A Vietnam War veteran in Michigan has reportedly received his military honors more than 50 years after he left the U.S. Navy. The awards arrived after a struggle to make records publicly available.
Vietnam veteran Karl Smith, who graduated from Muskegon High School in Michigan and enlisted in the Navy when he was 17 years old while still in school, received his service medals Wednesday, according to a report by WZZM 13.
Smith, who was deployed to Vietnam and served in the Navy from 1969 to 1973, received five awards: the Navy “E” Ribbon, the National Defense Service Medal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Korea), the Vietnam Service Medal (with one bronze campaign star), and the Honorable Reserve Discharge Button.
“It is a pleasure to honor Karl Smith and celebrate his service to our nation in the U.S. Navy. Karl was an exemplary sailor who, after his service, dedicated his life to keeping his community safe as a firefighter and police officer in Muskegon County,” Michigan State Rep. John Moolenaar (R-MI 2nd District) said.
“Brave service members like Karl deserve to be recognized, and it is an honor to present him with the awards he earned in service to our country 50 years ago,” Moolenaar added.
Smith served on the USS Halsey after being assigned to the fleet at the age of 18 and was deployed to the West Pacific during the Vietnam War, according to a report by WOOD-TV.
“The medals don’t mean as much to me as they will the grandkids,” Smith, who was surrounded by family as he received his military honors, said, adding that he is still waiting on receiving certificates.
The awards reportedly came after a struggle to unseal records confirming Smith qualified for the medals.
“The ship I was on was a missile frigate. It was called a Leahy-class ship. All the Leahy-class ships’ records are still sealed today. There were over 44 of them built from 1962 to ’75,” Smith said, adding that his fellow veterans do not know why the documents are still sealed.
After trying to prove his service for years, Smith contacted Moolenaar’s office for help. The state representative’s team then reportedly worked with the Department of Defense (DOJ) to verify the records.
“We want to make sure that we do everything we can to do the research and really recognize the tremendous service to our country,” Moolenaar said.
Smith added that Vietnam and Korean War veterans have not received the appreciation they deserved.
“When I can home, you were told not to wear your uniform home,” he said. “I fought for that uniform. That uniform still means something to me today.”
Alana Mastrangelo is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on Facebook and X at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.
