slava1stclass

NavyFCO,

Are you referring to TSgt Bieder's picture (holding his awards case)?

Sorry, I didn't mean to infer that TSgt Bieder is one of the GIs seen in post #1 this thread. As best I know, those OGIII-decorated GIs are all 2nd ID soldiers; TSgt Bieder was in the 1st ID. I simply wanted to add Bieder as another U.S. Army OGIII awardee.

That said, since posting the image seen in post #1, I may now have an I.D. on the OGIII-decorated black soldier. I still need to run a few trap lines.

Regards,

slava1stclass

Gents,

Although not awarded by the U.S. Army, this group to Petty Officer 1st Class Petr Korneevich Kochetkov deserves inclusion in this thread. He was among the 10 Soviet naval personnel to be awarded the U.S. Navy Distinguished Service Medal at the June 22nd, 1943 presentation ceremony at AMEMBASSY Moscow. Kochetkov was a section crewmember on mine-sweeper 808, Order of the Red Banner Baltic Fleet.

Although a DSM award to a petty officer in the U.S. Navy would be largely unheard of, Kochetkov's Soviet-awarded ORB (October 1942) served as the basis for his USN DSM. He would earn his Ushakov medal and OPWII thereafter.

Regards,

slava1stclass

Gents,

Reenergizing this long-dormant thread.

I just happened upon this image (it dates to November 10th, 2004) of WW II veteran Walter R. Bieder who was then 83. He passed away in July, 2008 at age 87. He finished the war with the rank of Technical Sergeant. He was a platoon sergeant in E Company, 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division - the Big Red One.

He was awarded two Silver Stars; two Bronze Stars with "V" device for valor; three Distinguished (later Presidential) Unit Citations; the Combat Infantryman's Badge; seven campaign credits (with credit for two assault landings - Sicily and Normandy); the French and Belgian fourragerres; and the Soviet Order of Glory Third Class - "a medal from the Russians apparently for not missing a day in combat from Sicily to the war's end."

Here is TSgt Bieder's recollection of the circumstances surrounding his OGIII award: "When the fighting was over, I got decorated by the Russians. I didn’t even know it was coming. I didn’t know a thing about it. But one day I was told I was going to Pilsen (Czechoslovakia) to receive a decoration from the Russians. My Lt. heard that I was going to get a decoration and he couldn’t understand. He told the other sergeants, “What the hell did he do to deserve that? He don’t deserve it. I deserve it.” The guys told me all this when I come back from the decoration the next morning and at chowline for breakfast. He was standing up with the other officers and I had that medal on my shirt. I walked up to him and I took the medal, “I understand you deserve this medal more than me. Here, goddammit.” I stuck it on his shirt, and walked. Hutch was standing up there trying to keep from laughing. The Lt. took the medal and he was so mad he threw it on the ground. Him and I, we just didn’t get along. I wouldn’t have minded so much if the man knew what he was doing. I mean, you get some arrogant guys but they know what they’re doing. This guy didn’t know nothing."

A really great story.

Regards,

slava1stclass

Gents,

Although we've seen a LM citation to a Red Army officer bearing President Roosevelt's signature (post #265 this thread), this is the first example I've come across of a LM certificate issued to a Red Army officer during his presidency.

There are a couple of noteworthy points:

1) Unlike the bevy of 1946 post-war catch-up LM certificates seen in this thread, this Roosevelt wartime certificate is a different version. Note the signature blocks: Secretary of War to the lower left and Commander-in-Chief (Roosevelt) to the lower right. On the post-war LM certificates, the signature blocks are: Adjutant General to the lower left and Secretary of War to the lower right.

2) Unlike DSC, Silver Star and DFC certificates to Red Army personnel issued within two weeks of this LM certificate's date (see posts #37, #246 and #262 this thread), this LM certificate was typewritten in the font common to post-war LM certificates and was not executed in handwritten calligraphy.

Regards,

slava1stclass

Gents,

Although not awarded to Red Army personnel, I've come upon two LM certificates (each in the Degree of Officer) that bear President Truman's signature like the President Roosevelt example seen in post #284 this thread. The first was to a Royal Air Force Wing Commander and was dated August 4th, 1945. The second example attached herein was to the Surgeon General of the First French Army and is dated August 17th, 1945.

These discoveries raise the likelihood that similarly-signed Truman LM certificates may have been issued to Red Army personnel - although we have yet to encounter any. Furthermore, we can also confirm the "first version" LM certificates bearing the Commander-in-Chief's signature were issued as late as August 17th, 1945.

Regards,

slava1stclass

GHB/GBH,

Thank you for your kind words and thank you, too, for your outstanding contributions to this thread. The LM Chief Commander and Commander citations, as well as DFC certificate, are all first-seen examples for this thread. They are truly great additions.

Regards,

slava1stclass

Gents,

LM set to Guards Airborne Major General D. Drubushef.

Regards,

slava1stclass

Gents,

Another Roosevelt-executed LM citation (Degree of Officer) to Colonel N. K. Rogozin.

Regards,

slava1stclass

Gents,

Another example of a Roosevelt-executed LM set (Degree of Officer) to Lt Col P. M. Sidorchuk. Like the Roosevelt-approved LM to Guards Major Burchik (post #284 this thread), this one was also signed on June 26th, 1944.

Regards,

slava1stclass

Gents,

LM set to Major D. M. Kotliarsky. Note that his award appears to be a direct consequence of U.S. forces linking up with Soviet forces in Austria at war's end.

Regards,

slava1stclass

Gents,

LM set to Guards Colonel A. M. Bondurenko. It sold for $976.00 (including premium) at a Bonham's auction on June 23rd, 2010.

His citation reads, "Colonel of the Guards Alexander Dmitrovitch Bondurenko, 39th Guard Infantry Corps, Red Army, performed outstanding services with military efficiency, complete understanding and willing cooperation, contributing materially to the success of combined operations in Europe."

Regards,

slava1stclass

Gents,

LM set to Colonel M. M. Mescheriakov.

Regards,

slava1stclass

Gents,

LM certificate to Guards Colonel N. N. Gladkoff. The citation for his LM reads, "Colonel Nickolai Nickolovitch Gladkoff, 20th Budapest Guards Infantry Corps, Red Army, displayed exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services, contributing materially to the success of combined operations in Europe."

Regards,

slava1stclass

Gents,

LM certificate to Colonel D. M. Vescikov. The citation for his LM reads, "Colonel Dimitri M. Vescikov, Red Army, displayed exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services as Commanding Officer, 928th Infantry Regiment. His personal courage and skillful tactical employment of his forces contributed to the defeat of the enemy in Europe in May 1945."

Regards,

slava1stclass

Gents,

LM citation to Lt Col K. P. Makal.

Regards,

slava1stclass

Now that`s a nice citation

1.jpg

2.jpg

His Legion

3.jpg

4.jpg

Stepan Stepanovich

6.jpg

7.jpg

Posts 275-277 above re Captain Stepan Nochnoy, his LOM appears to be the early silver version. The medals were made of silver/gilt early and changed to bronze/gilt later during the war. Admittedly his appears to be awarded after the war but at the division level rather than going to the President. SO maybe they had the old versions on the front.

On the reverse picture the hanging devise appears black rather than dirty brown/gilt.

GBH

Gents,

Captain S. S. Nochnoy's LM certificate and citation.

Regards,

slava1stclass

Gents,

Although we've seen a LM citation to a Red Army officer bearing President Roosevelt's signature (post #265 this thread), this is the first example I've come across of a LM certificate issued to a Red Army officer during his presidency.

There are a couple of noteworthy points:

1) Unlike the bevy of 1946 post-war catch-up LM certificates seen in this thread, this Roosevelt wartime certificate is a different version. Note the signature blocks: Secretary of War to the lower left and Commander-in-Chief (Roosevelt) to the lower right. On the post-war LM certificates, the signature blocks are: Adjutant General to the lower left and Secretary of War to the lower right.

2) Unlike DSC, Silver Star and DFC certificates to Red Army personnel issued within two weeks of this LM certificate's date (see posts #37, #246 and #262 this thread), this LM certificate was typewritten in the font common to post-war LM certificates and was not executed in handwritten calligraphy.

That said, a thought crossed my mind. It may be possible the handwritten calligraphy seen on the June 1944-dated DSC, Silver Star and DFC certificates was accomplished once the signed, but otherwise blank certificates, were received at U.S. Military Mission to Moscow. The three examples cited above were all presented at the August 22nd, 1944 ceremony at AMEMBASSY Moscow.

Without further ado, the President Roosevelt-executed LM certificate (Degree of Officer) to Guards Major N. Z. Burchik.

Regards,

slava1stclass

Gents,

LM set to Major N. Kiesntzoff.

Regards,

slava1stclass

Gents,

LM set to Guards Major General G. F. Vorontzov.

Regards,

slava1stclass

Gents,

The LM citation to Lt Col P. M. Bordekov (Degree of Officer) was offered at auction in June 2000. It did not sell at that time. The auction house's estimated value was $1,000.00 - $1,500.00. Lt Col Bordekov's Legion of Merit certificate dated April 9, 1946 signed by Robert P. Patterson, Truman's Secretary of War, was included.

Regards,

slava1stclass

Gents,

This Category 1 Full Cavalier set to Ivan Tikhonovich Rubezhniy sold at auction in the U.S. on July 17th, 2014. Sale price was $7,000.00.

What is especially cool about this set is the fact the OGIII and OGI serial numbers match - legitimately so. Go figure the odds on that!

Regards,

slava1stclass

Gents,

This Full Cavalier set to double OGII winner Aleksey Stepanovich Petrukovich sold at the June 10th, 2010 Morton & Eden Ltd. auction in London. Included were Petrukovich's additional Soviet military and civil decorations and associated unspecified order booklets.

Sale price was 28,000 British pounds plus a 20% buyer's premium.

Regards,

slava1stclass

Gents,

This Category 4 Full Cavalier set to Aleksandr Pavlovich Timakov sold at the June 10th, 2009 Morton & Eden Ltd. auction in London. It included a PMD COA for the OGI.

Sale price was 10,000 British pounds plus a 15% buyer's premium.

Regards,

slava1stclass

Navy time

I believe this is the very first cavalier of Navy Distinguished Service Medal in this thread.

Unfortunately unidentified ...

Only the year is known - 1943

Gents,

Ref post #168 this thread, JapanX answered his own question in posts #236 and #237. The Navy DSM winner depicted in post #168 is Michman Sergei Dmitrievich Kukushkin.

Regards,

slava1stclass

Gents,

LM set to Major Ye. I. Sidorov.

Regards,

slava1stclass

Gents,

LM set to Colonel M. I. Sheremet.

Regards,

slava1stclass