I was reading over my late grandfather’s service records/discharge papers and had some questions about what some of the things on his records means. Can someone with some military knowledge please help explain them.
It says he earned a Combat Infantryman’s Badge Nov 4th 1944 in the Rhineland Campaign GO 105 WD 45. Does anyone know what it took to earn one of these badges, and what the Rhineland Campaign entailed? Perhaps what battles were fought in this campaign. He was in the US Army 1st Infantry Division, 18th Infantry Regiment when he earned this badge.
Here is a good starting point for information on the Rhineland Campaign. It appears your grandfather would have been at or near the city of city of Aachen. I wonder if November 4th is the date the orders were issued and not the date he actually earned the badge. That would make more sense. That means he most likely fought in the Battle of Aachen from 2-21 October 1944. It makes sense that after the city was surrendered, the brief calm in the fighting would allow the headquarters element to catch up on some paperwork.
Also, it is important to recognize the fact that your grandfather earned a Bronze Star Medal as well. In 1947, a policy was implemented that retroactively awarded the Bronze Star to anyone who earned a Combat Infantry Badge. So, if you ever put together a shadowbox or display to honor your late grandfather, include the Bronze Star as well. If you can’t get a hold of one, I will mail one to you. He earned it!
From what I gather, the CIB was awarded after some minimum amount of time spent in combat, so it’s possible that like Bear Nenno says, your grandfather may have hit that time limit earlier, but the paperwork didn’t actually catch up until November.
Hey, Thank you for all the information so far. Wow my grandfather I suppose never knew he was owed a medal. How would I apply for that medal he died in 2010, but I have all this records.
In my day, for a CIB, one had to serve 30 days or more in a front line unit that was engaged with the enemy. You could get one for less than 30 day’s service if you got a Purple Heart in that time. And I imagine you could get the CIB with less then 30 day’s service with a posthumous Purple Heart.
From AR 600-8-22 3-15d(2)
“Award may be made to each member of the Armed Forces of the United States who, after 6 December 1941, has been cited in orders or awarded a certificate for exemplary conduct in ground combat against an armed enemy between 7 December 1941 and 2 September 1945, inclusive, or whose meritorious achievement has been otherwise confirmed by documents executed prior to 1 July 1947.
For this purpose, an award of the Combat Infantryman Badge or Combat Medical Badge is considered as a citation in orders. Documents executed since 4 August 1944 in connection with recommendations for the award of decorations of higher degree than the Bronze Star Medal will not be used as the basis for an award under this paragraph.
Veterans and retirees may submit letter application to National Personnel Records Center, NPRMA-M, 9700 Page Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63132-5100. Soldiers who retired or were discharged after to 1 October 2002 and the next of kin of Soldiers who died after 1 October 2002 should send their letter application to the Commander, U.S. Army Human Resources Command, AHRC-CC-B, 1 Reserve Way, St. Louis, MO 63132-5200. The letter application should include documentary evidence, if possible.”
I read a lot about WWII, literally thousands of books since I was a kid. From what I’ve read the Combat Infantry Badge is one of the most prized badges among the troops. It shows that you were in combat and I recall several vets mention that they were more proud of that badge than anything else they were awarded. It does that they were part of the “brotherhood”.
I’m not sure if anyone on here know’s the answer to this question but i’ll ask anyway. I’m obviously looking to get a bronze star medal awarded to my grandfather posthumously, and I believe I have all the proper documentation and paperwork for that. My other question involves getting his medals replaced by the army. He is missing quite a few of them, and I believe the army will replace them for free. Now on the website to request them it says you must submit a request for each branch that the veteran served in. My grandfather was in the army, then sent to the army air corps, which finally became the army air forces. If i’m looking to get his medals replaced do I have to send three separate requests for every branch he served in?
Neither the Army Air Corps nor the Army Air Force exists anymore. Your grandpa was in the Army. Unless he was in the Army Air Force when it split to become its own branch of the military in September '47.
I know those branches no longer exist now, but on the online form to fill out for medal replacement. Army, Army Air Corps, And Army Air Forces are all on there. My grandfather served in all three of them. So I’m just wondering If I Have to submit three different applications to get his medals replaced.
Well, the AAC became the AAF, which was still all part of the Army at the time, so I suspect one place would work… that is, unless somehow your grandfather was still in the AAF when it became the USAF in 1947 and was subsequently decorated (say Korea), in which case the Korean War decorations would be through the AF, and the WWII ones would be through the Army.
Replaced? May I assume you mean replacing medals that have become damaged or lost over the years? I don’t think the Army does that. (I know the Navy doesn’t.)
You buy your own replacement medals, out of your own pocket. Commercial vendors sell medals to anyone, no paperwork needed (except maybe for the Medal of Honor…). I don’t know how hard it would be to find the older WW2 versions of the medals.
The “requests” you quoted appear to be speaking about getting your Grandfathers service records updated to show the awards he qualified for, but weren’t entered into his records.
If I misread the intent of your question, I apologize.
I do not think it is referring to the Bronze Star Medal ( Bronze Star Medal - Wikipedia ), which would have it’s own line entry. It wouldn’t be listed alongside a campaign ribbon like the way you put it in the OP.