Here is another unusual awards story. At a presentation of a Naval Academy appointment I sat on the stage next to an old retired Army COL, there to make the West Point presentation. He was wearing his Dress Blues with gold NA wings, with no other warfare device. I had thought it was some kind of inter-service transfer thing like a Navy pilot having gone Guard. Turns out, when he commissioned out of West Point the Army was having trouble keeping up with the demand for pilots due to Viet Nam. They took a bunch of Army 2nd Lts and sent them to Navy flight training. He went through the entire Navy program, primary through Advanced Helo. He got gold wings and never was awarded or wore Army Aviator wings through his entire 25+ years of service. He was very proud of his gold wings. Even found a way to mentioned how unusual it was when making his presentation.
