Chris Boonzaier

Hi, they are pure white, Best Chris

Hi, thanks Glenn! Best Chrs

http://foreignpolicy.com/2016/01/07/pentagons-drone-pilots-get-a-nod-but-no-medals/?utm_content=bufferec120&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer For the past decade, drone pilots have played a central role in U.S. efforts to target extremists and track their shadowy leaders across the Middle East and Africa. Now the Pentagon wants to acknowledge their contributions. But don’t expect them to get a medal for it. After years of contentious debate, the Defense Department has finally decided it won’t issue new medals to drone pilots or cyber technicians who wage war from air-conditioned pods nestled near American strip malls. Instead, the Pentagon plans to give what amounts to pins to attach to non-combat medals awarded for earlier action. Defense officials have struggled for years over how to recognize the contributions of troops who operate thousands of miles from the front lines, but still impact the battlefield. In this new age of war by remote control, the rules are still being written, but old ways of deciding who is a combatant — and who isn’t — die hard. In a document announcing the new award, the Defense Department explained that “as the impact of remote operations on combat continues to increase, the necessity of ensuring those actions are distinctly recognized grows.” As a result, an “R” device — to signify service done remotely, outside the war zone — has been designed to be attached to “non-combat performance awards to specifically recognize remote but direct impact on combat operations,” according to the document. At the same time, a second new “C” award — for combat — is being rolled out to attach to earlier medals, but it will only be given to troops who have otherwise participated in combat. The debate over giving new awards to drone pilots and cyber troops came to a head in 2013, when then-Defense Secretary Leon Panetta created a Distinguished Warfare Medal for “extraordinary achievement” that did not require the recipient to have been downrange for combat. Angry veterans groups quickly objected that the new award would rank higher than the Bronze Star, which requires “heroic or meritorious achievement or service” to win. Following the outcry, Panetta’s successor, then-Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, scuttled the plan two months later while announcing a general review of all medals and citations awarded by the Pentagon. The result of that study was released Thursday, and includes a huge new Pentagon initiative to review over 1,000 medals the military has awarded during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Under the plan, the armed services will reexamine awards for Distinguished Service, Navy, and Air Force Crosses, and Silver Stars for possible upgrade to the Medal of Honor.

Here is a neat little pile of regt Königin things... I think the loose crowns are part of the shoulder board setup....

Hi, Would i correct in thinking this is a prewar thingy with a Hausorden of hohenzollrn and a Rettungsmedaille?

Lets be realistic, if you add the auction fees to what he paid, and subtract the tax from his selling price, the profit becomes less. Many dealers have a 100% markup, it just has a wow effect because of the item for sale here.... but look at it this way.... if he had invested 15 000 in 30 small items that he sold at a 100% markup or 15 000 in a single item that he sold at a 100% markup, his bottom line is the same. I think the problem is, for most of us this is way above anything we could ever afford and we simply cannot get over the sum made on this.

Hi, is this an official way of wearing this or just put on for the photo? I assume this is Oskar Tile von Kalm who wrote volume 30 "Gorlice" of the "Sclachten des Weltkrieges" series, does anyone know where he served in WW1 ?

Hi, fyi, the dealer KP Emig has a couple of pages of WW2 Croatian stuff on his update. I think a rare enough event to warrant the heads up.... http://www.kpemig.de/Neue-Artikel-060116_s11 http://www.kpemig.de/Neue-Artikel-060116_s10

Hi, The Leib Regt was the first one to have a regimental associaton. Most regiments were from a single region, but the Leib regiment recruited all over bavaria and as a result had a number of branches in the Verein. From what i understand, they then raised funds and purchased them. I am not sure of the details.

http://kaiserscross.com/69501/566501.html

Thanks Andy&Andy!

Another colonial... :-) I think I have shown this one before but have lost the answer... And another colonial...

He doubled his money... When I find a piece for EUR100 and get EUR200 for it, I am a happy camper as well ;-)

... has been published anywhere before? This is a bad copy of one for sale on ebay long ago... I unfortunately did not buy it at the time....

Wow.... that man makes Sam Elliot's tache look wussy.. Fantastic piece!! Have you done any research on him? I am green with envy!

Hi, On some old threads on a german forum i read the sum of 3000 German troops in East Africa who could have qualified for an Iron Cross. This seems very high indeed. A Wikipedia entry seems more realistic? 2 Stabsoffiziere, 17 Hauptleute, 49 Oberleutnants und Leutnants, 42 Sanitätsoffiziere, 1 Intendanturrat, 2 Intendantursekretäre, 1 Zahlmeister, 8 Unterzahlmeister, 4 Oberfeuerwerker und Feuerwerker, 8 Waffenmeister, 60 Unteroffiziere, 66 Sanitätsunteroffiziere und 2.472 afrikanische Soldaten. With maybe 300-400 saolirs adding to the mix, ie, about 600 Europeans? The 2472 African soldiers not qualifying? Thanks Chris

Hi, It has similarities with the fonts on Jeremies one as well, but it is a piece I guess I will never feel good about. It is hard to believe that a faker would go to this much trouble, finding a name and town like this.... if he had "Peter Schmidt , Berlin" it would have been home free. All we need is for cousin also named Rudolf Hertzberg to have moved to Polzin in 1912, and already the whole things moves into the realm of "possible".... but is it likely? As soon as you get your head around the fact that a faker may have lifted a name off a grave or something, then the possible negatives outweigh the possible positives. I don't want to Black Skull this and man the last outpost defending the piece until death. I think it wiser to accept that the Possible Negatives are the most probable answer to the the question of originality.

A nice update.... The "Leiberring" was one of the most covetet awards that could be presented to a soldier in the elite bavarian Leib Regiment, a unit that took part in all the campaigns of the Alpenkorps. Harry closes of the hunt for the Mad Mullah with the closing campaign in British Somaliland 1920 The first German Language article on the sight as Stephan Ommert covers the sinking of the Gneisenau in 1914

Hi, Muchos Grazias! Von Hadeln was an interesting guy.... http://www.kaiserscross.com/40029/150601.html Strümpell is the dude.... wonder how he got the Ehrenlegion ?

Hi, does anyone have any ideas? Thanks Chris

If you mean the Karau one, I understand it is light on the actual fighting side of things and heavy on the political side? I recently ordered the Johann Ryheul one, it is in German, I am curious to see what the contents are.

Could we see a close up of the patch?

Hi, agreed, when the soldier got the award the first order of the day was probably to cut a piece for the buttonhole. His first chance to wear it was probably back in Germany and then he could have the military tailor mount it. Best Chris

Hi, in light of the host of points raised i will be returning the tag.

If I am not mistaken there were >Iron Crosses awarded for this work?