I was awarded the National Defense Service medal and it is on my DD214. I went in the Army in September 1974. I may have raised my right hand in August 1974. Our captain in basic training handed us all the award and we all wore it on our uniforms. I think the criteria being printed out there is very eroneous information. The fact is that the Viet Nam war ended April 29th 1975. History speaks for itself. The very name of the medal "National Defense" says the military is for the national defense and should be "forever vigilant". What kind of Communist sympathisers write the criteria for some of these medals anyway? I bet half of them have never served. I was standing up for the united states of America, volunteered to give my life if necessary to defend our way of life when president Ford was giving amnesty to Draft dodgers and you are going to try taking my medal away from me?