Hugh

Alive, well and holding forth at OMSA.

Too bad Ed is no longer with us. I'm sure he'd have some salty comments. Hugh

Most of these are right up there with the Nobel Peace Prize for irrevelance. Next, let's look at the Nobel Prize for Literature. How many of these names have you ever heard? Of those you recognize, how many of their books have you read? 2012 MO YAN who with hallucinatory realism merges folk tales, history and the contemporary. 2011 TOMAS TRANSTRÖMER because, through his condensed, translucent images, he gives us fresh access to reality. 2010 MARIO VARGAS LLOSA for his cartography of structures of power and his trenchant images of the individual's resistance, revolt, and defeat. 2009 HERTA MÜLLER who, with the concentration of poetry and the frankness of prose, depicts the landscape of the dispossessed. 2008 JEAN-MARIE GUSTAVE LE CLÉZIO author of new departures, poetic adventure and sensual ecstasy, explorer of a humanity beyond and below the reigning civilization. 2007 DORIS LESSING that epicist of the female experience, who with scepticism, fire and visionary power has subjected a divided civilisation to scrutiny. 2006 ORHAN PAMUK who in the quest for the melancholic soul of his native city has discovered new symbols for the clash and interlacing of cultures. 2005 HAROLD PINTER who in his plays uncovers the precipice under everyday prattle and forces entry into oppression's closed rooms. 2004 ELFRIEDE JELINEK for her musical flow of voices and counter-voices in novels and plays that with extraordinary linguistic zeal reveal the absurdity of society's clich s and their subjugating power 2003 JOHN MAXWELL COETZEE who in innumerable guises portrays the surprising involvement of the outsider 2002 IMRE KERTÉSZ for writing that upholds the fragile experience of the individual against the barbaric arbitrariness of history 2001 V. S. NAIPAUL for having united perceptive narrative and incorruptible scrutiny in works that compel us to see the presence of suppressed histories. 2000 GAO XINGJIAN for an oeuvre of universal validity, bitter insights and linguistic ingenuity, which has opened new paths for the Chinese novel and drama.

AH, the Magical Land of Oz! It's a happenin' place. H

Don't know the answer, but the style is different from current ROK military medals. Sorry, can't read the inscription. Hugh

With respect to the fall front: The US Navy wore this style blue trousers well into the 1970's. We called them "13 button blues" They were very inconvenient for hasty calls of nature. I've never seen the 13 button style on USN white trousers, but that only covers the 20th century.

Howard Cole's book Formation Badges of World War II (p. 123) shows this as the 4th Armoured Brigade. " A jerboa (desert rat) in black on a white square background. The Brigade served in the Middle East with the Eighth Army and in North-West Europe as part of 21st Army Group."

Emmanuel, thank you so much. It's very generous of you to share all this. Thanks to you, I now have a much improved data base, and have identified a couple of "strangers" in my collection. Best, Hugh

Emmanuel, thanks so much for this ribbon chart. I wonder if you (or anyone else on the forum) can translate into a European language. I can provide approximate captions for a few of them, but would hope that we could get a proper translation for them all. Thanks, Hugh

I think not. At least during Viet Nam, the "V" device was very commonly awarded with any decoration for someone who was actually in the war zone. It's my belief that the MID is more selective, for specific acts of merit. Perhaps more similar to the Commendation Medals for each service. I'd equate the Military Cross (UK) to the Bronze Star and the Distinguished Service Order (UK) to the Silver Star. Unfortunately, until recently these two UK awards were restricted to officers. Any thoughts from the UK side? Perhaps someone could comment on the comparisons between the Military Medal (MM) and Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) with US awards. Hugh

Many thanks for this Portuguese insight into the Peninsular War. We read a lot from the British side, but seldom from the Portuguese. Bemvindo ao GMIC. Hugh

Interesting that they have used the old flag of China on the obverse. H

I've had the LS11 version (red ribbon) for years. Bought it in The Angel, London for a minimal amount. Have always thought it was Lao. A couple of points to support that opinion: 1) It does not appear in my basic Thai reference book, a large format (A4) exhaustive book 1-1/2" thick with many color pictures. 2) John Sylvester (quoted above) cites them as a mystery, but includes them in the Lao section of his book. 3) If they are Thai, what accounts for the red star version? I'm unaware of any significant communist force with sufficient organization to be issuing such a medal. I'm not aware of Thai military / police using a red star in their iconography. Still, the comments from the Thai dealer in post above are a little unsettling. Perhaps James Hoard will weigh in. He seems to know a bit about this part of the world. Best, Hugh

Looks as though Sec'y Hagel has decided to do the right thing. This way, the appropriate level of award (Bronze Star, Legion of Merit, etc.) can be awarded with specific recognition of the nature of the award. Well done. Hugh From the Washington Post Pentagon cancels divisive Distinguished Warfare Medal for cyber ops, drone strikes By Ernesto Londoño, Apr 15, 2013 10:27 PM EDT The special medal for the Pentagon’s drone operators and cyberwarriors didn’t last long. Two months after the military rolled out the Distinguished Warfare Medal for troops who don’t set foot on the battlefield, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has concluded it was a bad idea. Some veterans and some lawmakers spoke out against the award, arguing that it was unfair to make the medal a higher honor than some issued for valor on the battlefield. Controversy echoed a broader debate about remote-controlled aircraft in war against extremists. The controversy echoed a broader debate over defense policy, irking those who feel uneasy about the extent to which remote-controlled aircraft have become the tip of America’s spear in the war against extremists abroad. After ordering a review of a policy that was one of his predecessor’s last official moves, Hagel said Monday that he concluded no such medal was needed. Instead, he said, a “device” will be affixed to existing medals to recognize those who fly and operate drones, whom he described as “critical to our military’s mission of safeguarding the nation.” Devices are used by the Pentagon to add a specific form of additional recognition when troops are lauded for exceptional performance. The Veterans of Foreign Wars, one of the groups that had been critical of the medal, praised Hagel for promptly taking on the issue. “This decision will clearly keep medals that can only be earned in combat in their high order of precedence, while providing proper recognition to all who support our warfighters regardless of their distance from the fight,” John E. Hamilton, the head of the veterans’ group, said in a statement. Former Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta announced the award on Feb. 13, one of his lasts days in office, saying that the evolution of combat warranted a new inclusion for men and women who perform game-changing acts remotely. “Our military reserves its highest decorations obviously for those who display gallantry and valor in actions when their lives are on the line and we will continue to do so,” he said at the time. “But we should also have the ability to honor the extraordinary actions that make a true difference in combat operations.” The Pentagon said no service members had been nominated for the new medal.

Looks non-reg to me. 1) Stripes for badges on white or khaki uniforms are blue, not red. 2) Don't recognize the cross-hair in the middle of the crossed anchors as any legitimate rating, 3) eagle looks a little funny, 4) backing material doesn't look like anything we used. It was the custom in the early to mid-20th century to dress little boys (and sometimes little girls) in pseudo-naval uniforms. That's what I suspect this is. Best, Hugh

Just to further confuse the issue, don't forget Portugal's Military Order of Aviz! The green is a very good match for the typical Aviz, but who knows? H

Here's a different look from Foreign Policy. To me, the appropriate action is to cancel the medal, and reward these actions with the Commendation Medal, the Bronze Star (without"V") or Legion of Merit, depending on the level of performance. Too many ribbons! Hugh Hagel may be parting company with Panetta. After a week or so of pressure to re-think the Distinguished Warfare Medal for drone pilots, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is doing just that. Pentagon press secretary George Little announced yesterday that the Pentagon had begun a 30-day review of the medal former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced on his way out the door, setting up the distinct possibility that there would be a change to the "precedence" of the medal -- that is, where it resides in the hierarchy of medals. Concern has been mounting ever since Panetta announced it that its place above a Bronze Star, which recognizes military members for acts of heroism or merit in combat, was a bridge too far in deference to drone pilots, the unsung heroes of modern warfare. Indeed, the medal is long overdue for the pilots of all the services who fly drones as a way to recognize their service and the impact of the important work they do. But the precedence of the award in the hierarchy-hyper military is what has so many people concerned, from the uniforms in the building, more privately, to senators and congressmen, far more publicly, on the Hill. Just last week, Hagel had defended or at least explained the rationale behind Panetta's decision, which apparently came after consensus among the service chiefs, to members of Congress. But in a move that may buy him instant credibility with the Army and Marines, in particular, the former Army sergeant said he would take a look at the issue. Little, yesterday, to reporters: "Secretary Hagel consulted with the chairman, the Joint Chiefs, and the service secretaries, and those with the decision to establish the medal was carefully and thoroughly analyzed within the Department of Defense. That being said, in light of concerns about the medal's place in the order of precedence, Secretary Hagel will work with the senior leadership to review the order of precedence and associated matters, and the secretary has asked that Chairman Dempsey lead this review and report back in 30 days." By the way, production of the medal itself has been halted during the review." Full transcript: http://www.defense.gov/transcripts/transcript.aspx?transcriptid=5203

Sounds as though someone is listening! H Hagel orders halt to production of drone pilot, cyberwarrior medal By Karen DeYoung, Published: March 12, Washington Post Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has ordered the military to stop production of a controversial new medal pending a 30-day study of whether the award for drone pilots and cyberwarriors should outrank medals given for battlefield bravery. Pentagon spokesman George Little said that Hagel was particularly attuned to the concerns of veterans organizations, which have complained that the Distinguished Warfare Medal was ranked above the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart in the military’s order of precedence. Hagel, who received two Purple Hearts as an enlisted soldier in Vietnam, has a long history with the veterans groups, Little said. “He’s been a member of one. He headed the USO. He’s heard their concerns.” A letter from committee Chairman Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and James M. Inhofe (Okla.), the panel’s ranking Republican, asking for reconsideration of the warfare medal was on Hagel’s desk when he returned Monday from a trip to Afghanistan. While they were “supportive of the new medal,” the senators wrote that they were concerned “that it is given precedence above awards earned by service members for actions on the battlefield.” Drone pilots and cyberwarriors generally operate in the United States. Little said that Hagel has placed Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in charge of that review, to be completed within 30 days. “The fact of the matter is that production of the medal has stopped,” Little said. “No one has been nominated for this medal. No one is in training for this medal. So we do have time to make a final decision.”

Here's the update, courtesy of redOrbit. Amateur Historian Cracks Lost WWI Carrier Pigeon Code December 17, 2012 72 7 0 Image Credit: Photos.com Lee Rannals for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online A World War II message found in a fireplace attached to the remains of a dead carrier pigeon is believed to have been decrypted. A Canadian World War II enthusiast says that he has deciphered the message after realizing that a code book held the key to the encryption. Gord Young, editor for the history group Lakefield Heritage Research, says the 1944 note uses a simple World War I code to give information about German troop positions in the area around Normandy, France. The 74-year-old David Martin first uncovered the message when he was renovating the chimney of his house in the village of Bletchingley in Surrey, England. During his renovation, he found the remains of a dead pigeon, along with a leg that had a red canister still attached. Once he cracked open the canister, he found a thin piece of paper with the words “Pigeon of Service,” along with handwritten encrypted codes. According to the BBC, Britain’s top code breakers at the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) obtained the message at the beginning of November but were unsuccessful at cracking the code. The British agency told BBC that they were convinced the message was impossible to decrypt, but did confirm that they would take a look at Young’s solution. “We stand by our statement of 22 November 2012 that without access to the relevant codebooks and details of any additional encryption used, the message will remain impossible to decrypt,” a GCHQ spokesman told BBC. “Similarly it is also impossible to verify any proposed solutions, but those put forward without reference to the original cryptographic material are unlikely to be correct.” Young, however, said that the code is not complex, and that people who are trying to decrypt it are “over thinking.” The code, according to Young’s account, belonged to 27-year-old Sgt William Scott, who was placed in Normandy to report on German positions. Scott was killed a few weeks later and buried in a Normandy war cemetery. Around 250,000 carrier pigeons were used during World War II, and Young said that Scott would’ve sent out two pigeons to ensure that the information made it through enemy lines and arrived back in England. He hinted that it was pretty obvious that the peculiar spellings and heavy use of acronyms indicate that Scott was trained during World War I. “You will see the World War I artillery acronyms are shorter, but, that is because, you have to remember, that, the primitive radio-transmitters that sent the Morse code were run by batteries, and, those didn’t last much more than a half-hour tops, probably less,” Young told BBC. According to Young, the decrypted message reads: “Artillery observer at ‘K’ Sector, Normandy. Requested headquarters supplement report. Panzer attack – blitz. West Artillery Observer Tracking Attack. “Lt Knows extra guns are here. Know where local dispatch station is. Determined where Jerry’s headquarters front posts. Right battery headquarters right here. “Found headquarters infantry right here. Final note, confirming, found Jerry’s whereabouts. Go over field notes. Counter measures against Panzers not working. “Jerry’s right battery central headquarters here. Artillery observer at ‘K’ sector Normandy. Mortar, infantry attack panzers. “Hit Jerry’s Right or Reserve Battery Here. Already know electrical engineers headquarters. Troops, panzers, batteries, engineers, here. Final note known to headquarters.” Young said that more deciphering is required still, but that extra bits of code could have been inserted into the text to confuse the enemy.

I'd say Paul nailed it! H

Certainly the colors are similar to the 11th Hussars (The Cherry Pickers), who formed part of the Light Brigade at the battle of Balaklava. However, you would expect the plume to be crimson and white. Not to be stereotypical, but doesn't he have more of a Continental cast of countenance? Hugh

Is this the next step?

The link below will give you a look at the DASH (QH-50C) in operations back in the '60's. We used to call it the pipefitter's nightmare. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFFjjWUVoXY

That's great! I've underestimated the Belgian sense of humor. H

The quality of these medals is just remarkable! Hugh