# Military Officers Uniform Breast Patches (Fruit Salad) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 8, 2008, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-officers-uniform-breast-patches-fruit-salad/476230 "2008-12-08T12:09:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2008, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-officers-uniform-breast-patches-fruit-salad/476230/41 "2008-12-10T14:08:03Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > Are you forgetting the brown shoe Navy? Yup. šŸ˜ƒ Seriously, though, I know the aviator-types wear brown shoes with khakis, but do they also wear them with Service Dress Blues? ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2008, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-officers-uniform-breast-patches-fruit-salad/476230/42 "2008-12-10T14:33:23Z")
The ribbons and citations that military personal wear became a national issue in the mid 90s. Col. David Hackworth made an issue of Admiral Jeremy Boorda wearing two "V"s on his Vietnam ribbon. The Vā€™s stand for valor under enemy fire and sometimes the Admiral had them on other times he did not. Hackworth called into question if Booda had been exposed to combat conditions and came under fire. The Admiral claimed he was entitled to wear the Vs but others disagreed, Boorda under the strain shot himself. It made national news when Clinton was given a note while in a meeting being filmed and was visibly taken aback by the news. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2008, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-officers-uniform-breast-patches-fruit-salad/476230/43 "2008-12-10T14:50:09Z")
Is there some way to look up the ribbons my late father had? I have his uniform but not the ribbons. Those were dispersed long ago. Where can I look up his service record and what on that would tell me what ribbons he would have had? (USAF) ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2008, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-officers-uniform-breast-patches-fruit-salad/476230/44 "2008-12-10T15:25:33Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > Is there some way to look up the ribbons my late father had? I have his uniform but not the ribbons. Those were dispersed long ago. Where can I look up his service record and what on that would tell me what ribbons he would have had? (USAF) Awards are recorded in service records, as well as the [DD-214](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DD_Form_214), which is the separation document you get when you get out of the military. Next-of-kin can request copies here: > **[Request Military Service Records](https://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records)** > > Veterans and their next of kin can get FREE copies of their DD 214, and other military service records including Official Military Personnel File (OMPF), Replacement Medals, and Medical and Health Records. One caveat to this, though. I received my DD-214 when I got out, and received an award several months later. I have never filed a request to record the award I got after I separated, so this last award is presumably only in my service record, and not on my DD-214. Also, I was eligible for a second National Defense Service Medal, which I was never officially awarded. ---
**Author:** ![SharkB8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/977dab/32.png) [@SharkB8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SharkB8)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2008, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-officers-uniform-breast-patches-fruit-salad/476230/45 "2008-12-10T18:56:18Z")
> [@Scruloose](#): > > Sure we do, we just donā€™t shoot the rifle in boot camp anymore. We did when I went through, but stopped sometime in the mid to late 90s, I believe. But folks in the field who shoot the rifle are still eligible for the rifle ribbon if they qualify. > > (Plus, you only use a 9mm in boot camp for some reason. In the field, itā€™s the Sig .40. They probably still shoot the 9mm in boot camp to use up remaining ammo supplies) Yeah, I meant at basic. šŸ™‚ Thatā€™s a bummer though. I wonder why they stopped. We shot the Sig Sauer at boot. A bunch of us were disappointed about the rifle, but were satisfied with the option of learning once we got to our units. And you can totally not qualify and still graduate boot camp, but you are required to qualify at your unit before you are eligible to start working on some of your other quals. For those in the military, Iā€™ve wondered what the preferred method for affixing the metal letters letters, etc. onto various ribbons. They told us at boot to poke the pin through and then bend it 90 degrees to keep it in place. Is this routine? I guess same goes for the ball cover insigniaā€¦I just bent mine the other day because I whacked my head on a low entryway and the back of the insignia pin left little divot in my forehead! ---
**Author:** ![Scruloose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@Scruloose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scruloose)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2008, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-officers-uniform-breast-patches-fruit-salad/476230/46 "2008-12-10T21:20:38Z")
> [@SharkB8](#): > > For those in the military, Iā€™ve wondered what the preferred method for affixing the metal letters letters, etc. onto various ribbons. > > They told us at boot to poke the pin through and then bend it 90 degrees to keep it in place. Is this routine? > > I guess same goes for the ball cover insigniaā€¦I just bent mine the other day because I whacked my head on a low entryway and the back of the insignia pin left little divot in my forehead! Thatā€™s all Iā€™ve ever done. And yes, it takes one good whack to the head to realize you should do the same with the ball cap insignia. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2008, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-officers-uniform-breast-patches-fruit-salad/476230/47 "2008-12-10T22:11:09Z")
Although not strictly on topic, I found this fact concerning the Purple Heart to be interesting: [QUOTE=Wikipedia] During World War II, nearly 500,000 Purple Heart medals were manufactured in anticipation of the estimated casualties resulting from the planned Allied invasion of Japan. To the present date, all the American military casualties of the sixty years following the end of World War II ā€” including the Korean and Vietnam Wars ā€” have not exceeded that number. In 2003, there were still 120,000 of these Purple Heart medals in stock.[1] There are so many in surplus that combat units in Iraq and Afghanistan and United States are able to keep Purple Hearts on-hand for immediate award to wounded soldiers on the field.[1] [/QUOTE] ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2008, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-officers-uniform-breast-patches-fruit-salad/476230/48 "2008-12-10T22:35:35Z")
I wrote a high-school history essay on Trumanā€™s decision to bomb Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and I still remember that factoid. After the terrible experiences of Iwo Jima, Okinawa and Tarawa, Allied planners (rightly, IMHO) expected major casualties in any invasion of the Japanese home islands. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2008, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-officers-uniform-breast-patches-fruit-salad/476230/49 "2008-12-14T18:38:58Z")
> [@robby](#): > > Youā€™re correct, of course. :smack: > > The award that I was referring to is indeed the ā€œSea Service Deployment Ribbon,ā€ as shown [here](http://www.mediacen.navy.mil/pubs/allhands/jan00/pg27.htm). FWIW, though, there is also a ā€œNavy Reserve Sea Service Ribbon.ā€ > > You are also correct that itā€™s an individual award. However, for me, it was awarded just like a unit award. For instance, on my first deployment, I received a ā€œSea Service Deployment Ribbon,ā€ ā€œNavy Arctic Service Ribbon,ā€ and a ā€œBattle Eā€ award. Everyone on board received the same, even though the first two were individual awards, and the latter was a unit award. It may not always be the case that everyone on board receives the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon as there is a time qualifier: 90 days continuous (IIRC) deployment away from home port within a one year period. Effective 1 July 1976, the Battle Efficiency Award,an ā€œEā€ sewn on the sleeve of the uniform, was superceded by the Navy ā€œE,ā€ a ribbon with an ā€œEā€ accouterment/attachment. Yes, I agree thatā€™s a stupid change in the name. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2008, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-officers-uniform-breast-patches-fruit-salad/476230/50 "2008-12-14T18:42:48Z")
> [@robby](#): > > Awards are recorded in service records, as well as the [DD-214](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DD_Form_214), which is the separation document you get when you get out of the military. > > Next-of-kin can request copies here: > [Request Military Service Records | National Archives](http://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/get-service-records.html) > > One caveat to this, though. I received my DD-214 when I got out, and received an award several months later. I have never filed a request to record the award I got after I separated, so this last award is presumably only in my service record, and not on my DD-214. Also, I was eligible for a second National Defense Service Medal, which I was never officially awarded. You should request a DD-215 (thatā€™s a correction to the DD-214). An ā€œon-the-ballā€ PS or YN wouldā€™ve ensured that one was prepared for you once the award was prepared. ---
**Author:** ![Mk\_VII](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mk\_VII](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mk_VII)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2008, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-officers-uniform-breast-patches-fruit-salad/476230/51 "2008-12-14T20:57:18Z")
the large numbers of medals (or at any rate ribbons) that American servicemen appear to accumulate merely for being on the ration strength excites a good deal of derision in our armed forces. At one time it was asserted here that they used to route trooping flights over Northern Ireland so that they could pick up a medal for passing through a combat zone. I have no idea if this be true (it sounds unlikely) but that the fact that it was widely believed tells you something. ---
**Author:** ![Bobotheoptimist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/919ad9/32.png) [@Bobotheoptimist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bobotheoptimist)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2008, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-officers-uniform-breast-patches-fruit-salad/476230/52 "2008-12-14T21:32:02Z")
> [@KRM](#): > > I donā€™t know accurate or updated it is but this [site](http://www.homeofheroes.com/hallofheroes/1st_floor/wall/2living.html) says that there are only 99 left and over half of those remaining are 70+ years of age. > > But if anyone ever deserved a drink, itā€™s these guys. I know one of them. Quiet, unassuming, was so mangled earning it that he canā€™t drink (interferes with his meds), and Iā€™d never have known if I hadnā€™t seen a picture of him in uniform. Heā€™s over 70 and I doubt Iā€™ll ever get the story out of him ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-officers-uniform-breast-patches-fruit-salad/476230/53 "2008-12-15T01:42:12Z")
> [@Bobotheoptimist](#): > > I know one of them. Quiet, unassuming, was so mangled earning it that he canā€™t drink (interferes with his meds), and Iā€™d never have known if I hadnā€™t seen a picture of him in uniform. Heā€™s over 70 and I doubt Iā€™ll ever get the story out of him If youā€™re seriously interested in knowing his story, [this site](http://www.medalofhonor.com/) has information on all Medal of Honor recipients, including the action for which the Medal of Honor was awarded. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-officers-uniform-breast-patches-fruit-salad/476230.md?page=2)