Vietnam Campaign Medal

[stratasfan]

The Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, also known as the Vietnam Campaign Medal (Vietnamese: Chiến Dịch Bội Tinh), is a South Vietnamese military campaign medal which was created in 1949, and awarded to French military personnel during the First Indochina War. During the Vietnam War (Second Indochina War), the South Vietnamese government awarded the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal with Device (1960– ) to members of the South Vietnamese military for wartime service and on March 24, 1966, to members of the U.S. military for support of operations in Vietnam. In May 1966, other allied foreign military personnel (namely Australia and New Zealand) became eligible for the award.

 

US Personnel Use:

It was authorized for award to members of the United States Armed Forces by the Department of Defense on June 20, 1966. To qualify for award, US personnel must meet one of the following requirements:

 

(1) Have served in the Republic of Viet­nam for 6 months during the period from March 1, 1961 to March 28, 1973.

(2) Have served outside the geographical limits of the Republic of Vietnam and con­tributed direct combat support to the RVN and Armed Forces for six months. Such individuals must meet the cri­teria established for the Armed Forces Ex­peditionary Medal (Vietnam) or the Vietnam Service Medal, during the period of service required to qualify for the Repub­lic of Vietnam Campaign Medal.

(3) Have served for less than six months and have been wounded by hostile forces, captured by hostile forces, but later escaped, was rescued or released or killed in action.

 

Special eligibility rules for the Vietnam Campaign Military Medal were established for personnel assigned in the Republic of Vietnam on January 28, 1973. To be eligible for the medal, an individual must have served a minimum of 60 days in the Republic of Vietnam as of that date or have completed a minimum of 60 days ser­vice in the Republic of Vietnam during the period from January 28, 1973 to March 28, 1973, inclusive.

 

Ribbon devices

The Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces Memorandum 2655 (8 October 1965) authorized two sets of two silver-plated devices ( 1 13⁄64" wide and 19⁄32" wide) for the suspension ribbon of the medal, and service ribbon of the medal and the miniature medal suspension ribbon, to indicate two separate periods of struggle against communism in South Vietnam.[b] Both sets of the devices if authorized, could be worn on the ribbons.

 

Period 1: 8 March 1949 – 20 July 1954: The 1949–54 device is worn on the medal suspension ribbon and the 49–54 device is worn on the service ribbon of the medal and the miniature medal suspension ribbon. These devices are not authorized for wear by American military personnel.

 

Period 2: 1 January 1960 – the end of the war: The 1960– device is worn on the medal suspension ribbon and the 60– device is worn on the service ribbon of the medal and the miniature medal suspension ribbon.

 

Description:

The Republic of Vietnam Campaign Military Medal is a white six-pointed star with cut lined, broad gold star points between and a central green disk with a map of Vietnam in silver surmounted with three painted flames in red, signifying the three regions of Vietnam. The reverse contains the inscrip­tion, “VIET-NAM” in a lined circle in the center with the name of the medal inscribed in Vietnamese text at the upper and lower edges separated by many short lines. The device, an integral part of the award, is a silver ribbon 28mm long on the suspension ribbon and 15mm long on the service bar inscribed, “1960-    ” and was evidently intended to include a terminal date for the hostilities. Many examples of this medal are found with de­vices inscribed with other dates but the only version authorized for U.S. personnel is the "1960- ". 

 

The medal was awarded for two different periods of service in Vietnam. The first period for the award was from 8 March 1949 to 20 July 1954. The second period was from 1 January 1960 to the end of the Vietnam War (the date was to be given when the war ended and North Vietnam was defeated). On 30 April 1975, Saigon was captured by the North Vietnamese army and South Vietnam surrendered and disbanded. The medal was not awarded after 28 March 1973, when the last U.S. troops left South Vietnam in accordance with the Paris Peace Accords.

 

 

Photo of a "1949-54" medal version (Courtesy of @KevinBeyer) -

 

 

 

If anyone has more info or pictures, please feel free to post! I can't believe I haven't got a picture of a typical US-issued one, but I don't! So . . if anyone has a really good quality image . . . I'd appreciate a post here for an example!