[Vhfcn-l] Viet Nam Air Medals

[Gary Thewlis]

I did check and send out the air medal criteria, but then I got curious and
checked my own records.

 

My DD214 states Air Medal with 20 oak leaf clusters.

 

My flight record sheet shows 1586 combat hours.

 

All of that was CH-47 hours, and it spans from end of November, 1967 to
almost end of June, 1969.

 

If I ignore 122.5 hours flown in November and December of 1967 and just lump
them with the rest, and if I assume all my hours were logged as resupply:

 

*	24 = 1 air medal award
*	20 air medals = 480 qualifying hours
*	½ hour resupply awards for 480 = 960 qualifying missions

 

Lord. 

 

I have to think it likely meant what we called sorties, a flight from a base
camp resupply area to delivery and back. We flew numerous “missions” of that
type each day.

 

But this is all speculation, no way to really know.

 

Maybe Don is right. Depends on the company clerks doing the job. And if they
passed basic math in grade school




 

Gary Thewlis