On Memorial Day, I say the names of lost friends .. especially Vietnam vets. That includes the late DUer Pinboy3niner

[Bo Zarts]

Pinboy3niner at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. Above his Purple Heart ribbon (top row, right side) is the prestigious CIB .. the Combat Infantryman Badge, which denotes actual time in combat with an enemy force. On the left collar of his jungle fatigues is the insignia of the US Army Infantry Corps, and on the opposite collar is the rank insignia .. captain. I can't identify the unit patch on the sleeve or the medal on the white ribbon around his neck .. anyone know?

At one time, I knew Pinboy3niner's name, but that has slipped me now. I once asked him if Pinboy3-9 was his tactical radio callsign in Vietnam. It was. After that, in my mind's ear, I could just hear Pinboy3niner whispering into a AN/PRC-25 ( "Prick-25" ) field radio calling in close air support for his beleaguered men .. surrounded by VC or NVA. That might or might not have happened, but Pinboy3niner achieved hero status with me during his tour of duty here on Democratic Underground.

I salute DUer Pinboy3niner. RIP, sir.

[hlthe2b]

1. He is missed... as are they all, but he was one of our own.

[2naSalit]

2. Indeed!

[mopinko]

3. i think of cliffordu. died of service related als.

loved him. got to spend a wk in portland w him while he was briefly in independent living. (he wouldnt let me come while he was in the hospital. grrr.)
he ended up back in the va hospital, mostly cuz his caregivers were assholes and thieves. 🤬🤬🤬

he remarried his ex wife, and she was by his side every day for the rest of his life.

[uppityperson]

14. I got to meet him before he moved to Portland, when he was still doing well

Turns out we were neighbors, living on opposite sides of a ridge in the country side. I didn't know he remarried his ex. That scks abouthis caregivers. He was a good guy.

[mopinko]

16. he was a wonderful poet, and yes, a very good guy.

fought a mighty battle w alcohol, and became a pillar of the recovery community in portland.
he was planning a cross country bike ride when he got sick. he was gonna come through chgo so we cd meet. i’m still mad at how he hid it from me. took mos to get a dx, and didnt say a word til he got it. by then he was rly sick.
i cared a great deal about him.

[greatauntoftriplets]

4. Thanks for posting this.

He was a DU legend.

[democrank]

5. "Sir" indeed. Thank you for this, Bo Zarts.

Among others, I say my sweetheart’s name. Agent Orange took him on October 26, 2015. Yesterday I was thinking of all those memory bricks outside the VA he used.

I never had a car trustworthy enough to make it to the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial in Washington, D.C…..but I was able to go to one of the mobile memorials when it came to Lyndonville, Vermont several years ago.

To the memory of my sweetheart, Pinboy3niner and all others…… ♥️

[Enter stage left]

6. Not absolutely sure, but the unit patch looks like "101st Airborne".

[GP6971]

9. I thought the same.

[malthaussen]

18. Yes, Pinboy3Niner was a company commander in the 101st in the Central Highlands

Where he picked up his Purple Heart.

-- Mal

[Baitball Blogger]

7. A very special DUer.

He left too soon.

[calimary]

21. Indeed.

I’m so sorry to hear this.

[lastlib]

8. Thanks for this, Bo Zarts! I also revered Pinboy!

His sense of humor was cosmic. I could hold my own with almost anybody in the pun wars, but certainly not Pinboy--he was TOPS! (As proof, I need only point to the legendary DU "door buzzard" thread, where his wit was on display in all its glory!) Between his wit, his love for us here on DU, and his service to our country, I had ample reason to grant him the utmost respect. He is TRULY missed.

Requiescat In Pace, Pinboy3Niner!

[ultralite001]

10. I ❤️💛💙 this idea...

It would be my honor to include the names of other DUers of whom I am unaware
to my personal reflections on future Memorial Days.

Is there an existing list??? Can one be compiled??? My appreciation would know no bounds
if one can direct me to the names of these individuals.

Grateful for the service of all, those present + those departed...

[marybourg]

11. See:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=inmemoriam

[ultralite001]

13. Thank you...

+ dog bless...

[mahina]

12. Thinking of him with love and appreciation. You too.

Wait a sec, my door buzzard is ringing

[Aristus]

15. ...

[malthaussen]

17. Pinboy3Niner was in the 101st Airborne in the Central Highlands, Bo.

Where he was wounded. He and I chatted a few times, I liked him a lot. But I, too, forget his mundane name. I was really shocked when he died, he wasn't that old (unlike me now).

-- Mal

[Bo Zarts]

19. Thanks, I seem to remember that now.

[malaise]

20. I miss him

Rec

[TalenaGor]

22. heres what AI says hes wearing:

Here’s the clearest breakdown of what this man is wearing based on the image you provided. I’ll go piece‑by‑piece, top to bottom, and explain what each item *appears* to be. Because the photo isn’t high‑resolution and military awards can look similar across eras and branches, I’ll give you the closest accurate identifications and explain why.

---

## **1. The large medal around his neck**
This is the easiest item to identify:

### **Medal of Honor (Army style)**
- Light‑blue neck ribbon with **13 white stars** arranged in a pattern.
- Gold, star‑shaped medallion.
- Worn **only** around the neck.
- The highest U.S. military decoration.

Nothing else in the U.S. awards system looks like this. This man is wearing the Medal of Honor.

---

## **2. The ribbon rack on his chest**
I’ll list these in rows, left to right, based on the colors and patterns visible.

### **Top Row**
1. **Medal of Honor ribbon**
- Light blue with 5 white stars.
- Matches the neck medal.

2. **Purple Heart**
- Purple with white edges.

3. **Bronze Star Medal**
- Red with blue/white stripes at the edges.

### **Second Row**
1. **Army Commendation Medal**
- Green with white stripes.

2. **Army Good Conduct Medal**
- Solid red with thin white stripes.

3. **National Defense Service Medal**
- Yellow with red edges and narrow blue/white stripes.

### **Third Row**
1. **Vietnam Service Medal**
- Yellow with green stripes.

2. **Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal**
- Green/white with a device (often a date bar).

3. **Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal**
- Blue/green/yellow pattern.

### **Fourth Row**
1. **Presidential Unit Citation**
- Solid blue.

2. **Meritorious Unit Commendation**
- Red with gold frame.

3. **Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation**
- Red/yellow with gold frame.

### **Fifth Row**
1. **Vietnam Civil Actions Unit Citation**
- Green/red with gold frame.

2. **Army Service Ribbon**
- Rainbow‑style stripes.

3. **Overseas Service Ribbon**
- Blue/yellow/red pattern.

---

## **3. Badges on the uniform**
### **Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB)**
- Silver musket on a blue rectangle with a wreath.
- Awarded for active ground combat.

### **Parachutist Badge (Jump Wings)**
- Silver wings with a parachute in the center.

---

## **4. Other visible insignia**
### **U.S. Army branch insignia**
- Crossed rifles on the collar.

### **Rank insignia**
- Hard to see clearly, but appears to be **Sergeant First Class (SFC)** or **Master Sergeant** based on the chevrons.

---

## **Summary**
This man is wearing:

- **Medal of Honor (neck medal + ribbon)**
- **Purple Heart**
- **Bronze Star**
- **Multiple Vietnam‑era service and campaign medals**
- **Unit citations from Vietnam**
- **Combat Infantryman Badge**
- **Parachutist Badge**
- **Army service/overseas ribbons**
- **U.S. Army enlisted rank and branch insignia**

This is the ribbon rack of a highly decorated Vietnam‑era Army combat veteran.

[cliffside]

23. Thank you and thank you for your service and now ... gorgeous photos. :) nt

[Skittles]

24. he was so cool