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Battle Stars

Posted by Rusty on March 11, 2008, 12:32 pm
65.127.138.76

Does anyone know what the qualifications for receiving a battle star are? My granddad's ship was unloading at Oran, Algeria in 1942 when the Germans bombed the docks. His gun crew shot down a plane, but their ship was hit and burning. The ship was towed into the harbor in case the aviation fuel it had on board blew up it wouldn't destroy the docks. They had to abandon ship and fire fighting ships doused the flames with foam. The next day the ship was reboarded, and after unloading sailed for New York. Would this engagement qualify him for a battle star?
Thanks!
Rusty

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Re: Battle Stars

Posted by Roy Brown on March 12, 2008, 7:51 pm, in reply to "Battle Stars"
98.220.218.16

Rusty, I have a book called "Battle Stars and Naval Awards" including Presidential Unit Citations and Navy Unit Commendations earned by the US Navy, Coast Guatd and US Marine Corps during World War II and the Korean War.
If you furnish the name of your grandpa's ship and date or near date I can probably tell you whether they received a battle star. (The book also includes battle stars earned by merchant ships).
There are many pages devoted to merchant ship awards.
Roy Brown

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Re: Battle Stars

Posted by fkent12252@aol.com on March 12, 2008, 11:49 am, in reply to "Battle Stars"
207.200.116.10

Rusty: You might look in on www.usmm.org/battlestar.html

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Re: Battle Stars

Posted by Ron Carlson on March 12, 2008, 12:57 pm, in reply to "Re: Battle Stars"
134.67.6.11

Rusty,

You might also check http://www.history.navy.mil/medals/index.html, U.S. Navy information about medals, awards, badges and decorations (although I am having no success in opening that page right now). Also look at http://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/replacement-medals.html,
information from the National Archives about how to request original or replacement medals and awards.

Good luck.

Ron Carlson, Webmaster

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Re: Battle Stars

Posted by Rusty on March 12, 2008, 5:12 pm, in reply to "Re: Battle Stars"
65.127.138.99

Thanks guys!

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Re: Battle Stars

Posted by Rusty on March 14, 2008, 11:37 pm, in reply to "Re: Battle Stars"
69.66.249.15

Mr. Brown, Granddad was on the SS Samuel Griffith and the date would have been around November or December 1942. Just the other day he was complaining about the gunnery officer who didn't record the action right or something of the such. He always thought he and his crew mates deserved a battle star for fighting off the air raid. I am trying to see if I can get one for him.
Rusty

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Re: Battle Stars

Posted by Ron Carlson on April 9, 2008, 1:02 pm, in reply to "Re: Battle Stars"
134.67.6.11

Rusty,

I happened to come across mention of the SS SAMUEL GRIFFIN (not SAMUEL GRIFFITH), which won a battle star for its participation in the invasion of southern France, 15 Aug 1944-25 Sept 1944. See http://usmm.org/battle-n-z.html and scroll down. That does not match your date of November/December 1942, nor the location of interest to you, namely Oran, Algeria.

From the name of the ship you provided, SAMUEL GRIFFITH, she may very well have been a Liberty ship. But checking an on-line compilation of all Liberty ships by name, I find the SAMUEL GRIFFIN that I mention above but not a SAMUEL GRIFFITH.

Additionally some ships were awarded battle stars for the "Algeria-Morocco landings" in November 1942 but SAMUEL GRIFFIN is not among them; see http://usmm.org/battleurope.html. The only battle star she won was for the invasion of southern France nearly two years later, as noted above.

Ron Carlson, Webmaster

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Re: Battle Stars

Posted by Roy Brown on March 15, 2008, 9:39 am, in reply to "Re: Battle Stars"
98.220.218.16

Rusty, I have searched the book and can find no Battle Star awarded to your grandfather's ship the SS Samuel Griffith.
I do not know the criteria for earning the award.
I was in several severe air attacks and thought we should have received a Battle Star for three of them. However, we were awarded a Battle Star for only one, the massive air attack on Convoy UGS-40 on 11 May 1944.
You can go to the web site for Battle Stars at
www.BattleStarsAndNavalAwards.com or contact the author of the book I mentioned at:
Tamaroa@aol.com. (If it is still available).
God Bless.
Roy Brown

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Re: Battle Stars

Posted by Rusty on March 15, 2008, 10:17 pm, in reply to "Re: Battle Stars"
69.66.249.15

Once agian, thanks for everyones help! I will pass this info on to Granddad.
Rusty

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Re: Battle Stars

Posted by Al Burnham on March 15, 2008, 3:17 pm, in reply to "Re: Battle Stars"
67.72.98.45

Rusty,Lots of service people were engaged in combat with the enemy. And these were of all types. Battle stars were only awarded for major
engagements like Normandy,Anzio,Iwo Jimo and such. So you could be in many battles or combat
with the enemy and no battle stars were awarded.
The Combat Action Ribbon was authorized in 1969 for this type of combat with the enemy and was not recognized for the same participation. This is where the gunnery officer's report is so vital. Knowing what the qualifications are
for the Combat Action Ribbon is also vital as I
experienced with the Assit. Vet. Award Coord.
Thanks to Roy pointing the way on the internet after I was turned down because no battle star was awarded to the ship for that time period. I now have the Combat Action Ribbon after quoting
to them why the Ribbon came to be and what the qualifications was. Hang in there for as you may come across something like the Ship Movement Cards ( Ports of Call ). This will have dates and
where at.
Al

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Re: Battle Stars

Posted by Roy Brown on March 16, 2008, 2:26 pm, in reply to "Re: Battle Stars"
98.220.218.16

Thanks for your input, Al. I was also awarded the Combat Action Ribbon by the Chief of Naval Operations in the year 2000. I had to send the documents to show proof of earning the award.
The Ribbon is awarded to US Navy and US Marine Corps veterans who qualify either by combat on land or sea. The US Congress passed a law several years ago making the Combat Action Ribbon award retroactive to World war veterans and those who qualified thereafter.
Roy Brown

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Re: Battle Stars

Posted by Bob Tassinari on March 22, 2008, 7:43 pm, in reply to "Re: Battle Stars"
207.200.116.10

Irecently received the Combat Action Ribbon after much required documentation. This was many years after getting one (1) battle star on my Philippine Liberation Medal recieved on discharge in 12/45 doe rhw Leyte Gulf and Mindoro Operation.

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Re: Battle Stars

Posted by Roy Brown on March 20, 2008, 3:48 pm, in reply to "Re: Battle Stars"
98.220.218.16

Sorry, I neglected to include the US Coast Guard as also being authorized to wear the Combat Action Ribbon IF they met the qualifications.
The combat for which I received the ribbon was in the Med and Task Force 61, the escorts for our convoy, were commanded by US Navy Commander Jesse Sowell. He was aboard the USCGC Campbell, a very well known Coast Guard Cutter. Commander Sowell also received the Legion of Merit Medal for that battle.
Roy Brown

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