Service Medals and Battle Streamers

USS COLLETT - Service Medals & Battle Streamers (1958-1970)

Shipmates, do you have all the Service Medals to which you are entitled? Where you onboard COLLETT during one of the time periods listed in the table below? Check it out! (The table was copied from the website www.history.navy.mil)

UNIT AWARDS FOR COLLETT DD 730

Cited Unit Merit Start Merit End Award

COLLETT DD 730 06-Sep-1958 16-Oct-1958 AE

COLLETT DD 730 26-Sep-1959 02-Oct-1959 AE

COLLETT DD 730 08-Oct-1959 14-Oct-1959 AE

COLLETT DD 730 18-Oct-1959 30-Oct-1959 AE

COLLETT DD 730 28-Apr-1962 29-Apr-1962 AE

COLLETT DD 730 16-May-1962 18-May-1962 AE

COLLETT DD 730 27-Aug-1962 30-Aug-1962 AE

COLLETT DD 730 08-Sep-1962 28-Sep-1962 AE

COLLETT DD 730 01-May-1963 05-May-1963 AE

COLLETT DD 730 10-Jun-1965 28-Jun-1965 AE

COLLETT DD 730 23-Jul-1965 24-Aug-1965 VS

COLLETT DD 730 15-Jun-1966 05-Sep-1968 NU

COLLETT DD 730 02-Aug-1966 06-Sep-1966 VS

COLLETT DD 730 02-Oct-1966 14-Nov-1966 VS

COLLETT DD 730 04-Nov-1966 05-Nov-1966 RG

COLLETT DD 730 03-Jan-1967 07-Feb-1967 VS

COLLETT DD 730 11-Mar-1967 22-Mar-1967 VS

COLLETT DD 730 16-Apr-1967 08-May-1967 VS

COLLETT DD 730 09-Jun-1967 04-Jul-1967 VS

COLLETT DD 730 19-Sep-1967 13-Oct-1967 VS

COLLETT DD 730 11-Nov-1967 07-Dec-1967 VS

COLLETT DD 730 15-Nov-1967 - CR

COLLETT DD 730 23-Jan-1968 22-Mar-1968 AE

COLLETT DD 730 02-Mar-1968 16-Mar-1968 VS

COLLETT DD 730 08-Apr-1968 01-May-1968 VS

COLLETT DD 730 22-Apr-1968 23-Apr-1968 CR

COLLETT DD 730 07-May-1968 21-May-1968 VS

COLLETT DD 730 16-May-1968 - CR

COLLETT DD 730 27-Jun-1968 06-Jul-1968 VS

COLLETT DD 730 21-Jul-1968 26-Jul-1968 VS

COLLETT DD 730 21-Aug-1969 07-Oct-1969 RG

COLLETT DD 730 26-Oct-1969 14-Nov-1969 VS

COLLETT DD 730 10-Dec-1969 11-Dec-1969 AE

COLLETT DD 730 22-Dec-1969 18-Jan-1970 VS

COLLETT DD 730 02-Feb-1970 25-Feb-1970 VS

Legend for above table:

AE – Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal

CR – Combat Action

NU – Naval Unit Commendation

RG – Republic of Vietnam Meritorious Citation - Gallantry

VS – Vietnam Service Medal

To obtain your medals, including the Good Conduct Medal & National Defense Medal, you can either buy them or obtain one set of medals free from the Navy. (You are eligible for the National Defense Medal if you served in the NAVY some time between 27 Jun 1950 to 27 July 1954 or 1 Jan 1961 to 14 Aug 1974.)

HOW TO BUY YOUR MEDALS

You can choose to buy medals from a company that sells them – an example is “Medals of America”, phone #: 800.308.0849, e-mail address: usmedals.com.

HOW TO OBTAIN YOUR MEDALS FROM THE NAVY

The website www.history.navy.mil has details including directions for how to obtain a “Standard Form (SF) 180” online and the address of where to snail-mail your request for authorization and service medal(s). For each occasion for a service medal beyond the first period, you are eligible for a bronze service star for that medal. In your request to the Bureau of Naval Personnel, you will probably want to include a copy of your DD 214 and your History of Assignments (NAVPERS 601-5). Be smart - do NOT send your originals!

TO GATHER INFORMATION to request your medals, access the Internet on your computer and then point your browser to

www.history.navy.mil/medals/index.html

The “U.S. Navy Service and Campaign Medals” page is now displayed and you should perform these 4 tasks:

(A) GET THE BIG PICTURE

(B) GET A PRINTOUT OF “STANDARD FORM (SF) 180”

(D) SEND YOUR REQUEST TO THE USN

(To perform these 4 tasks please read below.)

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(A) TO GET THE BIG PICTURE, follow the 3 steps below:

1. On the “U.S. Navy Service and Campaign Medals” page, click the hypertext “How to obtain copies of or information on medals and awards.”

2. A “FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS” page with the sub-heading “Obtaining Information on Navy Awards and Medals” is displayed. Read the text then click on the hypertext “medals and awards” in the first paragraph.

3. Another window is displayed. Read the text. (When you are done reading, click the BACK button of your browser to return to the “FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS” page of step 2.)

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(B) TO GET A PRINTOUT OF “STANDARD FORM (SF) 180,” follow the 3 steps below:

1. In the first paragraph of the “FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS” page, click the hypertext “Standard Form (SF) 180.”

2. The Acrobat Reader is launched and the first of 3 pages of the form is displayed. (This step assumes you have Acrobat Reader installed - it is available free on the Internet.)

3. Click the “Print” button to print the 3 pages of the form. (You will need to fill out page 2 of the form and send it with your request.) After you print the form, click the BACK button on your browser to return to the “FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS” page.

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1. In the third paragraph of the “FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS” page click the hypertext “Navy Department Awards Web Service.” (You may have to scroll down to see the third paragraph.)

2. If a Security Alert window is displayed, click the “OK” button. If another Security Alert window is displayed, click the “Yes” button.

The “Navy Department Awards and Web Service” window of the secure website https//awards.navy.mil/ is now displayed.

3. Click the “Unit Awards” button (this button is near the top of the window).

4. Click the “Query Unit Awards” button (this button is on the left side of the window).

5. If a Security Alert window is displayed, click the “Yes” button.

The “Query Unit Awards” window is displayed.

6. In the “SEARCH METHOD #2” box of the window, type the 4 letters “coll” then click the hypertext “Search” (“Search” is on the right side of the box).

7. In the “VIEW UNITS BELOW” box of the window, several unit names are now displayed. (You may have to scroll down to see the unit names.)

8. Click the hypertext “USS COLLETT DD 730”.

The “UNIT AWARDS FOR COLLETT DD 730” window is now displayed with 35 awards for the period 1958 to 1970. When you are finished viewing the awards window and have written or recorded which apply to your service:

(1) Click the hypertext “Close window.”

(2) Click the BACK button on the browser.

(3) Continue clicking the BACK button (and clicking the Yes button on Security Alert windows) as required until the “FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS” window is displayed.

NOTE: If you click the BACK button once more, you will be at the “www.history.navy.mil/medals/index.html” window. This window is titled “The Service Medals & Campaign Credits of the United States Navy” window and subtitled “US Navy Service & Campaign Medals.” Please read “IMPORTANT” below.

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IMPORTANT: The window “www.history.navy.mil/medals/index.html” gives a description of many medals. (You may have to scroll down the “US Navy Service and Campaign Medals” page to see the list of medals.) By clicking on the hypertext “Vietnam Service Medal,” you will find the following words:

“Individuals qualified for the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal for reason of service in Vietnam between 1 July 1958 and 3 July 1965 (inclusive) shall remain qualified for that medal. Upon request, any such individual may be awarded the VSM instead of the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal. No person will be entitled to both awards for Vietnam service.” So if you qualify for both an AFEM and a VSM only because of Vietnam service, think about which medal you want to request!

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D. To Send Your Request to the USN

As instructed in SF 180, address your request with SF 180, a copy of your DD 214, and a copy of your History of Assignments (NAVPERS 601-5) to:

Naval Personnel Command (Code 312D2)

Naval Liaison Office, Room 5409

9700 Page Boulevard

St. Louis, MO 63132-5100

On a personal note, I sent in my own request in 2005. I filled out SECTION I of SF 180, I wrote “Please see attached letter” in step 2 of SECTION 2, and filled out SECTION 3. I also wrote and included a letter listing the medals I was entitled to, including a Good Conduct medal, and requested my medals. Finally, I included copies of my DD 214 and my History of Assignments (NAVPERS 601-5). It took over a year to get a response and my medals.

NOTE: As mentioned earlier, rather than wait for the Navy to send you your medals, you may choose to buy them.

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BATTLE STREAMERS

Per to the website www.history.navy.mil,

“The Navy's battle streamers, spanning the period from the Revolutionary War to Desert Storm, number 28. Like the Marine Corps, the Navy flies a single streamer for each campaign, war, or theater of operations, with embroidered stars used for individual battles and operations determined to be suitable for special recognition. Stars on the Navy streamers follow the practice initiated during the World War II period for ribbons and medals -- that is, a bronze star for each action, and a silver star in lieu of five bronze stars. The Navy applies stars to appropriate ribbons throughout its history, whereas the Marine Corps uses stars to commemorate service in this century only. The Presidential Unit Citation, Navy Unit Commendation, and Meritorious Unit Commendation streamers each carry a number rather than stars. This figure represents the number of times that the respective award has been conferred upon Navy units. “

“Navy streamers are 3 feet long and 2 3/4" wide. Where a medal has been awarded for a particular war or service, the coloring and design of the streamer are the same as the ribbon from which the medal is suspended. Conflicts and operations for which no medal was issued have ribbons specially designed for use as streamers. Today's battle streamers affixed to the military flags of the United States are colorful symbols and reminders of sacrifice, service and a proud heritage -- a tribute to the men and women of the armed forces, past and present, who have responded in America's times of need.“

The USS Collett earned 4 battle streamers:

- WW II -- Asiatic-Pacific Theater 1941-1946

- Korean Service 1950-1954orean Service 1950-1954

- Armed Forces Expeditionary Service 1958-present

- Vietnam Service 1962-1973

Prepared by Frank Olderr - first draft: January 19, 2005 including research by Henry Earl Milliner; Second draft: March 4, 2008.