Dear Sgt. Shaft:
I recently received all of the medals my father received during World War II through the National Personnel Records Center. Is there any way you can tell me what valor my dad performed to be awarded the Bronze Star?
What is the meaning of the oak leaf cluster on the Bronze Star?
Lastly, what is the meaning of the four Bronze Star Service Awards on the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal? I would appreciate your response at your earliest convenience.
Sincerely,
Harold R. Jr.
Christiansburg, Va.
Dear Harold:
I appreciated your note sharing that you had received your father’s World War II medals through the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC). The Bronze Star was authorized Feb. 4, 1944, to all branches of military service and may be awarded for combat heroism not involving aerial flight in connection with military operations against an armed enemy, or while engaged in military operations with an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party.
The Bronze Star also may be awarded for meritorious achievement or meritorious service. The Bronze V that you questioned identifies the award as resulting from an act of combat heroism or valor, thus distinguishing it from meritorious achievement awards. The bronze oak leaf cluster you asked about indicates that your father was the recipient of two Bronze Star medals. You can be justly proud of your father.
You also asked about the meaning of Bronze Star Service Awards on the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal. Each star represents a specific battle campaign in which your father was involved.
You’re going to have to request the specifics for the award of each Bronze Star and the specific battle campaign from your father’s personnel record available at NPRC.
Shaft notes
Less than two weeks after seeking $975 million in supplemental funds for veterans’ health care in the current fiscal year, the administration is conceding substantially more money will be needed.
On June 29, the Senate unanimously voted to add $1.5 billion for veterans’ health care to the fiscal 2006 interior spending measure (HR 2361). One day later, the administration requested and the House passed a supplemental bill (HR 3130) totaling $975 million for fiscal 2005.
Next, the Senate unanimously adopted the $1.5 billion amendment, this time as part of the fiscal 2006 homeland security appropriations bill (HR 2360).
Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, Texas Republican, who chairs the Appropriations subcommittee on military construction and veterans affairs, said she expects the Senate to call up the House-passed bill soon and amend it to provide about $1.27 billion in extra health care funds in fiscal 2005. She said appropriators are waiting only for the details of the latest Veterans Affairs request.
She said she expects the administration to ask for an extra $1.6 billion in fiscal 2006.
In the meantime, she said, she and other Senate Republicans will support continuing Democratic efforts to pressure the House into accepting the higher Senate spending figures.
Congress last year appropriated $28.2 billion for the Veterans Health Administration. President Bush requested only a shade more for fiscal 2006.
Democrats in both the House and the Senate have been calling for higher VA health care spending all year. In the Senate, they have been joined by their Republican counterparts on both the Appropriations and Veterans Affairs committees.
VA officials did not reveal their funding shortfall to Congress until June 23, even though they discovered it in April, prior to the time House appropriators drafted their fiscal 2006 funding bill (HR 2528) for Veterans Affairs. The House passed that measure on May 26.
VA officials blamed rising health care costs in part on a surge in enrollment by returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan, many of whom have suffered severe injuries that will require continuing medical care.
The Department of Defense released the latest report of the Air Force Health Study on the effects of exposure to herbicides in Vietnam, which includes the strongest evidence to date that Agent Orange is associated with adult-onset diabetes. This supports the findings from reports in 1992 and 1997.
Send letters to Sgt. Shaft, c/o John Fales, PO Box 65900, Washington, D.C. 20035-5900; fax 301/622-3330; call 202/257-5446; or e-mail sgtshaft@bavf.org.
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