Warbird Information Exchange

Anyone have any suggestions on how someone would receive an Air Medal who was not in the USAAF?

My Grandma passed away, and while doing the unfortunate task of going through her stuff, we found an Air Medal. The only 2 possible candidates are her brother (Infantry in Italy) and her cousin (infantry, killed in France D-day + 30. AFAIK, neither one of them did anything in the air, so I am at a loss. She was the only one that would have known.

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Sure, Charles Lindbergh flew the plane... but Tom Rutledge built the engine!

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maybe a boyfriend prior to marrying your grandfather?

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S.

No, they were married in 1932.

Next...

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Sure, Charles Lindbergh flew the plane... but Tom Rutledge built the engine!

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The Air Medal is awarded to any person who, while serving in any capacity in or with the Armed Forces of the United States, shall have distinguished himself/herself by meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight.

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"I knew the jig was up when I saw the P-51D-20-NA Mustang blue-nosed bastards from Bodney, and by the way the blue was more of a royal blue than an indigo and the inner landing gear interiors were NOT green, over Berlin."

I know you've probably been here but: http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/Award ... EDAL1.html

S

could have been either of your candidates, if they happened to be in an airplane and did something special...

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"I knew the jig was up when I saw the P-51D-20-NA Mustang blue-nosed bastards from Bodney, and by the way the blue was more of a royal blue than an indigo and the inner landing gear interiors were NOT green, over Berlin."

Yeah, I know what an Air Medal is for. I just can't figure out what grunts would be doing in an airplane to warrant receiving it aside from maybe a glider?. Uncle George landed at the beach in Italy, ended up at Monte Casino, and eventually in Rome. I know very little about her cousin, so I don't know how he made his way into France. Is being in a Glider a qualification for the Air Medal?

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Sure, Charles Lindbergh flew the plane... but Tom Rutledge built the engine!

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riding in a glider should be enough to deserve a medal!!!

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S.

So true! I don't know if they handed them out for that or not. Nor do I know if he was in one.

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Sure, Charles Lindbergh flew the plane... but Tom Rutledge built the engine!

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Ever consider that it may have just been something he had, rather than something he was awarded?

I know I have a couple physical medals in my closet that are not part of my official military record, but rather I picked up as military memorabilia/collectibles.

After all, it's not really the physical medal that is important, it's the citation and the order accompanying the award that matter!

my dad as an infantry rifle company commander in ww 2 pacific theatre went on a few hops in l-5's & the like for recon purposes. he didn't get an air medal, but perhaps there was an incident or action with the enemy that related to your relative's service that warranted such a flight like my father's.

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tom d. friedman - hey!!! those fokkers were messerschmitts!! * without ammunition, the usaf would be just another flying club!!! * better to have piece of mind than piece of tail!!

Maybe Randy, but that seems kinda odd to just have them. If it was Uncle George, he wanted to forget the war but couldn't. He died a drunk 40 years after the war. As a kid he was creepy to me... I didn't understand. I really wish I could have been older and spoken to him about anything he felt comfortable sharing.

I have his bible that he carried there and I see was in the 36th Infantry Div, 5th Army. He wrote down a list of all the towns he was in as well as some comments from the '50s that he couldn't forget the war. It's pretty powerful to read.

Can a nephew order up service records? I may be out of luck for Grandma's cousin, but maybe I can find out more info on Uncle George.

Tom, that certainly seems within the realm of possibility.

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Sure, Charles Lindbergh flew the plane... but Tom Rutledge built the engine!

Visit Django Studios online or Facebook!

I guess my point is, just because it was in someone's possession doesn't mean they were awarded it.

Randy is right. I traded awards with a friend once and still have em. It coudl be a "remember me"...

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"I knew the jig was up when I saw the P-51D-20-NA Mustang blue-nosed bastards from Bodney, and by the way the blue was more of a royal blue than an indigo and the inner landing gear interiors were NOT green, over Berlin."

Heck if LBJ could be awarded the Silver Star for just riding in the back of a B-26 and crapping his pants what would you have to do to get an Air Medal?