Re Americans getting medals for briefly overflying combat zones, when I was posted from Seletar to Kai Tak in January 1968, I flew up in a Bristol Freighter of RNZAF which involved a refuelling stop at Qui Nhon in Vietnam. This was a fascinating 90 minutes, with Hueycobras and Hueys blackening the sky, the base being home to more helicopters than the RAF had on strength.
When I mentioned this to a US Army officer on R & R in HK, he told me I would have been entitled to the Vietnam Campaign medal just for landing in theatre, and some weeks later a boxed medal and ribbon bar duly arrived in the post from him. Needless to say I never tried to wear it, but it was a nice souvenir, and I can use it to back up my "when I was in 'Nam" tales when in Walt mode
