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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Hi,</SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></SPAN> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">I received this information from
another list. It applies to anyone who served in Korea since 28 July 1954
or there next of kin.</SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></SPAN> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Eugene Melvin</SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">SW Portland, Oregon
</SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></SPAN> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Release No. </SPAN><st1:date
Year="2004" Day="4" Month="3"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">03-04-04</SPAN></st1:date><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><BR></SPAN><st1:date Year="2004"
Day="4" Month="3"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">March 4,
2004</SPAN></st1:date><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Congress authorizes Korean Defense
Service Medal <BR style="mso-special-character: line-break"><BR
style="mso-special-character: line-break"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Criteria for the award of and
procedures to claim entitlement to the Korean Defense Service Medal, authorized
by Congress in February, were announced this week.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">The new medal, said a Pentagon
spokeswoman, is </SPAN><st1:country-region><st1:place><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">America</SPAN></st1:place></st1:country-region><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">'s way "of recognizing the
tremendous accomplishments of service members who served in
</SPAN><st1:country-region><st1:place><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Korea</SPAN></st1:place></st1:country-region><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> from </SPAN><st1:date Year="1954"
Day="28" Month="7"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">July 28,
1954</SPAN></st1:date><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> to a
future undetermined date." <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">To qualify for the medal, service
members must have served in support of the defense of the
</SPAN><st1:place><st1:PlaceType><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Republic</SPAN></st1:PlaceType><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> of </SPAN><st1:PlaceName><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Korea</SPAN></st1:PlaceName></st1:place><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">. The area of eligibility
encompasses all land area of the </SPAN><st1:place><st1:PlaceType><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Republic</SPAN></st1:PlaceType><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> of </SPAN><st1:PlaceName><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Korea</SPAN></st1:PlaceName></st1:place><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">, and the contiguous water out to 12
nautical miles and all air spaces above the land and water
areas.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Service members must have been
assigned, attached or mobilized to units operating in the area of eligibility
and have been physically deployed in the area of eligibility for 30 consecutive
or 60 nonconsecutive days or meet one of the following
criteria:<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Have been engaged in actual combat
during an armed engagement, regardless of the time in the area of eligibility;
Was wounded or injured in the line of duty and required medical evacuation from
the area of eligibility; and Participated as a regularly assigned air crew
member flying sorties into, out of, within or over the area of eligibility in
support of military operations. Each day that one or more sorties were flown in
accordance with these criteria counts as one day toward the 30 or 60-day
requirement.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Personnel who served in operations
and exercises conducted in the area of eligibility are considered eligible for
the award as long as the basic time criteria is met. Due to the extensive time
period for medal eligibility, the nonconsecutive service period for eligibility
remains cumulative throughout the entire period.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">The military may award the medal
posthumously. Only one award of the medal is authorized for any
individual.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">According to DoD, more than 40,000
service members have been on South Korean land or adjacent waters each year
since the July 1953 cease-fire establishing the DMZ.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Retired members and veterans who
meet the eligibility (or the next of kin in the case of those now deceased) must
request the award from the </SPAN><st1:place><st1:PlaceName><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">National</SPAN></st1:PlaceName><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> </SPAN><st1:PlaceName><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Personnel</SPAN></st1:PlaceName><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> </SPAN><st1:PlaceName><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Records</SPAN></st1:PlaceName><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> </SPAN><st1:PlaceType><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Center</SPAN></st1:PlaceType></st1:place><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> in
</SPAN><st1:City><st1:place><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">St
Louis</SPAN></st1:place></st1:City><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">. The address
is:<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">NPRC
<BR></SPAN><st1:address><st1:Street><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">9700 Page
Avenue</SPAN></st1:Street><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">
<BR></SPAN><st1:City><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">St.
Louis</SPAN></st1:City><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">
</SPAN><st1:State><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">MO</SPAN></st1:State><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> </SPAN><st1:PostalCode><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">63132-5100</SPAN></st1:PostalCode></st1:address><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">The web address is <A
href="http://www.archives.gov"><B>http://www.archives.gov</B></A>. <BR
style="mso-special-character: line-break"><BR
style="mso-special-character: line-break"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Requests should include documents
clearly proving service and dates in Korea, such as TDY/PCS orders, performance
reports, letter of evaluations, flight records, decoration citation, record
review RIP, medical documents, or DD form 214 (discharge form). Questions should
be addressed to, and only to, the </SPAN><st1:place><st1:PlaceName><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">NPRC</SPAN></st1:PlaceName><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> </SPAN><st1:PlaceName><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Customer</SPAN></st1:PlaceName><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> </SPAN><st1:PlaceName><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Service</SPAN></st1:PlaceName><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> </SPAN><st1:PlaceType><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Center</SPAN></st1:PlaceType></st1:place><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> at (314)
801-0800.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Once entitlement has been verified,
NPRC will update the KDSM to the DD form 214, certificate of release or
discharge from active duty, and then authorize HQ AFPC, Randolph AFB, TX, to
issue a medal.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Because of the
expected large number of individuals applying, this may take quite
awhile.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">The KDSM should also be available
for purchase at Army and Air Force Exchange Service Clothing Sales facilities in
three to six months.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P></DIV></BODY></HTML>