Republic of Cuba Medalla "Combatiente Internacionalista" (II)

[Stogieman]

Medalla "Combatiente Internacionalista" (II)

Medal for International Combattant, Second Class

Awarded as both a First & Second Class Medal. Currently cannot locate any other class. In research.

Possibly awarded for Service in the FAR, but abroad (Africa, etc.)

Example of the medal ribbon:

[Stogieman]

Example on the insert card

[Guest Rick Research]

This medal is slightly smaller (30mm) than the normal (32mm) size. First class (and have not seen one of those in years) is gilt like the bulk of Cuban medals and apparently the normal general size. Its ribbon has the blue-white-red right to the side without the extra white edge strip often used to denote lower classes of medals.

From the precedence posted on Lukasz Gaszewski's Ribbons Of The World website, this 2nd class MAY indicate noncombat service by military personnel overseas.

[Ed_Haynes]

Just to add another image, an image I have available.

Edited April 28, 2007 by Ed_Haynes

[Ed_Haynes]

A familiar medal.

The unfamiliar:

[Ed_Haynes]

And, apparently, to a "foreign friend"? (Has his [?] medal, but we've seem those.)

[Guest Rick Research]

Ahaaa!

1) that is now the SECOND (exactly) Cuban medal award booklet I have seen

2) Now where oh where oh where were Cubans and Soviets serving together in combat operations?

3) although it is titled the SECOND Class and shows the SILVER medal... the ribbon illustrated in the booklet is for the FIRST class. DOH!

4) Which might explain why oh why oh why I came across SOVIET MADE ribbon for this Oh So Unlikely Medal

ho ho. SECOND CLass medal with the normal "lawn furniture strapping" quote-unquote ribbon and NORMAL woven real ribbon, Soviet made.

You've just confirmed award of Cuban "theater of war" awards to Soviets for (presumably) Africa!

[Ulsterman]

There were also 200-250 or so Cubans in Afghanistan with the Soviet troops. Also, both served in Nicaragua...and her "borderlands".

Edited August 7, 2007 by Ulsterman

[Taz]

There were also 200-250 or so Cubans in Afghanistan with the Soviet troops. Also, both served in Nicaragua...and her "borderlands".

Yes I read that reportedly, there were as many as 5,000 Czechoslovak and Cuban military advisers attached to the Afghan air force, as well as Soviet personnel.

And in Nicaragua the Sandinista People's Army (Ej?rcito Popular Sandinista--EPS), and a police force, the Sandinista Police (Polic?a Sandinista) were trained by personnel from Cuba, Eastern Europe, and the Soviet Union. Opposition to the overwhelming FSLN influence in the security forces did not surface until 1980. Meanwhile, the EPS developed, with support from Cuba and the Soviet Union, into the largest and best equipped military force in Central America.

Edited August 7, 2007 by Taz

[Stogieman]

I'm thinking Polish, actually.....

[Ed_Haynes]

I'm thinking Polish, actually.....

What made me think 'Soviet' was the pencil-scribbled Russian on the front. A non-Spanish-speaker's/reader's guide as to whose it was?

(Scan enhanced.)

[Guest Rick Research]

Yup-- CLASSIC Russian non-Cyrillic forwarding jotting. I've seen the same on Chinese and Polish documents to "sort out who gets what."

Was this an orphaned singleton, or have you got anything else to this guy, Ed?

[Ed_Haynes]

Was this an orphaned singleton, or have you got anything else to this guy, Ed?

Alas, a very orphaned singleton What originally must have been an interesting group, but still an interesting lonely solo.