Ulsterman

Don't know either-but I did hear the Council on Foreign relatins Cuba "expert" referto the Interior Ministry troops as the "Cuban Stasi" yesterday on NPR.

and me, although I am over a year late on my dues payment.

Angola?! Tell us more, more!! :jumping:

Darrell: This is almost certainly a post war made up bar. The Long service army medals were ALWAYS worn together-two together, except for the 4 year. Thus, you bar should have a 12 and a 4 medal on it. This was a regulation in place as of 1936. Not a few (esp. English) fakers don't know/didn't know this. Sorry-

very cool! I take it all back! p.s. could you ask her about Ethiopia?

I don't think you are being that skeptical. However, there certainly isn't wholesale awards to entire units going on and there is definetly variations in "scale" depending upon the unit (e.g. the Commander). My friend "We'll give everyone a puppy", Kevin is back from the Afghan mountains this month and he certainly earned his CIB. However, he knows of some guys who did not do that much work to get theirs.

Oh no-they know all right. I can remember exactly what I was doing at work @ 25 years ago and it wasn't that exciting....and my memory isn't that good . They'll have docs going back @ 20 years or so, they have to keep most stuff 13 years for tax purposes alone and you'd better bet they have the trademark/copyrights to their designs on file somewhere. They just don't want any embarrassment. Another way to approach them is as a scholar, inquiring about other nations (I'd like to know about Ethiopia) and promising cash for interviews.

apparently. I have spoken to a number of guys who have these CABs and most were support troops (clerks, computer techs, truck divers) who were in a combat incident or two (shot at) /and/or got mortared.

Thanks David S!! You da man!!!(like Rick said)

Nope-true story. Only the guy was a Sergeant (well, he is now) and in a National Guard unit. I spoke to him 2 months ago at the Maine Boy Scout Jamboree. He is now the local recruiter and lives @ 15 miles from my house. His one other "action" was to watch the aftermath of a suicide bomber after he'd been shot running towards the guard post at the base.

whoa! Those are great! The medals really leap to life!

Beautiful!!

Book quality portraits!! Thanks for posting.

I can't remember if I posted this before but I got this last Summer. I can not find it on my ribbon charts. Can anyone help i.d. it? Something makes me think Red Cross. Thanks Ulster

...any news on the book? Gosh-even the restrikes are expensive these days. Some wags over at the WAF are categorically stating that these were 'presented pieces" awarded into the 1960s etc.. Money corrupts everything-even history.

I'll bet he had some interesting stories to tell.

Odds are the Bulgarian badge is real. There is an earlier version which is rarer but the document is key. The records are still there, albeit under lock and key. In ten years-things shall be different. I'd also worry about the partisan medals-but hey, you never know. How much do they weigh? Have you checked the mass? I'd go for a Hungarian partisan badge next-you never know! The Partisan badges etc. are vastly underrated given the purported dangers they represented.

Here's mine. I suspect that this association was filled with padders and grafters like in Hungary, but there were real anti-Fascists in the ranks: the Old Guard. There is little interest in Bulgarian items, but given the wholesale sell off of government stores in @ 1997 and the availability of items, it will pick up -sort of- eventually. Also the lack of reliable information is also a hampering factor. Reimer's book helps a little, but only a bit.

Ever read Orwell? He warned about the misuses of history by those who wish to shape "progress".

What? Not even a yellowpages? Do I smell business opportunity here?

I suspect that there are two sets of medals here-to two brothers. I think Jeff Floyd may have the Spanish war medal roll so he can check the name (if that roll exists). Also, check the US census for 1900. These guys should be easy to spot. the local history societies out your way are really helpful if you write and ask them for information. I have done so several times and some nice old DAR matron has always written back enclosing a stack of newspaper clippings/xeroxes etc. about "Local Boy fights the Boches in Paris".

I bought a similar-if not identical bar from Stogieman a mere 5 years ago for $325! I suspect the Godet tag indicates this person was in berlin in 1936 and that probably means employment in one of the big buildings downtown. The dealer's price is inflated slightly (that is it has a @20-30% mark up) to bring his profit in. An open auction on eBay might bring a higher market price because of there being more attention and bidders. Personally, I am a big fan of the dollars long awaited deflation. I think Chris has a great point about "thinking in Euros", but i suspect that given cultural issues and the sometimes difficult nature of selling these items, as well as the collecting community (which I suspect is 70% British /Commonwealth/American) the US$ will remain the standard currency for these. Also, I notice a lot of these coming out of the woodwork consistently over here. Seemingly every GI brought home a box of stuff from Germany in 1945. A lot are messed with and/or in bad condition, but every year I run across a gem or two.

Very interesting. i have been eyeing the one on eBay for a while. Any chance you can find the chap on the award certificate? Is he in the Budapest phonebook? I'd love to know how one got these awards.

I'd be very, very, very happy to pay $450, would not feel badly paying between $500-$600 and if I really knew who it was and if I had the money-would go to $700, but I wouldn't feel good about it. ...unless it turned out to have provenance to a known Admiral or someone cool. The Ek2=$40 Oldbrg.+$25 HKx=$15 REO= $150-250 (how's the enamel?): BIG variation in prices on this medal these days China=$100 LS=$70 Cntl.=$10 but the combination......there's a 'spangenbonus" value.

war time awards came first-that's a peace time REO. I'd bet that's a navy officer's bar @ 1936.