Grandfather's US Army Discharge--How Many Overseas Service Bars?

Hi All!

Been lurking awhile now, and it's nice to have a reason to post again!

Simply put, I'm looking for more information regarding how many overseas service bars my grandfather would have been authorized to wear. His 53-55 (image attached) states that he has 5 years, 8 months and 28 days of foreign service. It also states that he is "authorized to wear 7 overseas service bars".

He served the entirety of his overseas army career in Puerto Rico, mostly with the 25th QM Car Co.

Given that he only served in one overseas post (he never went to Europe or the Pacific in addition to Puerto Rico or anything), can someone explain the math to me? Why seven overseas bars? Shouldn't 5 years 8 months qualify him for 11 bars? Was there a cap or maximum number of bars allowed? I've never heard of one, but I'm no expert.

I would like to put a shadow box together and it would be nice to justify whatever I put in there. I know that a lot of times men's discharges were incomplete, showed incorrect information, etc., so maybe someone said "eleven" and someone else wrote down "seven" or something.

A second question...

He was authorized to wear the American Defense Service Medal. Should he also have qualified for the "Foreign Service" clasp to that medal? I know the discharge doesn't show it but if I understand it correctly the clasp was authorized for service outside the continental US. He had that, starting 9 Oct 1939.

Any ideas?

Thanks!
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Overseas bars were authorized beginning when war was declared on Dec 7,1941. If he was discharged on that date in 1945 he would be authorized for 8--but 7 is correct.

I believe he would be authorized For the service clasp.
Have you considered asking NARA for a replacement set of his awards?

 

Thanks for clearing that up, Buten--that makes total sense!

I do find it interesting that overseas bars were authorized during WWI and then again starting Dec 7, 1941. Were they de-authorized at some point, then? I don't suppose there were a ton of soldiers stationed overseas in the interwar period but there had to be SOME, right? The Philippine Scouts, Hawaii and the Canal Zone come to mind.

 

overseas bars are awarded for each 6 month period in a combat zone. The GI's called them "Hershey bars".

For your father's "American Defense Service medal" award, the drape on the actual medal would have the Foreign Service bar, but the ribbon will have a small brass star indicating the addition of the bar.

 

I'd enjoy seeing the finished tribute, WWII-era uniforms have always been interesting to me.

 

Thanks Cadillac.

I'm not actually reconstructing an entire uniform, just a shadow box containing whatever medals and badges my grandfather would have worn.

I did a similar project for my other grandfather; I'll (attempt to) attach a photo of the shadow box I did for him. All of the items were either his personally and were handed down to me, or were purchased by me online or at militaria shows and are at least WWII period correct.

The WWII Victory Medal is starting to get a bit wonky--it seems to be drooping a little and needs to be adjusted. I'll have to work on that.

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