WWll Army CIB question

JamesArthur60

JamesArthur60

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A friend (age 92) is getting a medal presented to him for his service during WWll by the French government this coming veteran's day. He doesn't have any of his military gear and doesn't remember exactly what he is permitted to display on a dress uniform. He will be wearing my father-in-laws WWll issued "Ike" jacket with all his rank/ribbons removed. I want to put a couple ribbons on the jacket for him, but I'm no sure which are correct. I'd also like to get the collar brass. I believe it's one US and crossed rifles for the Infantry. His military story is very short. He was in the ETO. On his third day on the front line, in a fox hole, he was hit by a mortar round. He told me he never heard it coming. As a result his left arm was blown off. So, my question is: is he eligible to wear the CIB? I know he can wear the Purple Heart and the American Defense. I'm not sure about the Victory in Europe. I'm just not sure if specific ribbons require X amount of days in combat. This event will have news coverage so it's imperative I get the correct ribbons. Thanks.
 
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when they got home from being discharged, honorably discharged veterans were urged to take their DD214 to their County courthouse & have them registered/entered by the county clerk so that they would always be available...in case they lost the original copy in the years to come. Find out if he did this, which county it was, and the approximate month & year he registered it with the county clerk. I hope this helps him.

The records are sure to be on microfilm & they will charge him a slight fee for certified copies and a lesser fee for non certified copies.

If he was ever in a VA hospital, the first time he entered one, they would have asked for it too, they may have a copy on file too.
 
If you had a copy of his discharge papers or a DD214 this would be an easy question to answer because the award would be stipulated. He meets the current requirement for such an award. 1) he was an infantryman, 2) he was serving in an infantry unit and 3) he was engaged in actual combat. However at the time his service occurred, the requirement for the CIB was different and was on the order of the requirement of a Bronze Star and had to be awarded in orders from a particular ranking officer. Different awards even in today's military can only be awarded by a specified level of command or higher.

All this being said, no one is going to nitpick someone who has obviously sacrificed for his country. If it was my decision to make, I would unhesitatingly pin the CIB on this vet's uniform. As to whatever other campaign medals he has earned, you would have to research where specifically he served.
 
I had a friend who was shot in the chest getting off of a helicopter in Viet Nam. It was his first exposure to combat, and though it lasted but a few seconds, it almost killed him. He said the guys with him simply picked him up and put him back in the chopper, and he passed out after that and woke up in the hospital. While recovering, he was presented with a Purple Heart and a CIB. When he asked about the CIB, he was told it was awarded automatically along with the Purple Heart if he had not already been awarded one.

I agree with what OldNavyMPCO said, I don't think anyone is going to say anything about a CIB on your friend's Ike jacket. God bless you for taking care of your friend - that is a very kind and caring thing you are doing.

Regards,

Dave
 
He is also entitled the ribbon for European Theater of Operations. If you were wounded before qualifying for ribbons or badges they were automatically awarded. Since nobody was being discharged, many wore the CIB as soon as they entered combat (especially the paratroops) instead of after 90 days. This was in response to the German Army's combat badge, which was worn on their field uniform and just above the pocket.

Ivan
 
da gimp said:
when they got home from being discharged, honorably discharged veterans were urged to take their DD214 to their County courthouse & have them registered/entered by the county clerk so that they would always be available...in case they lost the original copy in the years to come.
Click to expand...

On a different topic - an elderly veteran should always have an original or replacement original DD214 available, and they should make sure it's whereabouts are known to his family. After he is gone, this *original* document is needed for burial in a national cemetery. Copies are not accepted. At least, that is what was required when my father died.
 
I would call your congressman's office and ask for help. They can get to NARA perhaps a bit quicker to get records.

My Dad was authorized the Bronze Star well after WWII because he had the Combat Infantryman Badge. It took us months to figure out. We knew he would not be wearing it if not awarded, but there was no paperwork.
 
Going in a bit of a different direction here, the criteria for awarding ribbons and badges changes over time. From my copy of "Insignia and Decorations of the U. S. Armed Forces", Revised Edition 1 Dec 44, and I quote;

"The Combat Infantryman Badge (approved November 15 1943) is for those officers and men "whose conduct in combat is exemplary or whose combat action occurs in a major operation".

So, per the standards in place at the time of his wounding, yes, he is entitled to wear the CIB. (And others, as mentioned above)
 
Ivan the Butcher said:
He is also entitled the ribbon for European Theater of Operations. If you were wounded before qualifying for ribbons or badges they were automatically awarded. Since nobody was being discharged, many wore the CIB as soon as they entered combat (especially the paratroops) instead of after 90 days. This was in response to the German Army's combat badge, which was worn on their field uniform and just above the pocket.

Ivan
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Also the American Defence Medal and im not sure what else? Good Conduct and others???


If you mean the Infanteriesturmabziechen? (Infantry Assault Badge) Germans got them only after surviving a certain amount of combat assaults--didnt mean they actually had to fire a shot though? Now if you meant the General Assault Badge? those were awarded to any man who participated in a combat move-but didnt mean they had to fire a shot while doing so. I WISH I were somewhere I could post pictures of these two diff badges. I have 12 of one-3 of the other.
 
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Don't know about WW2, But my Dad was in Korea, He was most proud of his CIB, He told me you had to be in combat under fire for 30 day's.
He also had a Bronze star, Be liked the CIB better....
 
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If he's a World War II vet he won't have a DD214, as the Department of Defense wasn't formed until much later. He will have a certificate of discharge: a WD (War Department), AGO (Adjutant General's Office) form whose number I don't remember.
 
Unfortunately, certificates of discharge and other service records may not be available. A warehouse fire in St Louis destroyed many WWII veterans files (my dad's included).

Congratulations to the veteran, and thanks to you for doing this for him!
 
To those who suggested looking up his discharge records that worked. A local military historian for the county did a video interview of him and copied his DD214 (it's a different number for WWll personel). It was viewable on the internet. His records indicate he was awarded the Purple Heart, Good Conduct and the ETO ribbon with two bronze stars. Without the help of members on this forum, I could not have accurately provided this WWll veteran the correct awards he deserves to wear at the upcoming ceremony. Thank you for your help and thank you for your service.
 
FYI: I am in the process of "buying back" my military time in preparation of Federal retirement. You can request a copy of your DD214 from the military on-line (mine had been copied so many times it, it was pretty faded). Got it pretty quickly.
 
i1afli said:
So no CIB?
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Well, I'm not sure. I compared my father-in-law's discharge form to my friends and they differ slightly regarding terminology. My friends states: Rifleman-745 under Military Occupational Specialty and Number. My father-in-law's states: Combat Infantryman in the box marked Military Qualification and Date. He wore the CIB having spent months in combat. It must depend on who is filling in the blanks. Even though my friend was on the line for three days, but was wounded and lost his arm at the shoulder, I'm going to place the CIB on the uniform jacket.

I should mention the best part of this story. Shortly after the war ended, my friend walked into an insurance agents office in a very small town in rural Ohio to get insurance. While talking to salesman he notice a 44th Division Army patch on the wall. He was in that same Division. It turns out, both men were in the same Infantry Regiment, Division and Company at the same time and were overseas in France at the same time. They became good friends socially and attended their annual Army reunions until my father-in-law died in 2008. Eight years later, at age 92, he will be wearing his fellow soldier/friends military jacket to receive his award. It's a small world.
 
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