Remember the USS Vincennes? On patrol in the Persian Gulf on July 3, 1988, the cruiser mistakenly shot down an Iranian Airbus, killing all 290 aboard.

It was a television killing. A news team on board videotaped the fateful anti-aircraft missile streaking upward in a fiery whoosh, as well as the dismayed reactions of Vincennes crew members when they discovered their monumental error. And of course there were the grim scenes of Iranian rescue crews pulling the floating bodies out of the water with billhooks.

In the immediate aftermath the ship`s commanding officer, Capt. Will Rogers, sent a message to his superiors, saying, ''The order to fire is a burden I will carry for the rest of my life.''

The Navy investigated and concluded that ''stress . . . and unconscious distortion of data may have played a major role in this incident.'' Although no disciplinary action was recommended, the finding did not fully absolve the actions of the officers responsible.

Behold, two years later, the Navy`s ultimate disposition of the tragedy:

''The president of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Legion of Merit to Capt. Will C. Rogers III, U.S. Navy, for service as set forth in the following citation:

''For exceptionally . . . outstanding service as commanding officer, USS Vincennes from April 1987 to May 1989 . . . .

''During the course of Persian Gulf operations, Capt. Rogers` tactical skills and calm direction enabled his crew to successfully engage seven heavily armed, high-speed Iranian surface craft attacking Vincennes . . . As a result, five craft were destroyed and two retreated . . . Capt. Rogers`

dynamic leadership, logical judgment, and unexcelled devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.''

Nary a word about the downed Airbus or that the supporting documentation that Rogers` guns blasted five hostile patrol boats out of the water remains, at best, inconclusive.

The Legion of Merit is a high award, normally given on the basis of unambiguous evidence and sterling performance, without a blotch of tarnish.

The anti-air warfare officer on the Vincennes, who thought the approaching aircraft was descending when the Aegis radar correctly showed the hapless airliner was climbing to cruise altitude, got a medal too:

''The secretary of the Navy takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Commendation Medal to (the name of the officer is witheld at the Navy`s request).''

For this lower-ranking award, the citation also sidestepped direct mention of the hapless Airbus: ''For heroic achievement as air warfare coordinator in USS Vincennes on 3 July 1988 . . . . Throughout, he maintained an exceptionally smooth flow of information . . . and rapidly assimilated threat data to provide clear, concise flow of information to commanding officer and higher authority. As a result . . . (he) was able to precisely complete the firing procedure . . . .

''Additionally, his ability to maintain his poise and confidence under fire contributed directly to the calm and professionalism (sic) atmosphere throughout the combat information center . . . .

''The Combat Distinguishing Device is authorized.''

This glowing picture of calm objectivity is in sharp contrast to the assessment of Gen. George Christ, the Marine commander of Central Command, the higher headquarters for the Persian Gulf operation.

Christ wrote that the anti-air warfare officer ''apparently accepted . . . reports of descending altitude at face value without further evaluation on his part. Even though the tone of these reports seemed increasingly hysterical (yelling and shouting), (he) made no attempt to confirm the reports on his own.''

Where are these bemedaled officers today?

Rogers is the commanding officer of Tactical Training Group Pacific at Point Loma, Calif., where every new commanding officer goes through a three-week course before deploying his ship. As such, Rogers is in a key position to influence the tactical thought aboard practically every warship in the Pacific Fleet.

And the anti-air warfare officer has been promoted to be the executive officer, or second-in-command, of those Cadillacs of the surface warfare community, another Aegis cruiser.

One wonders: Did anyone in the chain of command suggest that the medals might cheapen the decorations of all the other officers and sailors in the Navy who have performed heroically and coolly under pressure?

The medals also provide every other skipper in the Navy with an incentive to shoot first and sort out the wreckage later. Bad taste may be abetting further misjudgments.