marine0816 Posted June 5, 2016 Share Posted June 5, 2016 I left the Marine Corps with half my medals and ribbons. After filing a DD149 I got this letter in the mail from the Marine Corps. It took 14 months to get this response after mailing it to the wrong address (which is the address listed to send on website) "DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF NAVAL RECORDS ARLINGTON VA". You actually have to mail the dd149 to the office in Quantico, VA on 2008 ELLIOT ROAD to avoid the extended wait that I experienced. I have a question, when they send my DD215, will I get my medals and ribbons along with my document? and how long should I expect to wait? Thanks USMC award letter_Redacted.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berta Posted June 5, 2016 Share Posted June 5, 2016 You will get all of the USA medals, etc except, if you are a Vietnam Veteran, any of the medals from Vietnam Gov will have to be purchased by you because our gov does not make them. They all will be listed on the DD 215 and that will be a smaller piece of paper than the regular DD 214. I was able to purchase my husband's Vietnam medals, decorations etc, when my daughter graduated at Lackland AFB. I brought his VA award letters and his DD 214 and 215 thinking I would have to prove he deserved them in his lifetime for what I bought but no one questioned me at all at the USAF BX. They can also be purchased on line. He was one of many Marines,( Vietnam -65 to 66) in 1968,being discharged who were herded into a big room at Quantico or somewhere and a DI told they had to fill out a form and state what decorations, etc they got.All he knew he had was the Expert Marksman Badge and scuttle butt was that his unit got PU but he never listed it because he didnt know.The Presidental Unit Citation and ribbon was included with the 215 and whatever else the VA could send him.None of them really knew what decorations etc they might have gotten.how would they know....They just wanted to get the hell out of there. If any of this 215 process info has changed someone will correct me. And Thank You for telling us of the new address for the DD 149. I download the DD149 here many times over the past 20 years and maybe that link info is all wrong by now. I am always glad when someone checks their DD 214 and sends in a DD 149 because it could contain evidence of a stressor and they would not have to go through any VA BS on the stressor at that point ( PH, CAR, CIB will allowVA to concede stressors. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 5, 2016 Share Posted June 5, 2016 (edited) The strange thing is, when you were awarded your awards there were award orders somewhere and they can find these orders and they really do look. The DD 215 is on a regular long sheet of paper now not like the half sheets back in the 1990s and before. The main thing is to make sure that all your awards are on it, it is legible and that it is signed. The first one they sent me had a control number where the signature authorizing the change goes but make sure that it has a signature even if it is computerized. It should have both a control number and a signature. Edited June 5, 2016 by pete992 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berta Posted June 6, 2016 Share Posted June 6, 2016 Thanks Pete,for that update....my husband's DD 215 was half the size or less of his DD 214 and he was told to make sure he always submitted both of them together for VA purposes, etc etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marine0816 Posted June 6, 2016 Author Share Posted June 6, 2016 7 minutes ago, Berta said: Thanks Pete,for that update....my husband's DD 215 was half the size or less of his DD 214 and he was told to make sure he always submitted both of them together for VA purposes, etc etc. thanks, when shoud I receive my medals? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 6, 2016 Share Posted June 6, 2016 Yes, Ms Berta great point. Even though my letter with my DD215 stated that a copy would be sent to VA, it also informed me to send my own copy to ensure a copy was put in my VA file. Marine, since I was Army I am not sure when you will get your DD 215 or your awards. I think my DD215 took a year and my awards came later than that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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