>If the French government can recognize our service men after all these years, then it is time that our government recognize them as well.
There are concerned people that represent another country…the Philippines.
Ref: WW II Filvet to lead delegation to US Congress for full equity
Next week a number of delegates will seek justice for Filipino veterans of WWII. What's puzzling is where is the support for American veterans that participated in the same battles?
I was exposed to the injustice several years ago by an 89 year old retired USAF Colonel, a veteran of Bataan and Corregidor. He resided in a nursing home in Tucson, Arizona, and asked for my assistance in the process to receive recognition for his service as an infantryman.
Various AAF units formed the First Provisional Air Corps Regiment, II Corps (PACR). It was lead into battle by Colonel Doane, 31st Infantry Regiment. There are descriptions of the unit’s participation in battles from four sources.
The majority were taken prisoner, killed in action or killed in captivity. Those that survived, and repatriated during 1945, only a small number were processed correctly, and recognized fully for their combat roles. Records reveal the Bronze Star Medal [with] the Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB) were awarded until 2003. Congressman Patrick Kennedy (RI) presented the CIB to a former AAF member of PACR.
A joint agreement on 20 December 1948 by the U.S. Army and USAF authorized all AAF personnel be under the jurisdiction of the USAF regarding awards and decorations. Exception were certain badges including the CIB. The U.S. Army retains sole authority to award the CIB.
AAF veterans and/or next of kin are required to request the CIB through the Army Boards for Correction of Military Records. Currently, the Army Review Boards Agency, Awards and Decorations Branch, Ft. Knox, Kentucky refuse to recognize any AAF veteran the CIB.
Such action is contrary to guidelines, dated 1943, 1944, previous action by the U.S. Army Reserves, and history of recipients they fought along side.
Please note the previous procedure for several AAF units. The document was discovered in a POW's biography.
One distinguished AAF veteran involved leading a group of men into battle was Lt. Colonel William E Dyess. (Dyess AFB, Texas was named after him). Records reveal he was not fully recognized for his combat service. He earned the Bronze Star Medal, Bronze Star Medal (1st Oak Leaf Cluster), and the Combat Infantryman Badge he never received.
(Ref: 7th Bomb Wing Public Affairs,
http://www.dyess.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=3803).
Robert
Some WWII Combat Engineers deserve the combat infantry badge. My father, for one, served with the 234 Combat Engineers battling from D+3, Normandy beaches, through Belgium, Holland and finally Germany. When casualties in the regular infantry regiments became high, as the war progressed though Europe, combat engineer battalions were used as infantry. My father went on many of these infantry patrols, attached to the 29th and 30th divisions and was wounded by enemy machine gun fire on the Siegfried line while on a night patrol. Combat engineer companies were moved around and attached to different divisions at different times where they were needed. In addition, when the engineers built many of the bailey bridges, it was under enemy fire. The Germans did not just sit back and watch them build a bridge and welcome them into Germany.
My father is very humble about his service and has just started talking about his experiences at 87 years old. He did not even have his medals until two years ago when he found out he was eligible to get them, he only had the ribbons and never saw the medals all these years. Two years ago, he was awarded the French, Legion of Honor by the French consulate for his participation in the liberation of France.
If the French government can recognize our service men after all these years, then it is time that our government recognize them as well. Many of these guys went through hell and saw things that no one should see or experience. If a soldier can prove he served the required amount of time on the front lines, then they should get the combat infantry badge and be eligible for a bronze star.