What would you guess was the most sought after infantry decoration?

Vietnam

THE COMBAT INFANTRYMAN BADGE (CIB) was the most sought after decoration in Vietnam, especially by people who didn't deserve it. You probably never heard of it. However, now if you see one on a soldier's uniform, you'll understand its significance.

Combat Infantryman Badge

While heading up the Awards & Decorations Branch of the 9th Infantry Division Adjutant General's Office, I was constantly beset by requests to issue orders awarding it to non-combat officers. No enlisted man ever sought one for himself. 

Another award, the Expert Infantryman Badge is similar in appearance - it only lacks the laurel wreath - is earned by infantrymen who demonstrate exceptional infantry skills by participating in rigorous testing.

Expert Infantryman Badge

The four explicit rules governing the award of the Combat Infantryman Badge were simple: (1) the recipient – any enlisted man or officer below the rank of general – had to be assigned in an infantryman's Military Occupational Specialty (MOS), and be assigned to a combat infantry platoon, company, battalion, or brigade; (2) soldiers with a primary MOS other than infantryman could receive the award if they were trained as infantryman and met all other requirements; (3) the recipient's unit had to be engaged in combat with a hostile force; and (4) commanders were not authorized to make any exceptions to these requirements.

My duty as a platoon leader of a base camp reaction force did not qualify me for the award (in case you were wondering).

These requirements were spelled out in Army regulations that I wore like armor when confronted by superior officers demanding that I ignore them. One major slammed his hat on the ground and shouted at me to issue orders awarding the CIB to every member of his non-combat unit. He cited another infantry division that was handing out CIB awards to everyone. Incidentally, the commanding general of that division was subsequently ordered by the theater commanding general to rescind every order and reissue them only to qualified recipients.