I suspect you really earned some of them, especially the one you indicate.
Like you, I hold none higher than the Air Medal, and in fact one less than you for Individual Action during my 197 combat missions in Southeast Asia. I do have a few more strike/flight AMs, and a number of stars and "Vs" on the lower, lesser medals though, FWIW.
Although one or two guys in our squadron whined, surviving VC rocket attacks while in Da Nang that did not qualify flight crews for a CAR - especially when they/we ran and huddled in a bunker unarmed.
No excuses, and no regrets for me though.... We all knew what we did, and what it was worth. Award criteria always changes over time, and even from command to command. (Although one measly DFC would have been nice, like the AF got just for being there, regardless of what they accomplished.
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PS: One of the more highly decorated individuals I ever worked with was a former HAL-3(pdf) pilot. He had them all except for the MOH. But he never wore them. Once in a great while during a function, he would wear one row only. We wanted him to wear them all. But he really believed he didn't really earn them; therefore, he would not wear them. Great guy, but perhaps a bit too humble.
From what I know about HAL-3, those guys deserved every medal they got!!!!
From what I know about HAL-3, those guys deserved every medal they got!!!!
