Need Help with WW2 Navy medals

[Jim]

My father-in-law served Jan 44- Nov 47 on the USS Grayson. He has since lost his medals and i am working on a presentation box for him. We have received copies of his mustering out Document dated Nov 47 and he is listed as being awarded the American Theater, Asiatic-pacific and Victory medals. Due to a bottle of rum he did not receive the good conduct medal. He remembers however, that while on board he wore, and at one time had to carry a signed document from the CO stating the awards to show the SP's if checked, TWO rows of ribbons. He remembers it as the American Theater, Asiatic-Pacific, Victory Medal on the top row and three other ribbons below those.
I have run into a wall figuring out what the other three are. He doesn't remember exactly how they look (he's 87, now) and barring faulty memory, can not determine what they could be.
I do know that there is, among the Grayson's crew an event where the Ship was recorded as being commended by an Admiral and apparently they thought it was a unit comendation but no official paperwork was ever issued.
Any help or ideas would be appreciated.

[PA-SGT]

Have you requested for his official records? That is what I did when building both my grand fathers shadow boxes, and if you fill the paperwork our requesting his decorations they will send you all his medals, ribbons and qualification badges for free. the site below is a good place to start, when I get into work tomorrow I will post another site that may help

https://veteranmedals.army.mil/


Good Luck

PA-Sgt

[PA-SGT]

Here is the other site, I found it quickly enough

http://www.archives.gov/st-louis/military-personnel/index.html

PA-Sgt

[Jim]

Thanks for the links. We have gotten his mustering out doc from NARA which only shows the 2 campaign and victory medals. That's one reason I'm at a loss to identify three awards that would rate lower than those three and have been approved by 1947. By official listing, he was aboard for seven campaign stars on his A-P campaign medal but he remembers being told he rated nine. The Marshall campaign consisted of 4 landings and I think at the time they thought or was told each landing was a star but not according to one source I found. The Phillipine Liberation medal rates lower then the US medals but His ship made strikes on Leyte and withdrew on the 15th oct 44 and the medal criteria starts on the 17th. His ship might have thought they qualified and wore the medal or were told their supporting actions in the surrounding area post 16 oct qualified.
From what he says, it was confusing to know what actions were grouped together and apparently they were often told an action would rate an award that was never forth coming.

[PA-SGT]

Not sure if the Sea service awards would have been in effect back then but the may have been lower

This one many WWII vets got American Defense Service Medal

Here are some others to check

Combat Action Ribbon
Sea Service Deployment Ribbon (Navy)
Navy Unit Commendation (N, MC)
Meritorious Unit Commendation

Good luck

[Ben Shotalot]

Not sure if the Sea service awards would have been in effect back then but the may have been lower

This one many WWII vets got American Defense Service Medal

Here are some others to check

Combat Action Ribbon
Sea Service Deployment Ribbon (Navy)
Navy Unit Commendation (N, MC)
Meritorious Unit Commendation

Good luck

This will help narrow the search in the above list:

CAR was instituted in 1961 and in 1999 made retroactive to 1941.
SSDR - 1981 and retro to 1974
NUC - 1944
MUC - 1967

Looks like he would get the CAR added to his records and the NUC is a possibility. Find out what unit or ship he was on and ask the local navy base to look it up as there is a book that lists all.

Here are the common awards given to members of ships who otherwise did not earn a 'personal' award:

Presidential Unit Citation
Navy Unit Citation
American Defense Service Medal
American Campaign
Euopean-African-Middle East Campaign
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
WWII Victory
Navy Occupation Service
Philippine Pres. Unit Citation (1948)
Philippine Defense Medal (for 12/41 - 06/42)
Philippine Liberation Medal (10/44 - 9/45) Not officially auth for wear on the uniform.
Philippine Independence Medal (must have the defense and liberation medal to get this one)

Then you have the 2 marksmanship medals:

Navy Expert Rifleman (1920)
Navy Expert Pistol (1920)

Hope this helps!

[Jim]

Many thanks, to all who replied. I have new avenues to check on now.