Zack Hill by John Deering and John Newcombe for August 24, 2022

you know nothing about the military, lad

Participation meant so much more back then…

He can still fit in it?? I’m so envious!

Yes sir, Staff Sergeant, sir.

You wouldn’t last a minute Zack!

These days they do get participation awards. Marines get a ribbon after completing boot camp.

That’s the kind I got. It was peacetime & I’m glad.

only participation award I ever got was the Presidential Unit Citation in 1967 (NAVCOMSTA DA NANG)

I remember when General Petraeus testified to Congress wearing a uniform covered with ribbons and the media was gushing all over him but if you read his bio he never spent a minute in combat-too young for Vietnam, too senior for Desert Storm.

That he did and he is still alive to talk about some of it. Don’t ask questions. Let him tell you when he’s ready. And he may never be….

The kid’s not totally wrong — good conduct ribbons are basically participation awards, so are a lot of the campaign ribbons. You didn’t have to necessarily do anything heroic, you just had to be there and not screw up too badly. A guy manning a desk for a couple years could collect a few without ever seeing combat.