I’m betting we have more than a few service members/veterans here who’ve earned a V or other device for a ribbon.

How does the device attach to the ribbon? Maybe it will be obvious when I get the device?

I was awarded the Civil Air Patrol Disaster Relief Ribbon with Silver V device for responding to Hurricane Florence. The V device was awarded because it was a presidentially-declared disaster.

15 of us were presented with the ribbon and a challenge coin last night, but not the device (I guess we have to get that on our own). Vanguard sells the device so I’ll probably arrange a group buy.

Thanks!

It’s been awhile but it will have two legs that you poke through the fabric and bend over to hold it in place. Like the metal tabs on a Manila envelope.

I don’t know about recently, but way, way back, the devices had a couple of small pointed wires or prongs attached to the back. The procedure was to simply poke them through the ribbon and then bend the wires to the sides to hold the device on the ribbon.

After several years of doing that and struggling with the damage the wires made and trying to get them bent over so they would hold the device firmly against the ribbon, it occurred to me to try super glue. I Dremeled off the wires, put a drop of glue on the back, carefully put it in place, and voilà: perfect. I always used the gel-type glue as I assumed it would stay in place on the device better. I introduced my brothers who were uniform perfectionists like I was to the technique as well, and it always worked for them.

I would be conservative with the glue, especially with a V device; a small drop on each side should work. It wouldn’t hurt, though, to have spares, as I always did.

The last ribbon sets I’ve gotten from Medals of America don’t use the wires, so I assume they also discovered the superglue trick.

Added: If just using the wires to hold the device on the ribbon rather than the glue method, I strongly recommend making holes in the ribbon first with a large pin. Even though there was evidently some effort made to give the device wires a bit of a point, they were always crude and tended to tear the ribbon fabric.

Yup, just like pedropcola says.

You can order one with the V already on it.

My ANG unit got the Outstanding Unit Award with V device for OIF and I had a rack made that had the V right on it.

when i got it correctly positioned, i used to use elmer's glue on the inside to keep it straight.

I got tired of messing with the tabs, so cut them off and glued them in place.

Centered the device on the ribbon & push through with both legs. Bend the legs to 90 degrees. Will stay in place when slide over ribbon bar..

quote:

Originally posted by pedropcola:
It’s been awhile but it will have two legs that you poke through the fabric and bend over to hold it in place. Like the metal tabs on a Manila envelope.

Yup.

You can be all Gucci and try to cut the legs off and glue it on, but those seem to fall off easier.

Thanks all - I knew I could count on you!

Buy extra ribbons and devices because if you only have one the legs will snag and tear the ribbon becoming unsightly.

I used to grind off the back wires and take a drop of superglue on the package, then used a toothpick to get the tiniest amount on the back of the device and hold it there.

Before gluing I would use a dab of wax to use a toothpick to the front of the device, cause those things are terribly small and normaln human finger don’t work.

It will look something like this when you’re done. Do yourself a favor and make sure the device is sta-brite or the like.

quote:

Originally posted by MikeinNC:
I used to grind off the back wires and take a drop of superglue on the package, then used a toothpick to get the tiniest amount on the back of the device and hold it there.

Before gluing I would use a dab of wax to use a toothpick to the front of the device, cause those things are terribly small and normaln human finger don’t work.

What Mike said.....

quote:

Originally posted by SSgt USMC/Vet:

quote:

Originally posted by MikeinNC:
I used to grind off the back wires and take a drop of superglue on the package, then used a toothpick to get the tiniest amount on the back of the device and hold it there.

Before gluing I would use a dab of wax to use a toothpick to the front of the device, cause those things are terribly small and normaln human finger don’t work.

What Mike said.....

What Mike, Sigfreund and SSgt said. Superglue, not Elmer's or any other water-based glue. My earliest devices stayed on about 30 years. Poking wires through will make the fabric look like crap. They'll also allow the device to twist around and become misaligned.

quote:

Originally posted by Doc H.:

quote:

Originally posted by SSgt USMC/Vet:

quote:

Originally posted by MikeinNC:
I used to grind off the back wires and take a drop of superglue on the package, then used a toothpick to get the tiniest amount on the back of the device and hold it there.

Before gluing I would use a dab of wax to use a toothpick to the front of the device, cause those things are terribly small and normaln human finger don’t work.

What Mike said.....

What Mike, Sigfreund and SSgt said. Superglue, not Elmer's or any other water-based glue. My earliest devices stayed on about 30 years. Poking wires through will make the fabric look like crap. They'll also allow the device to twist around and become misaligned.

Got it, thanks!