Vietnam veteran army forgot to give him his combat infantry badge how do you apply for this badge?

Answer 1

If the man has (written) orders, simply have them adjusted to his discharge document (DD214). Most military installations have administrative personnel than can do that, including Reserve and National Guard installations. If the man does not have written orders, and/or it's documented on his DD214...he's got to produce some documentation that he was awarded the CIB (any decoration actually). If no written evidence is shown awarding said device, then odds are, he's not authorized the badge/medal. Under the traditional guidelines for the CIB, during the Vietnam War, the man had to meet the following criteria: 1. Had to be an Infantryman. Not a FO (Forward Observer) assigned to a grunt unit; Not a Green Beret helping out a grunt unit; Not a medic assigned to a grunt unit. The man's MOS had to be 11B (known in Vietnam as "11Bullet stopper", or more commonly as 11Bush). 2. The man had to be assigned to a grunt unit. Not a dismounted Cavalryman fighting on foot with a grunt unit (dismounted from his M551 Sheridan light tank or M113 ACAV). Not a misplaced artilleryman who riding along then suddenly found himself in firefight while with the infantrymen. 3. The man's "Infantry" unit had to be engaged in ground combat with the enemy. Not riding in his "army" vehicle (truck or Jeep) thru town one day, someone pops a cap at him (discharges one or two rounds) which pass over his head by 20 feet (this is an example, ANY distance is irrelevant), missing anyone and everyone, he and his party continue to march...This could've happened to a Chaplin or a mechanic, anybody...so no! Getting shot at doesn't rate a CIB. 4. If a man wants a CIB; Join the Infantry! That why President FDR gave the dogfaces a CIB in WWII...no one wanted the darn job!