Hugh

Count on Dave for the definitive word. Thanks, Hugh

It is classified as a Royal Medal in a category described as Medals for Acts of Bravery, and I believe it may come in three classes: Class 1 with olive branches, Class 2, 1st Category with a sort of explosion device on the ribbon, and Class 2, 2nd Category with no ribbon device. An excerpt from the precedence list of the official website of the Cabinet Secretariat lists it as shown below with some other medals between the second and third class. P. 132 ๔๑. เหรียà¸à¸žà¸´à¸—ัà¸à¸©à¹Œà¹€à¸ªà¸£à¸µà¸Šà¸™ ชั้นที่ ๑ Freeman Safeguarding Medal (First Class). ๔๒. เหรียà¸à¸žà¸´à¸—ัà¸à¸©à¹Œà¹€à¸ªà¸£à¸µà¸Šà¸™ ชั้นที่ ๒ ประเภทที่ ๑ Freeman Safeguarding Medal (Second Class, First Category). P. 133 ๔๓. เหรียà¸à¸£à¸²à¸Šà¸™à¸´à¸¢à¸¡ The RajaniYom Medal ๔๔. เหรียà¸à¸›à¸£à¸²à¸šà¸®à¹ˆà¸­ The Haw Campaign Medal. ๔๕. เหรียà¸à¸‡à¸²à¸™à¸žà¸£à¸°à¸£à¸²à¸Šà¸ªà¸‡à¸„รามยุโรป The War Medal of B.E. 2461. ๔๖. เหรียà¸à¸žà¸´à¸—ัà¸à¸©à¹Œà¸£à¸±à¸à¸˜à¸£à¸£à¸¡à¸™à¸¹à¸ The Safeguarding the Constitution Medal. ๔๗. เหรียà¸à¸žà¸´à¸—ัà¸à¸©à¹Œà¹€à¸ªà¸£à¸µà¸Šà¸™ ชั้นที่ ๒ ประเภทที่ ๒ Freeman Safeguarding Medal (Second Class, Second Category). I quote from a post made by Ilja some time ago: QUOTE "The Defender of Freedom" medal. The medal is founded by king the Frame IX in 1969. It was entrusted military and civil persons for display of courage in struggle against communistic insurgents, and also wound and the victim (posthumously) in operations on maintenance of safety of the country. Rushes on the left side of a breast. The medal has two classes, and the medal of the second class has two degrees. The medal of the first class is entrusted the persons who have lost (posthumously), critically wounded patients or proved in struggle against communistic insurgents. The medal of the second class of the first degree was entrusted militarians and police grades, civil servants and simple citizens for oustanding service in dangerous conditions in struggle against communistic insurgents. The medal of the second class of the second degree was entrusted militarians and police grades, civil servants and simple citizens for service in struggle against communistic insurgents. The medal of dark color has the form of two squares put against each other (with displacement on 90 degrees). In the center the emblem of armed forces of Thailand is located. The medal is attached to a red tape with eight white thin strips. The medal of the first class has on a tape an ornament as two gold olive branch The medal of the second class of the first degree has on a tape a gold ornament as the stylized image of explosion of a bomb. The medal of the second class of the second degree has no any additions on a tape. UNQUOTE

And lo, suddenly, I got an email. The sites are all in Hangul, but they appear to be the current awards system. Maybe Rogi can give us some idea of what they contain. Best, Hugh 대한민국 í›ˆìž¥ì˜ ì¢…ë¥˜ (키워드) http://blog.naver.com/yusicoc/50187082404 í›ˆìž¥ì˜ ì¢…ë¥˜ ë° ìˆ˜ì—¬ ëŒ€ìƒ http://www.army.mil.kr/history/%B9%DF%B9%DF%B9%E8%B0%E6/%C0%B0%B1%BA%BB%E7/honour.htm í›ˆìž¥ì˜ ì¢…ë¥˜ë¥¼ 알아보ìž! http://blog.daum.net/mma9090/6916

Haven't heard a thing from either source. I've stopped holding my breath. H

These tokens bear a superficial resemblance to the "boi" shown on Ed Emering's site http://www.emering.com/medals/french/annam.html, but are certainly not the same. As Rogi observes, tokens like this are seen widely in China and Korea, and are often sold in stores. They are handsome decorative pieces.

I've just sent this article off to a friend who is the president of the 5th Marine Division Survivors Association. They had a reunion here in Tampa this summer. Let's see if he has opinions.

Aha! It sounds as though my guess about the Japanese spelling of his name was correct. This was a great blog post. Best, Hugh Wim Reedyk 20 November 2013 at 1:32 pm I am moved by the fact that so much is told about my grandfather, and that Mr Love personally has known him and his family. My mother happens to be his youngest daughter, Geraldine. She married my father, a Dutchman, in 1954 and moved to Holland where she still lives. She, 82 years old, is still doing well. Unfortunately for me, Harry O’Hara, my grandpa, died before my birth in 1957. Interesting to note is that his name was Ohara. But when he enlisted in the British Army in India, a recruitment officer said to him: We don’t have any Ohara’s here, so we call you O’Hara. My mother told me this story many times, and I’ve got every reason to believe that this is correct.

I'll bite - who is it? Hugh

Just shows how long it's been since I've been to Pakistan. Oh, well. Hugh

Welcome, Tariq, It's good to see a Pakistani on this forum. I wonder if some of the military tailors in Lahore might have supplies of old for some of these rare medals. In the years when I was visiting Pakistan regularly, I know the tailors in Rawalpindi and Karachi had items from many decades past. This might be a solution to ribbon problems. Best, Hugh

Ohara (without the apostrophe) is indeed a Japanese name. Doesn't mean this man was Japanese, but it's not impossible. H

I agree completely. This appears to be a mixture from various periods. If I remember correctly, the Ulchi should have 4 white stripes on each side, more like the green ribbon to its left. It's also a very high-ranking award for an NCO, even a very senior one. We all know how unfaithful color can be on different monitors, but that purple ribbon on the right seems to be much different from the light blue for Chungmu, and only has two stripes on each side. Here's my guess: These three ribbons represent the three grades of the Order of Military Merit - Ulchi, Chungmu and Hwarang - but are from a different period than we are familiar with. Seems like a very heavy ribbon bar for a non-officer. What's your guess on the third row, first and third ribbons?

Thanks, Rogi, When I blow the image up (Control +), I see three white stripes on either side. I MAY be able to get some documentation on ROK ODM from a friend (former US Army Colonel FAO). It'll probabky be in Hangul. Could you help with translation? Best, Hugh

Some additions using information taken from Don Pfeifer's website home.earthlink.net/~dfifer/index.htm Second row, 2nd medal - this MAY be the Order of Military Merit, Chungmu Third row, 2nd ribbon and fourth row, 1st ribbon - Although these appear slightly different, I think they are both the Merit Medal for Defense. Fourth row, 2nd medal - I have apparently misidentified this. Pfeifer shows it as the Guerilla Warfare Service medal. There have been several generations of these awards, with different ribbons, so it's hard to get a handle on them. I believe that Don Pfeifer's site shows the current generation.

Names are not official, but just a verbal description by my friend. Here are a few tentative identifications: Fourth row, second medal. - Recovery from worst year medal 1984 ( year of Park Chung Hee assasination) Fourth row, 3rd medal - Wound medal, severe wounds Fifth row, 1st medal, - Korean War commemorative medal Fifth row, 2nd medal - Wound medal, non severe wounds Fifth row, 3rd medal - UN Korea medal Right pocket - ROK Presidential Unit Citation Best, Hugh

Not that it makes much difference to our speculation, but I just noticed that the US ribbons show service in the European Theater of Operations (ETO), not the Pacific during WW II. Curiouser and curiouser. Has anyone run a search in US records for his name? (I don't have the facility) Hugh

I've sent him an email. Let's see what happens. If we get anything, I expect it'll be in Korean. Perhaps Rogi can help. Hugh

Perhaps non- aerial flights would be hours in the flight simulator. ;-) Hugh

Shades of Josephus Daniels, US Secretary of the Navy, who banned alcohol on USN ships in the early 20th century. We finally repealed Prohibition ashore, but not on board.

Thanks fr this, Mervyn. This rounds out the story. Best, Hugh

I got one of these long ago, and if I remember correctly, it's for the Governor of a province. Windu will know. Hugh

I'm certainly confused by his ribbons. If he is in the ROK forces (as the uniform certainly suggests), why would he put the US ribbons first? Further, unless he was in the US armed forces before / during WW II, how did he become eligible for these ribbons? (Korea was a colony of Japan during this period.). Not impossible, e.g. if he was an ethnic Kprean, served as a US soldier pre-Pearl Harbor, then in the Pacific and Army of Occupation, took a discharge overseas and enlisted in the ROK Army in time for the Korean War. I wonder if the shield lapel insignia shows that he was a KATUSA (Korean Augmentation to the. US Army). If he had served all that time in the US Army, he'd have the English language qualification. I recognize many of the ROK ribbons below the top line. Curious H

Thanks, Rogi. That's a better answer. H

My Korean friend lives in Seoul, and I 'm in Florida, so we're not in frequent correondence. Still, if you can scan the document, perhaps he might give us some idea of what you have. His English is sometimes a little interesting. H

One is always hesitant to post on such a wellknown subject, but this writeup, along with the photos seemed a little special. H