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Need help to identify WWII Military Ribbon....

 
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Dennis O
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PostPosted: Sun Aug 23, 2020 1:17 pm    Post subject: Need help to identify WWII Military Ribbon.... Reply with quote

I am in the process of mounting my dad's medals and ribbons from WWII. I have identified all of them with the exception of one. He served with the First Marine Division in the Pacific campaign. I have had little luck identifying this lone ribbon. Any of you guys military experts?


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Mack



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PostPosted: Sun Aug 23, 2020 2:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

http://www.frontiernet.net/~ericbush/US/Usmil1.gif

top right corner?
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Dennis O
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PostPosted: Sun Aug 23, 2020 3:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Could be, but the stripe in the middle on dad's ribbon looks yellow where the picture appears to be white.
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Speedn Steven



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PostPosted: Sun Aug 23, 2020 5:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Could try a VFW.
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Dennis O
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PostPosted: Sun Aug 23, 2020 6:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have written the local USMC Auxiliary who did my dad's funeral a few years back but they can be slow to reply. I know some of you guys are ex-military and military modelers so I thought I'd ask.
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Sundance



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PostPosted: Mon Aug 24, 2020 4:20 pm    Post subject: This is probably not much help but Reply with quote

About 15-20 years ago, I decided to make a shadowbox display of my dad's navy medals and ribbons. I ended up requesting, with his signature, a final copy of his DD214. What got interesting was that the DD214 he had been using all these years, was incorrect. He got it when he got papers saying his hitch was over and he could go home. His personal copy only had 3 awards listed. Basic standard things. What got interesting was that the one I requested showed 3 more, all related to the Cuban missile crisis. Right before leaving the active duty Navy, his unit had a pretty heavy involvement in surveillance flights during the crisis. They were awarded these additional awards for service while my dad was active but the awards not physically given out until he was actually out of the Navy.

My point is that the final DD214 will have a list of all of his awards. That list should tell you what all of the ribbons are.
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Henryjint



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PostPosted: Mon Aug 24, 2020 4:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

This one is a real head scratcher!!
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Sundance



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PostPosted: Mon Aug 24, 2020 4:42 pm    Post subject: I thought of something else Reply with quote

When I did my dad's project, I had another thing I did. I knew he had been on the USS Shangri La on a Mediterranean deployment. Someone told me to contact the US Archives and they have a department who will do research for you. I requested photos of the ship in the Mediterranean during that cruise. A month or so later, they sent me 10 zerox copies which I then ordered a couple of the actual photos and had them framed.

At the time, I described my success ( I was really excited) to several friends who were into the military. They also informed me that you can do this same thing for individuals who served. It can be harder to have success though. It is much more successful, if you know where, when, what unit they were deployed with. For example, 1st MARINE Div, Saipan, spring 1944. the more information the better. You might be shocked at what is available out there.
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Sundance



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PostPosted: Mon Aug 24, 2020 5:00 pm    Post subject: Not really henry Reply with quote

A lot of awards are give after the fact for activities performed by various, individuals, companies, divisions etc. After the fact, someone recognizes that this was above and beyond and submits paperwork to recognize them. After it is approved, all those involved get that award officially, including those who may no longer be in the active service. Most that are no longer in the service even know they got said awards.

In my dad's case, he was active Navy for 3 years. He maintained avionics on his squadron's aircraft. I don't think he even knew his unit was a secret surveillance unit. During the crisis, they flew out of a Naval base in Florida.

Another oddity was his Mediterranean deployment on the Shangri La. The ship put together a yearbook style book of the deployment. It is pretty neat. Each squadron had a group photo in front of their plane and all of the members of the unit. Below was listed those in the photo. For my dad's unit, it had a squadron insignia and a list of those in the unit. No photo of the plane or actual members of the unit. Interesting huh.
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Sundance



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PostPosted: Mon Aug 24, 2020 5:26 pm    Post subject: I think I found something Reply with quote

https://medalsofamericapress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/BK12-Ribbon-history-1.jpg

I think it may be and obsolete Certificate of Merit ribbon

Second row, 3rd from the left
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Dennis O
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 24, 2020 5:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for all the replies. What started this whole project was dad's purple heart. He took a bullet but survived and got a plain purple heart. I wanted to get it engraved but read that usually happened if they were KIA. I wrote my local marine group and was told to absolutely have it engraved. So I have now embarked on mounting all the medals/ribbons/stars. Dad had labeled most of his stuff but he did not label this one so I guess time had eluded his memory as well.
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BVAUGHN



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PostPosted: Mon Aug 24, 2020 7:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

My grandfather fought in WW1 and was hospitalized in a poison gas attack. The Purple Heart was authorized around 1935 but included all the way back to the beginning of WW1.
We had no idea he had been awarded the Purple Heart until thearly VA sent his footmarker.
You can request copy of an individual service record if you are the oldest living decendent.
Please be aware there was a fire several years ago in St Louis where majority of records were stored that was paper. You can pay a reasonable fee and they can re-create the records.
Bill


Last edited by BVAUGHN on Tue Aug 25, 2020 8:04 pm; edited 1 time in total
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KenK



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PostPosted: Mon Aug 24, 2020 10:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

His discharge papers would list them.

It's not Certificate of Merit as in the chart linked in Mack's post.
That was obsolete in WW2.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Certificate_of_Merit_Medal
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Henryjint



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PostPosted: Tue Aug 25, 2020 12:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dennis O wrote:
Thanks for all the replies. What started this whole project was dad's purple heart. He took a bullet but survived and got a plain purple heart. I wanted to get it engraved but read that usually happened if they were KIA. I wrote my local marine group and was told to absolutely have it engraved. So I have now embarked on mounting all the medals/ribbons/stars. Dad had labeled most of his stuff but he did not label this one so I guess time had eluded his memory as well.

Are your Dad's other ribbons as off color or worn as much as this one? If not, maybe it is an old Certificate of Merit ribbon that he might have acquired along the way. Maybe that is why it's not labeled?
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Radar43



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PostPosted: Tue Aug 25, 2020 7:46 pm    Post subject: Ribbins Reply with quote

Dennis O. Check and see if that was a State issued ribbon. You can also get your dads military recorders from the government. Some records after the letter O were destroyed by fire in the early 70s. Google get military records and it will tell what you have to do. I`m still looking on my end looking for the solution. Contact "Medals of America" for help also. I bet they will have an answer for you.
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Radar43



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PostPosted: Wed Aug 26, 2020 2:38 pm    Post subject: Ribbon Reply with quote

The center of the ribbon appears to be faded yellow. If that is the case, it would be the ribbon, that came with the Veterans of Foreign War Medal. If you can get to the material on the back side under the clasp, see if the color is yellow or white. If it is white, an earlier post stated what the only other answer is.
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KenK



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PostPosted: Wed Aug 26, 2020 8:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think Radar43 is correct:

[/img]https://i.postimg.cc/d1LPjf9v/external-content-duckduckgo-com.jpg[/img]
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Henryjint



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PostPosted: Fri Aug 28, 2020 11:49 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

KenK wrote:
I think Radar43 is correct:

[/img]https://i.postimg.cc/d1LPjf9v/external-content-duckduckgo-com.jpg[/img]

I agree...don't know how I missed that one Embarassed
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Dennis O
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 28, 2020 1:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The stripe is yellow underneath as well.

The VFW medal makes sense.....Dad was a "Commander" or something like that of his local VFW post.

Thanks to you all!!! I appreciate your knowledge.
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odcics2



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PostPosted: Fri Aug 28, 2020 1:58 pm    Post subject: Re: Need help to identify WWII Military Ribbon.... Reply with quote

Dennis O wrote:
I am in the process of mounting my dad's medals and ribbons from WWII. I have identified all of them with the exception of one. He served with the First Marine Division in the Pacific campaign. I have had little luck identifying this lone ribbon. Any of you guys military experts?



My dad was in the 2nd Marine Division. Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Sia Pan....
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Dennis O
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 28, 2020 6:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

My Dad was 1st Marines....Pelileu, Okinawa. His war ended at Okinawa where he took a bullet through upper thigh. War ended while he was still in the hospital on Hawaii.
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odcics2



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PostPosted: Sat Aug 29, 2020 9:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dennis O wrote:
My Dad was 1st Marines....Pelileu, Okinawa. His war ended at Okinawa where he took a bullet through upper thigh. War ended while he was still in the hospital on Hawaii.


My dad got malaria. He was in the same hospital, I'm sure.
He signed up soon after the Japanese attack on Pearl.

He never told me much, but when he was in his 70s, spilled it to my son... who was all ears!

He HATED vets that bought Japanese cars!


Last edited by odcics2 on Sat Aug 29, 2020 4:15 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Dennis O
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 29, 2020 9:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Probably in his 80's dad wrote down his stories about the war. His story was picked up by a WWII historian and published on his web site. If you care to read it......The link is below.

https://www.ww2research.com/guest-blog-my-longest-day-by-edward-c-oechsli/
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odcics2



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PostPosted: Tue Sep 01, 2020 1:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Cool story.
Thanks for posting the link.
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Wakefan77



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PostPosted: Tue Sep 29, 2020 12:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dennis O wrote:
Probably in his 80's dad wrote down his stories about the war. His story was picked up by a WWII historian and published on his web site. If you care to read it......The link is below.

https://www.ww2research.com/guest-blog-my-longest-day-by-edward-c-oechsli/


Awesome read. Thanks for posting.
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Toys4Don



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PostPosted: Tue Sep 29, 2020 6:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Amazing story. Thanks
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