Request to Replace Missing Military Medals

Replacing Missing Medals and Ribbons from Military Service

Oct 29, 2009
Joe Nowak

National Defense Service Medal (Obverse) - United States Military

Awards, such as medals and ribbons, earned while in the military, occasionally go missing. They may be lost, stolen, or destroyed. Replacing them is not difficult.

In the United States, military personnel are trained and provided with the skills necessary to defend the country from numerous forms of attack or invasion. Whether the skills are hand to hand combat or using the latest technology to track the movements of enemy combatants, they perform their duties efficiently and with honor. When they perform exceptionally well they are given medals and awards to honor their service. After leaving the military the medals provide a connection to that part of a veteran’s life. When those very same medals go missing a part of the veteran’s history is lost with them.

Medals and ribbons disappear for a wide variety of reasons. They may be lost or misplaced after the vet leaves the service. They could be destroyed by a house fire, auto accident, flood, tornado or other mishap. They could even be stolen. Requesting replacements is as simple as filling out a form and submitting it to the appropriate agency.

Who Can Request Replacements?

Replacement medals may be requested by a military veteran or the next of kin of a military veteran. According to “eVetRecs: Request Copies of Military Personnel Records” the next of kin is defined as:

Surviving spouse that has not remarried
Father
Mother
Daughter
Son
Brother
Sister

Two Methods to Apply for Replacements

In order to request the replacement of medals, it is necessary to know what medals need replacing. To find this information it is necessary to apply to:

National Personnel Records Center (NPRC), 9700 Page Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63132-5100

The application for this information may be made by filling out an electronic form or obtaining Standard Form 180 (SF 180) and submitting it to the above address. Regardless of what method is used, it will be necessary to physically mail or fax some of the required information.

Electronic Application

The electronic version of the request for military records can be found at “eVetRecs: Request Copies of Military Personnel Records” (see above).

On the right side of this site is a link marked “Request Military Records.” Click on this.
Enter the required information.
Step 2 in this 4-step process provides drop down menu choices concerning the nature of the request. Section 3 allows for comments concerning further explanation of information not accessible in the forms of step 2.
Print, sign, and date the signature verification area of the customized form. This is necessary because the Privacy Act of 1974 requires all requests for records and information be submitted in writing. Therefore it must be signed and dated by the veteran or next of kin.
If next of kin are requesting the information they must provide proof of death of the veteran. A copy of the death certificate, letter from funeral home, or published obituary may be used for this purpose.
Mail or fax the signature verification form within 20 days of entering the request or the request will be removed from the system. This should be sent to National Personnel Records Center (See above for address).

Hard Copy of SF 180

A printable version of the SF 180 form can be found on the Internet as a pdf file

(http://www.archives.gov/research/order/standard-form-180.pdf).

Print the form
Fill in the form
Upon completion, send the form to the National Personnel Records Center (See above for address).

The information regarding the lost medals will be forwarded to the appropriate military offices and replacements should arrive in a timely manner. If they do not, a contact with the appropriate medal issuing office might be in order. These addresses are available at “Military Awards and Decorations.”

Medals Not Missing?

Even if there appear to be no missing medals it’s a good idea to periodically request this information. Some medals were created after a veteran has left the service but the vet’s service makes him/her eligible and for various reasons may not have received the deserved medal. The National Defense Service Medal is such an example. It was created in 1953. Along with Vietnam, Gulf War, and War on Terrorism vets, this medal is also for veterans of the Korean War (June 27, 1950 to July 27, 1954). Some of these veterans may not have received this medal for a multitude of reasons.

Replacing missing military medals and awards need not be a painful process. The application form is short and simple to complete.