wouldn't that have been an annual event?

I think I heard that the K.H. made seven trips to Viet Nam. The most of any carrier.

Well, if you are right about the seven tours,,, that would mean a lot of airdales spent their entire enlistment doing a lot of 24 hour days at war time airops....My hat is off to those guys,, it must have been beyond rough..


James Courtney

I just went DANFS to check and I was wrong, they say she was deployed 6 times. It looks like there is also information about the medals the ship has.

So, if I was on three tours, Do I wear a ribbon with 2 stars? No according to my research.

Doesn't seem right. But I want to be legit. It's the FEDERAL law.

The official Navy history at www.history.navy.mil doesn't say when the Hawk was awarded the Vietnam Campaign Medal. The VCN was only awarded once, so I assume it was for the 1965 deployment.

I was on Wes-Pac 63-64 and we got the Vietnam Service Medal

Charlie, I think the medal being talked about us the green and white one issued by Viet Nam. I would like to know the answer to this, myself

I was on the 62-63 and 63-64 West Pac cruises and I received the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal.

The United States military began authorizing the Vietnam Gallantry Cross in March 1968 with retroactive presentation of the decoration to 1961. In 1974, Army General Order Number 8 confirmed eligibility for the Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation to every military unit of the United States Army which had served under the Military Assistance Command from 1961 to 1974, however, orders, specific as to dates and units, do exist for specific Army commands as well as for members of other services not affected by the Army General Order. There is no documentaion to be found supporting the claim that this award is awarded to service members who participated in the evacuation of Saigon during April 1975. This is an unsupported claim.
The National Personnel Records Center is the agency which responds to retroactive award requests, from U.S. Army veterans, updating military records to show the Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation, either per Army General Order 8 or per unit specific awards. The decoration itself, both full medal and unit citation, are considered foreign military decorations and are not provided to Vietnam veterans by any of the United States military services. The decoration is available for purchase at most Military Installations military clothing sales. But if they are unable to access a military installation, private military insignia dealers have them on hand. The decoration may also be found for sale on the Internet.
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Republic of Vietnam (RVN) Campaign Medal
Criteria: A military award of South Vietnam established in 1966. Awarded to any member of the United States military who completed at least six months of duty in the Republic of Vietnam between the dates of March 1, 1961 and March 28, 1973. The decoration may also be awarded to any service member who, while serving outside the geographical limits of South Vietnam, provided direct combat support to the Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces for a period exceeding six months. In such cases, a service member must have been awarded either the Vietnam Service Medal or the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (for service in a Vietnam campaign) to be eligible. For those U.S. service members who were wounded by an enemy force, captured by the enemy in the line of duty, or killed in action, the Vietnam Campaign Medal is automatically awarded regardless of total time served in Vietnam. The Vietnam Campaign Medal is issued with a device known as the “1960 Bar”. The bar displays the date of 1960 followed by a dash and a blank space.

Were sailors from the 'Hawk eligible to receive this South Vietnamese award? If so, when was it awarded or authorized?
I was aboard from '62 to '66. I received the Vietnam Service Medal, the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry and the National Defense Medal. I opted for the Vietnam Service Medal in lieu of the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (like Guy Bowles received)since the Vietnam Service Medal was newly authorized for wear. I was told I could receive one, but not both. My DD214 does not show the green and white Vietnam Campaign Medal with the date bar, although it shows the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry as a foreign decoration.
Don Sooby
V-3 Div
1962-1966

I was on 1971 and the 1972 W 8est Pac. According to my DD214 I received it

I was on the 72 WestPac and my DD214 does NOT show it awarded to me.LOL
I always thought the records didn't get properly updated due to the race riot tying up Legal and Personel.

I served aboard the hawk in V-3 Div from 67, 68, and part of 69 before cross decking to the Constellation and I got the VSM and VCM from the Hawk along with the Armed Forces Expeditionary, Navy Unit Commendation and others.

F. Tony Ramirez