Most Current Information on the Cold War Medal.

[Shuman 14]

This topic was brought up in the Army CAR thread, but I thought it deserved it's own.

This is the most current information in regards to the struggle to get the Cold War Medal approved.

There were previously three Bills before the last Congress that would have recognized all veterans that served during the Cold War (02SEP1945 thru 26DEC1991) with a long over due Medal. This was also tried a few years ago and resulted in a “Cold War Recognition Certificate”, which was a cost saving measure by the Department of Defense. These Bills were:

1. HR.3201.IH - The Cold War Service Medal Act (This one was in the House of Representatives)

2. HR.3388.IH -The Cold war Victory Medal Act (This one was also in the House of Representatives)

3. S.1841.IS - The Cold War Medal Act (This one was in the Senate).

You can go to the US Senate’s legislative tracking page and type in the key word: cold war, and check on the status of all these bills at:

http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/legislative/g_three_sections_with_teasers/legislative_home.htm

I'm asking everyone here to take a minute of their time and e-mail or snail mail their Congressmen and Senators and ask them to sponsor and support the renewal of these bills in the current Congress. Remember if we had lost the Cold War, there would be no internet to access and no freedom to express our views here on this forum. Thank a veteran that made this all possible by doing this simple thing. It will mean so much too so many veterans.

For more information please go to the Cold War Veterans Association (CWVA) Website at:

http://www.coldwarveterans.com

or their discussion board at:

http://www.aimoo.com/forum/freeboard.cfm?id=545657

Their official Cold War Medal Petition is located online at:

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/172944628

Also, please go to:

http://www.petitiononline.com/pfcmongo/

and

http://www.petitiononline.com/pfcusmc/petition.html

and sign two online petitions supporting the creation of the Cold War Medal. There are currently over 5400 names on the first one. This is a quick, easy, and painless way to help as well and will take you less than two minutes to do.

For those Cold War Veterans who have not received their “Cold War Recognition Certificate” go to:

http://www.perscomonline.army.mil/tagd/coldwar/default.htm

to find out what you need to receive your certificate from the Government.

Let me close by saying thank you for letting me take up a little bit of your time with this post.

Thank you for your support as well.

[SgtArky]

Hi,
I wanted you to know I email my congressman about the cold war service and the army combat action ribbon. He's a democrat , however his saving grace with me is he is very good with military affairs. He does right by soldiers. He was a marine in vietnam. I have not received his response yet. Plus he is on the armed forces committee. I will keep you posted if he responds

[SgtArky]

Looks like I might not get it. I receive a general discharge in 1992. oh well.

[Shuman 14]

As long as it was "General" "Under Honorable Conditions", you should be fine.

Send in your doc's and see what they say, the worst it can be is "No".

Thanks for the support, and good luck.

[Shuman 14]

Just a quick update:

The Cold War Medal admendment passed in the House version of the 2006 NDAA.

Debate on S.1042 resumes November 4 at 9:00 AM on the Senate floor. (that's today. folks)

So the Cold War Medal is still alive. Time to let your senators hear from you and everyone you know. Ask them to co-sponsor the Cold War Medal and to support it in the final NDAA of 2006.

It's crunch time -- let's roll!

For more information go to the CWVA home page at:

http://www.coldwarveterans.com/

and follow the link to our discussion forum to see what you can do to help.

[Shuman 14]

*Deleted*

[Shuman 14]

Here is a message that was posted by the CWVA Chairman, Vince Milum this morning on the CWVA Forum:

As we near the end of 2005, it is appropriate to reflect on where we stand with respect to a few key issues of concern to Cold War Veterans and their loved ones.


Cold War Victory Medal


In our effort to secure medallic recognition for the brave men and women who fought and won our nation's longest war, we are working arduously with members of Congress to secure inclusion of a provision for the Cold War Victory Medal in the National Defense Authorization Act for 2006. As of the writing of this article, the House of Representatives has passed its version of the NDAA with the medal provision intact. (NOTE: Special thanks is owed to Congressman Robert Andrews and his staff for this initial success.) It appears, however, that some members of the Senate are reticent to follow the lead of the House and allow the medal to stay in the reconciled bill. Accordingly, we need each and every one of you to contact your senators to let them know how important this issue is for all of us. To assist in this effort, the CWVA (working with AMVETS) provides the following link:

Contact Senator:

http://capwiz.com/amvets/issues/alert/?alertid=7863026&type=CO

In addition to the support of AMVETS (cited above), many other fellow members of the VSO community have lent their support to us on the Cold War Medal issue. Among these are the American Legion, VFW, the Reserve Officers Association, and the Combat Infantrymen's Association.


Regardless of the totality of our success this go-around, the fact remains, the Cold War Veterans Association (CWVA) is now a respected member of the VSO community whose voice is both heard and heeded on Capitol Hill. To have gotten so far so soon is a testament to the loyal support of members of the Cold War Veterans Community. Indeed, the biggest asset of the CWVA is our membership.


More than a one-issue VSO


While one topic has dominated our discussions of late, let me remind everyone that the CWVA is not a "one trick pony." We are, in fact, the primary Veterans Service Organization fighting for all the rights and benefits that Cold War Veterans have earned. While the Cold War Medal is important, it is not our raison d'être. We also are working to establish:


A Cold War Memorial in Washington, D.C.


Full V.A. benefits for all Cold War Veterans


Cold War Victory Day throughout the United States.

On this last point, let me emphasize that we have already been successful in having proclamations issued by 17 State Governors / Legislatures naming May 1st as Cold War Victory Day. We are working to expand this to all 50 states and, eventually, a National Day of recognition.


Growing public awareness


On the public relations front, numerous newspaper, magazine, and encyclopedia articles have recently profiled the Cold War Veterans Association and our work to secure proper recognition for America's unheralded heroes. Our special gratitude goes out to the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) for a series of articles on the importance of the Cold War and the service of those who fought and won it. In the concluding article, the Chairman of the CWVA cited the necessity of ensuring that "our side" is presented in the history books so that future generations will understand and appreciate (a) why the war was fought, (b) what sacrifices were made, and (c) what victory has come to mean in terms of individual and societal liberties now taken for granted.


In summary


The bottom line is that while we are still relatively new as a National Veterans Service Organization, we have made significant inroads towards our ultimate goal of being fully recognized for having fought and won America's longest war. With your continued support, we will ensure a legacy that befits our great service.

[Shuman 14]

S.1042 (Senate version of NDAA) has passed without inclusion of Cold War Medal. That clears the way for everyone to push for retention of the House language, SEC 565 COLD WAR VICTORY MEDAL, as contained in H.R. 1815 during the Conference Commitee.

Our next move is to contact members of the House-Senate Conference on the NDAA by phone, fax, and e-mail, and, when possible, in person.

The message: Please include the COLD WAR VICTORY MEDAL, as specified in SEC 565 of H.R. 1815, in the National Defense Authorization Act of 2006.

The Senate conferees will include members of the Senate Armed Services Committee. House conferees will be named, and posted as soon as they are known. Rep. Duncan hunter and Rep. Ike Skelton are certain to be on it, and other names will be posted here. Let's let them hear from us.

[Shuman 14]

Here is an e-mail I received today from the CWVA Forum Administrator:

DOD's position:

Department of Defense Appeal

FY 2006 Defense Authorization Bill

Subject: Cold War Victory Medal

Language/Provision: House Section 565 would authorize the Secretaries of the Military Departments to award a Cold War Victory Medal to eligible persons who performed active duty or inactive duty training during the Cold War for a period of service beginning September 2, 1945 and ending on December 26, 1991. The Senate included no similar provision.

DoD Position: The Department opposes the Cold War Victory Medal as it would create duplicate recognition for all service medals already authorized during the Cold War period. To bestow a generic medal or ribbon would lessen the significance and prestige of other decorations awarded during the same period. The Department maintains a long-standing policy that service or campaign awards will not cover periods where other service or campaign awards have been authorized. Adherence to this policy has helped to maintain the integrity and prestige of our awards system over the years.

Additionally, cost was a critical factor in the original Congressional decision to issue the Cold War certificate instead of a medal. Millions of military personnel would be eligible for the medal. With a cost of up to ten dollars to produce and distribute each medal, the total cost would run into the tens to potentially hundreds of millions of dollars.

The Department urges exclusion of this provision.

Our response is to state our position as strongly as possible while remaining respectful and courteous. DOD is relying on faulty logic, and attempting to dissuade Congress -- as a co-equal branch of Government -- from exercising its perogative to recognize the service and sacrifice of military personnel.

Briefly, the CWVA urges any response to focus on several key points:

1. A "victory medal," by its very nature, is not duplicative, any more than the WWII Victory Medal duplicated any of the theater campaign medals already authorized.

2. DoD has not adhered to its stated position - examples: Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal and Army of Occupation Medal for Berlin service 1961-62; Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal and China Service Medal for service in China 1945-46; Overseas Service Ribbon and Korea Defense Service Medal; Armed Forces Service Medal and AFEM for operations in Former Yugoslavia; GWOTEM and Iraq Campaign Medal/ Afghanistan Campaign Medal. GWOTSM and NDSM.

3. Numerous deployments prior to 1958 for which no service medals were explicitly authorized. Six divisions were deployed to Europe in 1951 to deter Soviet aggression, with no explicit awards for the deployment. General Eisenhower declared at the time that "America's line of defense is the Elbe River " A similar deployment to Thailand in 1962 resulted in award of the AFEM. USAF and Navy deployments to Vietnam 1953-54 in support of ongoing military operations were likewise not recognized. A large number of reconnaissance missions were flown in the late 1940s and 1950s, around and over Eastern Bloc countries and the USSR, with significant loss of life and combat engagements, yet no campaign medals were authorized for these missions.

4. DoD argued that the significance and prestige of existing awards would be lessened by a generic medal or ribbon, yet large numbers of generic ribbons have been created by DoD since 1980, without concern that they would lessen the prestige of medals for Korean or Vietnam service. Thus, DoD has not adhered to its own stated policy, and is using a recycled argument to dissuade Congress from exercising its prerogative to adequately recognize military service during the Cold War.

5. The significance of the Cold War has been repeatedly cited by Presidents going back to Truman, and both the current President and President George H.W. Bush have declared, "By the grace of God, we won the Cold War." A victory medal is highly appropriate.

6. The Congressional resolution commending those who served in the Cold War did not substitute the certificate for a medal, nor did it preclude creation of such a medal. The current Senate Armed Services Committee Chair -- Senator John Warner -- introduced legislation in 1999 to authorize a Cold War Victory Medal.

7. DoD's assertion that cost would be prohibitive is not backed by analysis, nor is it consistent with the Congressional Budget Office's estimate that there would be zero cost for FY 2006, and $13 million over a 5-year period. We expect that the cost will be significantly less.

8. We urge inclusion of House Section 565 in the National Defense Authorization Act of 2006. America's Cold War veterans deserve the respect of the nation.

As a supporter of the Cold War Veterans Association we thank you for your continuing support and efforts on behalf of our military veterans.

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David Fofanoff (AIRCAV1ID)
CWVA Forum Administrator
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