History

This Medal was established on 8 June 1968 as a joint award between Australia and New Zealand for service rendered during the Vietnam War. Although the Medal was established by both countries, they each have separate Royal authorisation warrants.

To qualify for the Medal, one of the following had to be completed between 29 May 1964 and 27 January 1973:
1) At least 28 days of service on a ship or craft on the inland waters of Vietnam or off the coast of Vietnam.
2) At least one or more days of service as part of unit or formation posted on land.
3) Participation in at least one operational sortie over Vietnam or Vietnamese waters.
4) Participation in an official visit(s) that lasted at least 30 days.
5) At least one day of service with a certified philanthropic organisation that was attached to Australian Force, either in an official capacity or as part of full-time duty.

If an individual’s service was terminated prematurely by injury of death, they were automatically entitled to receive the award regardless of fulfilled the award criteria. In addition, if an individual receives an award for gallantry, they were entitled to receive the award immediately.

The obverse of the medal features the effigy of Queen Elizabeth II surrounded by the inscription ‘ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA F.D.’ The reverse of the medal features a male figure pushing apart two spheres, which represent the ideological struggle in Vietnam. The inscription ‘VIETNAM’ runs along the top rim of the medal above the man’s head. The ribbon features a large yellow centre stripe with three thin red stripes running down the centre and a larger red stripe on each side. The ribbon has one navy edge and one blue edge.

The recipient’s name, serial number, and rank was engraved along the rim of the Medal.