How do I find out what awards and patches a deceased veteran was authorized to have?

2020-02-12T10:55:43-05:00

My grandfather served in the Army during Vietnam. He didn't talk about it much so I found out kinda recently. Unfortunately he passed away due to cancer. I have his flag and would like to build a shadow box to display it in along with any patches and ribbons he had. The problem is his wife is a wicked with and got rid of everything before the family could even look at what he left behind. How do I go about finding what awards, ribbons, and patches he was authorized? I know some of that should be on his DD-214 but I don't know how to get that. Plus, there's the issue of any patches he earned. Thank you for helping this navy vet honor his grandfather. I'm pretty ure he wasn't registered with the VA either

Response by CW5 Jack Cardwell made Feb 12 at 2020 10:58 AM

2020-02-12T10:58:39-05:00

See if your county has a Veterans Service Officer or contact a local VFW Post, they might can help you with locating the DD-214.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 12 at 2020 10:59 AM

2020-02-12T10:59:50-05:00

As Next of Kin, you can submit a request to the National Archives for his military documents. You will need to supply the SSN of your grandfather to help better narrow the search down. The form and all of the instructions can be found on their website.

https://www.archives.gov/veterans

veterans

Response by SSG Rafael Rodriguez made Feb 12 at 2020 11:53 AM

2020-02-12T11:53:28-05:00

My condolences for your Grandfather's loss. I had to get a shadow box made for my Hanai father and had to do a lot of leg work. First i went to his last unit and gathered what ever documents i could, mostly his DD-214 so that i knew what awards he had. get started with this websites;
https://www.loc.gov/vets/bib-factsheet.html
https://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records
https://www.ebenefits.va.gov/ebenefits/homepage
https://soldierforlife.army.mil/Retirement
https://www.hrcapps.army.mil/Portal/default.aspx
If you are still looking for a really good shadow box, see this web site below;
https://www.shadowboxguru.com/
Good luck with your search, it was enlightening for me, learned a lot that he did not told us, don't give up, it will be a good one!

Finding Service Records (Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congess)

Project Kit of the Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Response by Patricia Overmeyer made Feb 12 at 2020 11:57 AM

2020-02-12T11:57:00-05:00

PO2 Mike Shorey: This is a pretty good article on getting the replacement medals/ribbons, etc. Please note that there are requirements as to whom is considered next of kin in order to get the DD214, etc. I suggest you also talk to a Service Officer with the VFW, DAV, or American Legion who can obtain the various required documents to submit in order to get these items. One thing you will probably not be able to get are the personal unit patches. These were made specifically for certain units and were usually "unauthorized" (my husband's was the Warriors as he was 25th ID, 2/12th, Bravo Co. and he still has his personal "unauthorized" unit patch). To find out if your grandfather's unit had an "unauthorized" patch, you will need to get in contact with others who served in that unit with him. Best of luck to you.

https://themilitarywallet.com/replace-military-medals-awards-decorations/

How to Replace Lost Military Medals, Awards, and Decorations

Military veterans and family members can request replacements for lost military medals, awards, and decorations, sometimes free of charge.

Response by SGT Philip Roncari made Feb 12 at 2020 7:37 PM

2020-02-12T19:37:20-05:00

Good luck with your quest into finding out about your Grandfather’s awards and decorations from his service in Vietnam,truly appreciate the honor shown to my Brother,I don’t know when and where he served but he always will be remembered by your actions,Thank you.

Response by SSG Thomas Simpson made Feb 12 at 2020 9:57 PM

2020-02-12T21:57:13-05:00

Most all counties have a VSO (Veterans Service Officer) they can assist you with getting your grandfather’s DD214 and his service records. Hope this helps you get your grandfather’s military history.

Response by SFC David Dean made Feb 12 at 2020 10:46 PM

2020-02-12T22:46:09-05:00

If you have his DD214 or a copy of it you can send to St Louis at the Personnel Center. Here is the info if you are still pursuing the awards:

http://www.archives.gov › personnel-records-center › awards-and-decorations
Military Awards and Decorations | National Archives
Jan 8, 2020 - How Do I Request Military Awards and Decorations? Important information for Next-of-Kin Cold War Recognition Certificate The National ...

www.archives.gov

Response by SSG Robert Webster made Feb 13 at 2020 5:58 PM

2020-02-13T17:58:47-05:00

If you have his flag from the funeral, then you should be able to get a copy of the DD-214 from the funeral home to start with.
With that it will make it easier for you to submit the paperwork to get a number of items from either the VA or other branches of government. Utilize the links at are available at the VA website and the one provided by CW4 G L Smith in his comment.

Response by SPC Richard Zacke made Feb 14 at 2020 8:38 PM

2020-02-14T20:38:54-05:00

You can put in a Freedom of Information Act request. Just state everything you want to know. Google it for the form and address to sent it to. Remember when dealing with the Federal Government everything goes at a snails pace. Good luck PO2 Mike Shorey