Vietnam Service Medal

Vietnam Service Medal. The Vietnam Service Medal is a military award of the United States Armed Forces established by Executive order under President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965. It recognizes service members who performed duty in the Southeast Asia theater during the Vietnam War, a conflict that also involved the Republic of Vietnam and allied forces. The medal honors participation in one of the nation's longest and most contentious military engagements.

Description and appearance

The medal's design features a bronze disc depicting a dragon behind a grove of bamboo trees, symbolizing the region. The reverse side shows a crossbow and a torch, flanked by the inscriptions **REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM SERVICE** and **UNITED STATES OF AMERICA**. The ribbon is yellow with three red stripes, edged in green, colors representing the Flag of South Vietnam. The medal was designed by the Institute of Heraldry and manufactured by the United States Mint. Service stars, arrowhead devices, and Fleet Marine Force Combat Operation Insignia could be authorized for attachment to the ribbon and suspension bar to denote specific campaign participation or combat service.

Eligibility criteria

Eligibility required service within the defined geographical theater, which included Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and the contiguous waters and airspace, between July 4, 1965, and March 28, 1973. Personnel must have been attached to or regularly serving for one or more days with an organization participating in or directly supporting military operations. This encompassed members of the United States Army, United States Navy, United States Marine Corps, United States Air Force, and United States Coast Guard. Temporary duty for 30 consecutive or 60 non-consecutive days also qualified, as did service in Thailand during specific periods for air and support missions. Those eligible for the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal for Vietnam service prior to July 1965 could elect to receive that award instead.

History and establishment

The medal was created by Executive Order 11231 signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson on July 8, 1965, as the Vietnam War escalated following the Gulf of Tonkin incident and the deployment of major U.S. combat units like the 1st Cavalry Division (United States). It filled a need for a service-specific award distinct from the broader Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal. The order was later amended by Executive Order 11382 and Executive Order 13286. The award period officially concluded with the cessation of U.S. combat operations following the Paris Peace Accords and the final withdrawal of American troops, though some personnel qualified through later operations such as Operation Frequent Wind.

Order of precedence and wear

Within the Awards and decorations of the United States military, the Vietnam Service Medal is worn after the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal and before the Korea Defense Service Medal. On military uniforms, it is displayed in sequence with other service medals and campaign medals. When worn with the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, the foreign award is typically placed after all U.S. decorations. The order of precedence is governed by regulations from the Department of the Army and the Department of the Navy.

Notable recipients

Many high-ranking officers and officials received the medal, including General William Westmoreland, commander of the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam, and his successor, General Creighton Abrams. Admiral Elmo Zumwalt Jr., Chief of Naval Operations, and Colonel George Day, a Medal of Honor recipient and former prisoner of war in the Hanoi Hilton, were also awarded it. Other notable recipients include Senator John McCain, who was a naval aviator held as a POW in North Vietnam, and General Norman Schwarzkopf Jr., who served as an advisor early in his career. The medal was awarded posthumously to many fallen servicemen, such as those memorialized on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C..

Category:United States campaign medals Category:Vietnam War awards and decorations of the United States