.)

[Virginian]

22. No, this is a little different.

This was a promotion awarded at retirement.

[edison1958]

23. I'm not familiar with that.

Promotions are generally intended to recognize future potential, so a "tombstone" promotion seems very unusual. Posthumous promotion recognizes that you were already selected, though not actually promoted in life. Can you give me some specifics on this?