Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal
The Vietnam Campaign Medal was created in 1966 by the Republic of South Vietnam and given to any member of the United States military who served in the Vietnam War. These military medals were the most commonly bestowed foreign military awards for United States service persons prior to the Gulf War. United States military personnel who served outside of Vietnam, but provided direct combat support services to the Vietnam War for a period exceeding 6 months could also received these military ribbons if they had also been awarded either the Vietnam Service Medal or the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal for Vietnam service. For service members who were wounded by enemy forces, captured in the line of duty, or killed in action, the Vietnam Campaign Medal was automatically awarded regardless of time in service. Vietnam Campaign Medals are not US military medals, but foreign awards, and unlike the medals of America, they were presented by the Republic of South Vietnam. United States military branches view these foreign awards as of less importance than the military ribbons and medals issued by American governmental agencies.
The Vietnam Campaign Medal may also display the 1960 Bar device. This unusual device features a 1960- (blank) because when South Vietnam issued the bar they intended to add the date of their final victory in the blank when it occurred. Since they were defeated, the final date was never added. An earlier version of this bar features the dates of 1949-1954. While American service personnel are authorized to wear this device, very few are eligible since the time covered was during the French colonial period.
The US considers the Vietnam Campaign Medal to be a foreign award which must be worn below all US issued decorations. The United States issues equivalent military awards know as Vietnam Service Medals. The Vietnam Campaign Medal is worn below the Vietnam Civil Actions Medal and above the Kuwait Liberation Medals in the general order of precedence that has been established for the proper display of all United States military medals and ribbons. These military awards can be worn as traditional full size military medals and mini medals, military ribbons and lapel pins. Like most military medals, it is available as traditional slide-on, full size military medals or mini-medals, and slide-on military ribbons. Nowadays however, more and more military service personnel are realizing the value to their career goals of always having their uniform decorations looking their best, and have turned to the slimmer and trimmer thin military medals and mini medals and the ultra thin military ribbons to provide them with the smartest looking military award displays available anywhere. Most reputable commercial military insignia suppliers offer these sleek new ribbon racks at no additional charge to military personnel.
