A pretty generic collection of ribbons, reflecting a pretty generic military career.
Notice the star on the Purple Heart. When I got to Okinawa they gave us an inspection before we could get on the plane back to the US. The Sgt. doing the inspecting was being pretty tough. The least little thing and you got to spend a couple more days there. I was worried because there was a hole in my only pair of trousers and I was doing my best to keep it pinched between thumb and finger as I stood at attention. In addition the rest of my uniform was about what you'd expect since they'd spent the last year rolled up in a seabag. When he got to me he started eating my ass something fierce. Then he stopped and looked at my ribbons and asked me, "How long were you over there?" I told him a year. He looked at me a minute, said OK and moved on. It wasn't until later that I figured out that the star on the Purple Heart stands for 5 wounds.
They give you the Marksman medal if you manange not to shoot yourself during qualifying.
The picture behind the medals was given to me by Larry Slupski at the 2000 reunion. |
