Once again, Wikipedia demonstrates its total lack of knowledge of all things Military by including this incorrect information in their bio entry of former Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Jeremy M. Boorda, USN (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Boorda )
"Boorda died by suicide ... following a
media investigation into the legitimacy of his having worn on his uniform two service medals with bronze "V" devices, which
indicate the awards were for acts of valor. The "V" devices are by
regulation only to be awarded to personnel who performed an act of valor in
actual combat, and Boorda had not served in combat."
Colonel David Hackworth was a brave warrior but it's hard to
forgive him for dishonesty hounding ADM Boorda into committing suicide because COL
Hackworth was totally ignorant of the difference between what a "V"
device on an award denoted in the Army/Air Force and what it denoted in the
Navy/Marine Corps. Also, note in ADM Boorda’s Official Photo he is legitimately
wearing the Vietnam Service Medal and the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal
attesting to the fact that he did honorably serve in the Vietnam Combat Zone.
ADM Boorda was the 25th Chief of Naval Operations and the first person to have risen from the enlisted ranks to become Chief of Naval Operations, the highest-ranking billet in the United States Navy.
ADM Boorda was distraught over a media vendetta led by COL Hackworth of Newsweek into two miniature bronze letter "V"s that ADM Boorda had worn for years on two of his uniform's service ribbons. ADM Boorda had stopped wearing the "V" devices on these service ribbons about a year before the Hackworth investigation, after being informed by the Navy that the award citations omitted the covered service included the time his ship was operating in Vietnam waters. Reports at the time of ADM Boorda's suicide indicated that his wearing of the two "V" devices on the two service ribbons had not been an intentional deception on his part, but had been an unintentional mistake that resulted from his following verbal instructions delivered to commanders during the Vietnam War by Admiral Elmo Zumwalt when he was Chief of Naval Operations, as well as conflicting interpretations and updating of Navy award regulations. Newsweek later reported that "Hackworth believed that wearing an undeserved combat pin for valor was a grave matter of honor in the military, 'the worst thing you can do.'" Unfortunately, Hackworth was ignorant of the fact that in the Navy and Marine Corps a "V" device only means the award was awarded for service in a combat zone and NOT necessarily for Valor.
Former Chief of Naval Operations ADM Zumwalt, who was ADM Boorda's commander during the Vietnam War and who verbally authorized "V" devices for Boorda and many other sailors, wrote a letter to the effect that ADM Boorda's wearing of the devices was "appropriate, justified and proper." ADM Boorda had been the skipper of a Navy ship operating in Vietnam waters and the awards covered time he was actually in a combat zone so the award citations should have included that fact. As a matter of fact, I was present in Nha Be Vietnam when then VADM Zumwalt awarded CDR Jerry Wages, the Rung Sat Special Zone Commander, the Legion of Merit with "V" device. The Legion of Merit can NOT even be awarded for Valor.
What is unforgivable is that COL Hackworth drove an honorable Navy Admiral to commit suicide because he was too ignorant to do a little research and admit he was wrong.
Here is the official DOD explanation of what a "V" device denoted in the Army/Air Force and in the Navy/Marine Corps from 1946 and during the Vietnam War and up until 2017.
During the Vietnam War, a Combat "V"(officially called the Combat Distinguishing Device) awarded by the Navy or Marine Corps did not necessarily denote valor. This created a significant distinction between the sea services and the Army or Air Force.
For the Navy & Marine Corps the "V" was awarded for both acts of valor and meritorious service performed in a combat zone. It served to distinguish a medal earned in a combat environment from the same medal earned not in a combat zone.
In Army & Air Force the "V" device was awarded solely to denote valor or heroism in combat. This policy remained in effect from 1946 until 2017, when the Department of Defense standardized the "V" device to strictly mean valor across all service branches.
To recognize meritorious service in combat without a specific act of heroism, the military introduced the "C" (Combat) device.
To determine if a specific sea service Vietnam-era
award was for valor or meritorious service, you must read the official award
citation, which will state if the medal was for "heroic achievement"
or "meritorious achievement/service".
______________________________________________________________________
Effective 7 January 2017 The Department of Defense overhauled and standardized its military decorations when the Department of the Navy restricted the "V" device so that it is now exclusively awarded to recognize singular acts of valor (combat heroism). Prior to this 2017 policy change, the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard utilized the "V" as a Combat Distinguishing Device (or "Combat V"). This meant it could be affixed to medals not just for valor, but also to denote meritorious service or achievement while exposed to personal hazard in a combat environment.
Key Changes
Implemented in 2017:
The "V"
Device is Strictly for Valor: The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) remains one of
the primary multi-purpose decorations authorized to carry the "V"
device, but only when the individual award is given for a specific act of
combat heroism.
Introduction of the
"C" Device: To replace the old practice of using the
"V" for combat merit, the Pentagon introduced the "C"
(Combat Conditions) device. Meritorious service or achievements in a combat
zone that do not involve distinct acts of valor are now recognized with a
"C" device instead.
Removed From Other Medals: While the Bronze Star retained its "V" eligibility for valor, the "V" device was completely eliminated from medals that are never intended to measure combat heroism, such as the Legion of Merit and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal. Below is the applicable sections of the original implementation orders/official U.S. Navy Guidelines (NAVADMIN 134/17).
UNCLASSIFIED
ROUTINE
R 121452Z JUN 17
FM CNO WASHINGTON DC
TO NAVADMIN
INFO SECNAV WASHINGTON DC
BT
UNCLAS
NAVADMIN 134/17
MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/DNS/JUN//
SUBJ/VALOR AWARDS AND TIMELY RECOGNITION OF ACTS OF VALOR//
RMKS/1. This message announces new administrative requirements for originating, documenting, and processing unclassified valor award submissions of the Navy Cross and below to facilitate timely recognition of deserving U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps personnel assigned to Navy units.
.
4. Valor Awards and the
"V" Device.
a. Effective January 7, 2017 the
"V" Device is only authorized for decorations awarded in recognition
of singular acts of valor. The "V" Device is no longer authorized for
awards recognizing periods of meritorious performance under combat conditions
or meritorious performance while directly participating in combat operations.
b. The "V" Device is only authorized on the following Department of
the
Navy multi-purpose decorations when used to recognize valor:
(1) Distinguished Flying Cross (DV)
(2) Bronze Star Medal (BV)
(3) Air Medal (Individual Action) (AH)
(4) Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (CV)
c. The "V" Device is no longer authorized on the Legion of Merit or
the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, as these two medals are not
awarded for valor.
d. The "V" Device is not authorized on the Medal of Honor (MH), Navy Cross
(NX), or Silver Star Medal (SS). These medals are only awarded in recognition
of singular acts of valor; therefore use of the "V" Device would be
redundant.
e. The "V" Device is no longer authorized as a Combat Distinguishing Device
to recognize a member’s tour of duty or deployment. The term Combat Distinguishing
Device will no longer be used in association with the "V" Device.
