(ArtKramr) wrote:

Subject: U$ Military Medals meaningless junk ...!
From: Ed Rasimus

It wasn't prejudice against B-52s. It was a simple reflection of
threat levels. In SEA, the criteria was 10 mission over North Vietnam,
20 missions "in-country" (South VN, Laos, Cambodia) and 25
"combat-support" missions--typically in-country air-lift, but also
country transit missions like Arc Light.

If you check the combat losses for B-52s, they were very low-threat
until Linebacker. The only combat losses experienced for most of the
Arc Light campaigns were mid-airs between B-52s (arguably a result of
poor judgement).

The heavies really earned their Air Medals when Linebacker II started,
and then got credit for one AM for every ten sorties. They also earned
a lot of DFC's and Silver Stars during those eleven days of Christmas.


Ed Rasimus

Thanks Ed that clarifies it. Threat level was the determining factor. Makes
some sense now. When I first heard 25 missions for one Air Medal it boggled the
mind. BTW, how many missions for an Air Medal in fighters? I figure you should
have 20 Air Medals by wars end.

Arthur Kramer

The criteria didn't vary by type. A fighter or a bomber got the same
credit. If it was an NVN mission it took 10, if "in-country" it took
20.

You figure correctly. I got 15 for 150 NVN and 5 for 100 in-country.

Ed Rasimus
Fighter Pilot (ret)
***"When Thunder Rolled:
*** An F-105 Pilot Over N. Vietnam"
*** from Smithsonian Books
ISBN: 1588341038