Medels .

The 10th Mountain Division insignia. This is the insignia worn by the members of the 10th mountain Division. I believe it is the equivalent of the Infantry Badge worn by qualified infantry soldiers before combat. This is the badge my brother Alan wore before he was killed in combat on March 25, 1945 outside of Florence, Italy. I have posted it here in honor of him. He had won the Combat Infantry Badge as well as the Bronze Star along with many other medals.

The combat Infantry Badge (CIB) .This award was unique in that the recipient had to have engaged in combat against an armed enemy. The requirement of combat against an armed enemy meant just that and general officers and officers above Regimental Colonel were not entitled to receive the medal (although I believe that I have seen pictures of Generals wearing it).

" There are basically three requirements for award of the CIB. The soldier must be an infantryman satisfactorily performing infantry duties, must be assigned to an infantry unit during such time as the unit is engaged in active ground combat, and must actively participate in such ground combat. Campaign or battle credit alone is not sufficient for award of the CIB."

http://www.americal.org/awards/cib.htm

The Silver Star.This is the third highest ranking medal which my commanding officer told me I would get. I never did get it and it is not on my discharge papers. I list it for obvious reasons since I am morally entitled to it. I cannot account for the incompetence of the U.S. Army (my Combat Infantry Badge is not listed either but I got it on the front lines!). In many many ways the so-called records of an individual are more often than not totally and completely inaccurate, but what else would you expect . SNAFU (situation normal, all fouled up) was not invented as an acronym without reason!





The Bronze Star. I learned just a few years ago that each recipient of the Combat Infantry Badge is automatically entitled to a Bronze Star. I was awarded one for the battle of Moncourt Woods . When you are entitled to two of the same medals you put an oak leaf cluster on the actual medal so that mine has an oak leaf cluster (if you look carefully and for some time you can see my oak leaf on the blue stripe). If you would like to read my commendation with the Bronze Star then go here for the full citation. My friends, Neal Burdette and Jim Haahr both got the Bronze Star They served in the 101st infantry Regiment in the 26th Infantry Division. From what I understand this medal has been degraded enormously because they handed them out like rice in the Vietnam war, according to the authors of the best book I have ever read on the military aspects of Vietnam. In my war they were chintzy about awarding any medal, or so it seemed!



The Purple Heart.This is the one medal no one but no one wants to get. It is the Purple Heart for wounds received in combat or for being killed in combat (yes, you get a medal if you are killed; my brother did.). It was invented by George Washington and therefore dates back some 225 years! I got mine for a million dollar wound I got some time around late November, 1944. I never was awarded a Purple Heart for the second set of wounds although I should have been.





All the above are medals won by individuals as a result of their recognized individual behavior. The following medals are what I have always mentally called 'Group Action' since they are not awarded on an individual basis but for groups. Some are for combat valor.



This is the Belgian Croix de Guerre (Cross of War) awarded by Belgium to the 104th Regiment of the 26th Infantry Division in World War II. From what I know we were instrumental in liberating Belgium but I can't say that I remember that. But then I never did know where I was on any particular day in combat and who did? I have no recollections of crossing from France into Belgium but am delighted to have the medal. I was there.







The French Croix de Guerre. This left shoulder epaulet was won by the 104th Infantry Regiment in World War I. They were a major force in the AEF (American Expeditionary Forces) and covered themselves with glory. Since the 26th Division was reactivated for World War 2 all members of the 104th are entitled to wear it. This means that the former members of the 104th can wear two Croix de Guerre; the French one and the Belgium one.







The European, African, Middle Eastern Campaign Medal. Campaigns are defined by the United States Department of Defense. A campaign is defined as a particular moment in time and by geography. I believe but am not sure that the invasion of Europe on D-Day was defined as 3 campaigns. Please note that this single medal covers almost all the geographical areas of military engagement in Europe. The Pacific Ocean campaigns have their own medal. I have the EAMC campaign medal with three stars on it. That means I was involved in three campaigns: the Northern France, Rhineland and Ardennes campaigns (I do not know if those are the official designations but the references are correct).



The American Campaign Medal. This medal was awarded to all those who served in the continental U.S. limits from December 7, 1941 up to March 2, 1945.









This is the Victory Medal. This medal is for WW2. You got it for being there in the war during a certain period of time. If the war ended and you did not serve until after the war ended; no medal! Anybody and everybody who was not discharged dishonorably in World War 2 is entitled to this medal. It is not really a medal in my book but a recognition that is deserved (maybe even "well deserved"). All those that "served" get it to wear.





The German Occupation Medal.This medal was awarded to all the Army personnel who were part of the German and Japanese occupations following the end of the war. It was not for the one theater but for both theaters. Mine has a "German" clasp on it to signify that I was part of the German occupation army. I have never seen one for the Japanese theater. I served in Germany in various and sundry places from June, 1945 until about August, 1945 when I was transferred to France .





This is the good conduct medal. It was given to those who never got into legal trouble in the armed forces. I was always in trouble (did KP almost regularly or walked the parade grounds with full field pack and BAR) but never got into legal trouble (court martial, jailed, arrested, deserted, refused to fight, defied officers and non-com orders, went AWOL [absent without leave] and got arrested). I never but never went AWOL but sure stretched my passes, including one local pass I stretched from Soissons, France to Paris, France. Tons of people got into all kinds of trouble and more than a few served prison sentences (most prison terms were shortened materially when the wars ended); they didn't get the good conduct medal. We did execute one poor bastard in WW2 for desertion in front of the enemy in the European theater! You could be a first class pain in the butt and still get the good conduct medal but if you got into legal trouble then no medal!



This was nick named "The Ruptured Duck". The depiction is larger than any above since it is only about the size of a dime. Everyone who ever served in any of the Armed Forces got it on discharge, as long as their service was "Honorable". It is a lapel pin and believe it or not this is the one I got in 1945! I wore mine proudly for a few days and then cached it away.





PATCHES

The army had a shoulder patch for absolutely everything.

Read from left to right.

Patches were worn on the left arm just below the shoulder. I sewed all my patches on myself since who could afford to pay anyone to do that job? In actual fact I sometimes sewed others patches for a $1 apiece! That was a very good price and took about 45 minutes which meant I was making about $1.25 an hour! Not bad for those days.

1.The Army Specialized Training Program (ASTP). I attended the University of Maine under this program and it was the second real patch I got. The first was for the aborted Officers Candidate Prepatory School (OCPS) at Fort McClellan, Alabama but I lost it eons ago. I say aborted because they stopped training enlisted men to be officers (including me) since and I remember it too well since they announced on the termination, "we are going to win the war in the air."

2. The Yankee Division (26th infantry) Patch . This division was formed back in World War I and largely composed of Massachusetts residents. The nick name was the "Yankee Division "since they almost all came from New England and were Yankees, mainly Irish and Polish immigrants or their descendents.This Division was deactivated after World War II and as you may know from my articles I did not have much respect for it.

3. The 27th Regulating Station. This was the outfit I joined on limited service around August, 1945 after I (and hundreds of others) was removed from Mannheim, Germany for refusing to load Russian prisoners of war who were committing suicide rather than return to the Soviet. The 27th coordinated all traffic (air, rail, sea and harbor) above the French town of Soissons, France up to and including the Port of Antwerp, Holland. At Soissons I was in charge of one of the two (12 hour) shifts, got promoted to Master Sergeant by the Commanding Officer of the Depot who ran Depot 69 in that part of France (he was a West Pointer). The promotion was rejected by Headquarters since there was a freeze on promotions!

4. The Third Army. I have no idea of when or why I wore this patch but know I did! It may have been when I was being shuttled around until the Army decided what to do with me after I was discharged from the hospital.

5. The Wreath.I have no idea of when or why I wore this patch but know I did!

Just so that you know: all these medals and patches are from my war days. Before I threw my uniforms away I took off all the patches; why, I don't know, but have had them in my desk drawer since 1945!
Yes i know alot
JK
@Google(but i do know alot)