Medal for service Quemy matsu 1958-
The last issue of Sweet “P” News featured an article sent by a Marine who served aboard 1957-1958. He mentioned anyone aboard at that time who served during the time the Chinese fired on Quemoy Matsu (sic) is entitled to a medal. (Idon’t remember which one).
Will you please send me the article or replacement copy of the Newsletter so i can follow up and aply for the medal. Any information you can provide re: how to aply for the medal will be apreciated.
Si Platt V-1 Div 56-59
sibrenda@verizon.net
HI SI PLATT, I WAS IN V1 DIV. IN 56-59. GIL DURAN
Regarding Mr. Platt’s request for the Navy Expeditionary Medal (EM), our research into the Navy Department Awards Website (NDAWS) reflects that during Mr. Platt’s assignment to the USS PRINCETON (CVS-37) from May 1957 to April 1959, the ship was not awarded the EM. NDAWS is the Navy’s authoritative electronic awards system maintained by Chief of Naval Operations (DNS-35) and the Navy’s authoritative awards database. In accordance with the Secretary ofthe Navy Instruction 1650.lH, the criterion for the EM is that it is awarded to U.S. Navy service members who have actually landed on foreign territory and engaged in operations against armed opposition, or operated under circumstances deemed to merit special recognition and for which no service or campaign medal was awarded. Only personnel attached to one of the approved ships or units during the eligibility period and who actually participated in the given operation are eligible for the EM. This includes personnel attached to a squadron or unit embarked on a ship during the eligible period for that ship. The USS PRINCETON is not an approved ship nor is the Taiwan Straits deployment of July to November 1958. Mr. Platt is not entitled to the Navy Expeditionary Medal.
Red
Way back in February of 2004, I wrote a letter to someone who was in VS-23 at the time in question, who DID receive a medal/ribbon. If you have access to the older issues of the Princeton newsletters, go back to July, 2002 and look for the article about Marvin Owens. I wrote that letter to him. I strongly suspect he is deceased, since in his Reply letter he mentioned that he turned 86 in December of 2003, which would make him 102 in a few weeks.
I will transcribe his letter and put it in a regular e-mail. I will also make a high-quality scan of the letters. (He replied to me on the original letter I sent to him.) If it happens that you’d like to see the original letter(s) I will be happy to send them to you Registered Mall, as some assurance that it makes it to you, etc.
I know that I might be ‘shoveling water with a pitchfork’, but it might be worthwhile to look at what Marvin did to get some medals/ribbons.
Sometime later today or tomorrow, I will do the scans of the letter, the envelope used to get it to me and also, another envelope he included. It is a Greeting Card SIZED envelope with a return address of the Taipei Economic & Cultural Office in Chicago. That was not explained in his handwritten Reply to me.
Ralph Irish
Treasurer: Al Christopherson 214 S Chestnut Avenue. Oconto Falls WI 54154 Email: shermie@centurylink.net (920) 846-3542
I think this is who you were talking about..
V-3 1958-59.