Duluth News Tribune: Duluth soldier gets his medals
Duluth’s Danny Haglund served a year in a combat zone aboard the USS Annapolis in the Vietnam War — service that went officially unrecognized until Tuesday, when Haglund received a quartet of overdue service medals from Rep. Rick Nolan at the congressman’s Duluth office.
Haglund joined the Navy in September 1967 and was assigned the job of boilerman. He was honorably discharged a year later.
Haglund was presented with the Navy E Ribbon denoting permanent duty on U.S. Navy ships, the National Defense Service Medal awarded to service members who served honorably, the Vietnam Service Medal to recognize his service and a Meritorious Unit Commendation for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding service, heroic deeds or valorous actions.
According to Nolan spokeswoman Samantha Bisogno, Haglund’s case was a clerical error, because other individuals in his unit received these awards but he didn’t. He sought the congressman’s office for help after having heard of other veterans getting help securing recognition they’d earned, Bisogno said.
“Clerical errors are relatively common, especially for Vietnam-era veterans because there weren’t computer systems keeping track of the awards,” she said. “So simple paperwork errors are usually the culprit."
Duluth’s Danny Haglund served a year in a combat zone aboard the USS Annapolis in the Vietnam War — service that went officially unrecognized until Tuesday, when Haglund received a quartet of overdue service medals from Rep. Rick Nolan at the congressman’s Duluth office.
Haglund joined the Navy in September 1967 and was assigned the job of boilerman. He was honorably discharged a year later.
Haglund was presented with the Navy E Ribbon denoting permanent duty on U.S. Navy ships, the National Defense Service Medal awarded to service members who served honorably, the Vietnam Service Medal to recognize his service and a Meritorious Unit Commendation for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding service, heroic deeds or valorous actions.
According to Nolan spokeswoman Samantha Bisogno, Haglund’s case was a clerical error, because other individuals in his unit received these awards but he didn’t. He sought the congressman’s office for help after having heard of other veterans getting help securing recognition they’d earned, Bisogno said.
“Clerical errors are relatively common, especially for Vietnam-era veterans because there weren’t computer systems keeping track of the awards,” she said. “So simple paperwork errors are usually the culprit.”