Here's a look at Kerry's military award ribbons

USA Today put together a very similar graphic about a week or so ago. I scanned the thing and posted it here. Then a couple of people pointed out errors in the graphic. USA Today posted a correction a couple of days ago, but the corrected version was in black and white. So I jumped in and figured out how to use my photo editing software, and corrected the original graphic. (and keeping the colors!) I also cut and pasted some of the graphics. USA Today may feel free to use my graphic in their next issue.
How about it military people? How would you react if you met somebody with these ribbons?

:evilgrin: I know someone will post one. ;)

:loveya: lmao

:beer:

:headbang:
rocknation

Edit for clarity-
Republic of Vietnam Campaign: "Eh". Since a tour of duty was a year, pretty much everyone got one.
Republic of Vietnam Meritorious Unit Citation: "uh-huh". Another one that's kind of like, did good but nothing spectacular.
RoV Meritorious Unit Citation: "oh-good unit" Awarded to units as a whole, so he had some good people with him.
Vietnam Service Medal: "yeah" The first row are all citations from being in Vietnam. This one is a re-emphasis of that.
National Defense Service: "yeahyeah" To me, this is another "re-emphasis" award.
Navy Unit Commendation: "good unit-cool" Again, re-emphasizing the fact that he was in a good unit, which is always a good thing.
Presidential Unit Citation: "really good unit" The awards in the top rows are harder to get-for his unit to be awarded a Presidential Unit Citation as opposed to a second Navy Unit Commendation means they were exceptional as a group.
Combat Action Ribbon: "combat action-figured that out" Getting most of the previous awards would be difficult as heck without going into some sort of combat.
Purple Heart(x3): "ooh shit" Basically, Purple Heart is for being wounded in action - after being wounded 3 times in combat and not getting killed, to me it signifies that this is a fairly tough individual.
Bronze Star with V: "whoa" The Bronze star with a V device on it means that this person did something as an individual that was very dangerous-and survived. At that point, I'd be looking at them as a hero.
Silver Star: "can I buy you a drink Mr. President?" When someone has a Silver Star awarded to them, it means that they are no-shit bona fide heroes, and the only thing you can/should do is buy them something to drink and ask a few polite questions and hope they'll tell you what they did to earn that. The Mr. President is if I saw Kerry. :)

My own military background: 1992-1993, Us Army. I was a screw-up, missed formations, and was eventually given an honorable discharge. I wasn't a super-trooper by any stretch of the imagination, but that's pretty much how I'd react if I saw those on someones' chest. He's a good man, who had a good unit behind him.

Explain, please (since we don't really know you).

It sure sounds like you're saying Kerry went along for the ride with his unit. Silver Star. Bronze Star. Three Purple Hearts. Yeah. He was along for the ride. Right.

The intent on that was to say that receiving a unit citation is something done as a unit. You can be a hero, and be part of the biggest bunch of idiot troops put on gods' green earth. Kerry's military record shows that he and his unit were a thing to be commended-repeatedly. Kerry wasn't "along for the ride" - please see my comment regarding the Silver Star award. "No-shit bona fide hero". How the hell does that translate to "along for the ride"?

I'll explain if you still don't get it. I'm just not interested in wasting my time on the obvious.

Looks like you got a sincere reaction.

Thanks for posting it. The GOP hates Kerry's hero status. Too, bad.

The first time I saw a chest of medals like that was on a couple of warrant helo pilots with hundreds of missions in VN when I saw them in dress uniforms for the first time at a naval base in the states.

They said, "that and a dime will buy you a cup of coffee." Recently, according to the right wing attack machine, it's gone down in value.

Navy Distinuguished Service Medal
Defense Distinguished Service Medal
Navy Cross
Navy Medal of Honor

... the Silver Star and the Hearts with stars - those mean something special to me, as does the "V" (for "Valor") device. The unit citations usually reflect combat units, as does the CAR, but are hard for me to connect to the person wearing them other than the fact they weren't REMFs like me. I have the rest (even though I never wore them) and I'm sure no John Levitow; not by a long shot. :shrug: