Vietnam Medal Wanted

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30944, 28 December 1965, Page 10

Vietnam Medal Wanted

(N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright)

BIEN HOA Dec. 27.

New Zealand gunners in Vietnam want a Vietnam service medal. They are entitled to the General Service Medal (G.S.M.), but this, they say, makes little distinction between the theatres of active service for which it is awarded. Only on ceremonial occasions, when the full medal and ribbon is worn, will the G.S.M. differentiate between Vietnam service and service elsewhere. It will have “Vietnam” on the bar. On normal occasions only the medal ribbon is worn. This makes no distinction between the theatres of action. “There’s a hell of a lot of difference between service here and, say, Borneo,” said a New Zealand gunner today. “Borneo’s no picnic, but it’s not like this. We’d like a medal that says we've served in Vietnam.”

The battery is now resting at Bien Hoa after five weeks of fighting. An Army spokesman said in Wellington tonight that to Christmas Eve no announcement had been made regarding the possibility of a special medal for Vietnam. The Viet Cong announced today a medal would be given to the guerrilla who killed the most Americans during 1966. The National Liberation Front radio said another medal would be struck for the most valiant guerrilla in killing Americans.