Bronze Star vs. Bronze Star with V

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Scott Free

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Sep 15, 1999
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Several months ago, I participated in outing a "preacher" who was fraudulently claiming to be a former Navy SEAL. The fake Navy SEAL eventually confessed. In the course of all this, I (legally) obtained his military records. On those records, it says the guy did indeed get a Bronze Star. The thing is, even though this guy confessed to being a fraud, he still has his defenders. One of them says that even though he lied about this one thing, he is still a hero because he received the Bronze Star. From a bit of research, I learned that there are Bronze Stars and there are Bronze Stars with V (for Valor.)

Here are my questions: Would military records differentiate between the two, or would it just list Bronze Star regardless? Secondly, Bronze Stars (without V) are issued for "meritorious service." Are they also awarded for heroic acts?

I'm sure I can't make this guy's defenders see the light no matter what the proof demonstrates. It eats at me, though. So-- give me some ammo.

I mean no disrespect to those who have earned the Bronze Star (without the V.) Please do not infer anything from my inquiry other than a desire to nail a particular liar.
 
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3-13. Bronze Star Medal

a. The Bronze Star Medal was established by Executive Order 9419, 4 February 1944 (superseded by Executive Order 11046, 24 August 1962).

b. The Bronze Star Medal is awarded to any person who, while serving in any capacity in or with the Army of the United States after 6 December 1941, distinguished himself or herself by heroic or meritorious achievement or service, not involving participation in aerial flight, in connection with military operations against an armed enemy; or while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party.

c. Awards may be made for acts of heroism, performed under circumstances described above, which are of lesser degree than required for the award of the Silver Star.

d. The Bronze Star Medal may be awarded for meritorious achievement or meritorious service according to the following:

(1) Awards may be made to recognize single acts of merit or meritorious service. The lesser degree than that required for the award of the Legion of Merit must nevertheless have been meritorious and accomplished with distinction.

(2) Award may be made by letter application to Commander, ARPERCEN, ATTN: DARP-VSE-A, 9700 Page Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63132-5200 (enclosing documentary evidence, if possible), to each member of the Armed Forces of the United States who after 6 December 1941, has been cited in orders or awarded a certificate for exemplary conduct in ground combat against an armed enemy between 7 December 1941 and 2 September 1945, inclusive, or whose meritorious achievement has been other wise confirmed by documents executed prior to 1 July 1947. For this purpose, an award of the Combat Infantryman Badge or Combat Medical Badge is considered as a citation in orders. Documents executed since 4 August 1944 in connection with recommendations for the award of decorations of higher degree than the Bronze Star Medal will not be used as the basis for an award under this paragraph.

(3) Upon letter application, award of the Bronze Star Medal may be made to eligible soldiers who participated in the Philippine Islands Campaign between 7 December 1941 to 10 May 1942. Performance of duty must have been on the island of Luzon or the Harbor Defenses in Corregidor and Bataan. Only soldiers who were awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation (Presidential Unit Citation) may be awarded this decoration. Letter application should be sent to the Commander, ARPERCEN, ATTN: DARP-VSE-A, 9700 Page Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63132-5200.

http://www.amervets.com/replacement/bs.htm#prp
 
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Daniel-- what you quoted is basically what I found during my search. It doesn't really answer my questions, though. I know that Bronze Stars are awarded for acts of heroism OR meritorious service. I need to know if there is a way to tell why the fake Navy SEAL got his Bronze Star by looking at his military records. Such as-- if it was for heroism, would his records show "Bronze Star with V" and if it were for meritorious service would it just say "Bronze Star?"
The actually wording on his records read: THIRD SEA SERVICE DEPLOYMENT RIBBON {BRONZE STAR}. It appears just as it appears here. There is a period after the brackets around the words BRONZE STAR. To me it appears that his Bronze Star is related to his deployment ribbon and not some heroic act-- but I really don't know.
 
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I was only answering your question in regards to the award itself. I was not able to locate any info referencing the nomenclature in military records regarding the award's documentation.

I only know two guys who have received the Bronze Star and neither were awarded for valor. I would guess that it would indicate that the award has a "V" designation, but that is only a guess. It may be that you would have to see the actual citation to determine why it was awarded.

It was a great surprise to me that it could be awarded for "doing your job well for a length of time". A friend of mine received a Bronze Star in Afghanistan for doing his job well.
 
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I think "{bronze star}" here (on his dd214) represents participation in campaigns or operations, multiple qualification or an additional award to any of the various ribbons on which it is authorized and not the Bronze Star medal.
 
No, the Bronze Star Medal is an award. If you have multiple awards where the device is a star it will be in parentheses following the award itself. For example, I was in Desert Shield, Desert Storm and Desert Farewell, the Southwest Asia Service medal uses a bronze star device to show the campaigns, following the notation on my 214 of Southwest Asia Service Medal (3 bronze stars) or something similar. On my 214 the Bronze Star Medal is noted as "Bronze Star Medal".

Now technically he's not lying in saying he was awarded a bronze star because he has one as a service device. He would be lying in saying he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal if his 214 doesn't actually state "Bronze Star Medal."

Quite often the level of award for meritorious service is dictated by rank. The only people in my Battlion awarded a Bronze Star Medal were the BN CDR, BN CSM and myself (E4/SPC). When I was in Kosovo I was given a choice by Task Force Eagle HQ, I could recieve a very high award for my service (I was NCOIC and acted as the OIC for our deployment) or I could recieve an Army Achievement Medal (lowest commendation other than a pat on the back, you get AAM for maxing PT tests) and my Soldiers would get ARCOMs.
 
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Scott Free said:
The actually wording on his records read: THIRD SEA SERVICE DEPLOYMENT RIBBON {BRONZE STAR}. It appears just as it appears here. There is a period after the brackets around the words BRONZE STAR. To me it appears that his Bronze Star is related to his deployment ribbon and not some heroic act-- but I really don't know.
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The Sea Service Deployment Ribbon is awarded to members of the Navy and Marine Corps for participation in a 'float' or overseas deployment. The {Bronze Star} after the ribbon indicates a second (or subsequent) award and a small bronze star(s) is worn on the ribbon to indicate such. It has nothing at all to do with the Bronze Star Medal, nor with meritorious service or valor.

SEA SERVICE DEPLOYMENT RIBBON CRITERIA
 
My Grandfather was given a Bronze Star along with everyone in theatre surviving D-Day to VE day. General Taylor issued these Bronze stars because they were worth 5 points towards the 15 ( I believe ) needed to get home.

What I am saying is a Bronze star can be issued for valor but it can also be issued as a UNIT citation for merit not necessarily Valor as my Grandfather was a Medic. ( a Doctor ) also as was in my grandfathers case.
 
Second the above, it's for a subsequent award of a ribbon. I despise people like that, too many have given their lives for frauds like that.
 
Ren the devils trailboss said:
My Grandfather was given a Bronze Star along with everyone in theatre surviving D-Day to VE day. General Taylor issued these Bronze stars because they were worth 5 points towards the 15 ( I believe ) needed to get home.

What I am saying is a Bronze star can be issued for valor but it can also be issued as a UNIT citation for merit not necessarily Valor as my Grandfather was a Medic. ( a Doctor ) also as was in my grandfathers case.
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That might have been the case at one time but it's not anymore. The Navy/Marine Corps has such an award now, the Meritorious Unit Commendation. From wiki (and what I was taught at Boot Camp):
The Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation was established by order of the Secretary of the Navy on July 17, 1967. It is awarded in the name of the Secretary of the Navy to units of both the U.S. Navy and United States Marines. To justify this award, the unit must have performed service of a character comparable to that which would merit the award of a Bronze Star Medal, or achievement of like caliber in a non-combat situation, to an individual.
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Ren the devils trailboss said:
What I am saying is a Bronze star can be issued for valor but it can also be issued as a UNIT citation for merit not necessarily Valor as my Grandfather was a Medic. ( a Doctor ) also as was in my grandfathers case.
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RTDT.... you realize that line medics are probably the highest decorated group of Soldiers there is? The BSM can (as stated previously) be awarded as a meritorius service medal, nothing wrong with that. Your grandfather served from D Day to VE day, that's pretty meritorious IMHO. How many people recieved a BSM for that period of service? probably not many. My last point is this, the old brown boot Army didn't hand out medals like they do now. Your grandfather has a BSM from WWII, this is the story he tells you about the BSM, I wouldn't be surprised if he's left quite a bit out of the story.
 
If you win a Bronze Star in combat, it will have a V for valor on it. Otherwise it's just an award given out for doing a good job. That why it's differentiated from the others with a V.
 
My father got a Bronze Star in WWII. It was given, frankly, for killing Germans, not for being a good boy.

--Mike L.
 
The Bronze Star Medal can only be awarded during and for war time service in theater. I think there were some Air Force guys that were awarded it while not serving in theater but as a rule you have to be in the theater to be awarded the BSM.

The "V" device is for valorious action.
 
Think of a Bronze Star as the equivalent of a Meritorious Service Medal given in a combat zone. It can be given to the supply NCOIC for for doing a kick ass job while deployed to a war zone. It can be given to an XO of a company for doing his XO duties in a combat zone/hostile fire area that he would have done during a field exercise back in the states.

A Bronze Star with a V device is strictly for an action involving combat - either killing the bad guys in an extraordinary situation or saving your buddies asses from getting killed.

Oversimplified, but that is the general delineation.
 
:thumbup: Much better job of explaining than me.

Mine was basically for being the only medic for several miles and ummmmmm getting medical supplies by any means necessary. In fact that's one of the bullet statements on my paperwork "maintained medical supplies for Company no matter the method required to acquire supplies." Our unit wasn't authorized a medic, our CO preferred me being a medic instead of running a RATT rig. I do apologize to the members of the MEDSUPs at LBA and KKMC that had to account for all the missing supplies. :) The Group chaplain put me in for mine. Like I said, meritorious service and I'd never try to pass it off as heroic action 'cept for having to run away when getting caught for stealing supplies.
 
Will Leavitt said:
The Bronze Star Medal can only be awarded during and for war time service in theater. I think there were some Air Force guys that were awarded it while not serving in theater but as a rule you have to be in the theater to be awarded the BSM.

The "V" device is for valorious action.
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The rule about being in theatre in a relatively new one, as the Air Force officers you referred to were awarded (meritorius) Bronze Stars for the planning of the Air War in Kosovo, while having never left MacDill.
 
Another thing to remember is that when Desert Storm was over they gave these things out like candy. Units were mandated to give 15% of their troops Silver Stars and 30% Bronze Stars. That really cheapened the sacrifice of those who actually earned these awards previously.
 
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