It depends what the discharge papers say. There are two types of bronze stars.
There is the Bronze Star Medal, awarded for valor or achievement. And it will always be listed that way on his discharge papers.
Then there are bronze campaign stars, awarded for participating in named campaigns in theater. they will be listed following the Campaign medal, for example:
European-African-Middle-Eastern Campaign Medal (or EAME Campaign Medal) with four bronze stars.
Or Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with four bronze stars.
There's a separate block on the form that lists the campaigns. (in World War II for the Army, it was actually a WD Form 1--it wouldn't become a DD-214 until the Defense Department was established in 1947).
Typically, in the European Theater, when soldiers have four campaign stars, they are:
NORTHERN FRANCE
RHINELAND
ARDENNES-ALSACE
CENTRAL EUROPE
It is most likely that you're seeing your dad's campaign stars, as Bronze Star Medals were rather stingy during World War II.
It depends what the discharge papers say. There are two types of bronze stars.
There is the Bronze Star Medal, awarded for valor or achievement. And it will always be listed that way on his discharge papers.
Then there are bronze campaign stars, awarded for participating in named campaigns in theater. they will be listed following the Campaign medal, for example:
European-African-Middle-Eastern Campaign Medal (or EAME Campaign Medal) with four bronze stars.
Or Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with four bronze stars.
There's a separate block on the form that lists the campaigns. (in World War II for the Army, it was actually a WD Form 1--it wouldn't become a DD-214 until the Defense Department was established in 1947).
Typically, in the European Theater, when soldiers have four campaign stars, they are:
NORTHERN FRANCE
RHINELAND
ARDENNES-ALSACE
CENTRAL EUROPE
It is most likely that you're seeing your dad's campaign stars, as Bronze Star Medals were rather stingy during World War II.
