Lukasz Gaszewski

Sgt. Azzaya's medals.

Here is a photo of Sgt-Maj. Gambold Azzaya from the Mongolian contingent of the Multinational Division Centre-South in Iraq. On 18th February, 2004 Gambold Azzaya was standing sentry in Charlie Camp. At about 7 a.m. the camp was attacked by insurgents in two booby-trap cars filled with explosives. Azzaya shot the driver of the first one, and injured the second one. The driver jumped out of the vehicle which hit the camp wall and exploded releasing about 700 kilograms of TNT. In the attack 6 Iraqis were killed and 44 injured. The glass splinters also injured 12 Polish soldiers. As soldiers serving in the second rotation recall, but for the quick reaction of a sentry officer, the death toll could have come in hundreds. The explosion left a moon-crater hole in the camp and parts of the pick-up were later found in the 250m distance. The injured were provided with help and dressed by Polish and Slovakian doctors. Fortunately, Gambold Azzaya was not hurt. For his brave conduct Sgt. Azzaya was awarded the Polish Army Medal in silver, which seems a fairly low decoration for what he did. In 2006 Azzaya served in the peace mission in Sierra Leone, for which was awarded with ?Medal for Peace? and medal of the UN. I have found the photo of Sgt. Azzaya in a Polish military magazine. He is wearing the Polish Army Medal in silver, Commemorative Medal of the Multinational Division Centre-South, UN Medal and two unknown Mongolian medals. The first of them may be the "Medal for Peace". Above them there is the Order of Military Valour. The photo was of even better resolution but due to server's limitations it had to be resized. Perhaps someone will have further information about the two Mongolian medals of Sgt. Azzaya. Regards, Lukasz

Does anybody have information about the Department of Homeland Security Distinguished Service Medal, or perhaps could share a photo? I have read of its having been awarded several times but have never seen what it looks like. Do you know if DoHS has issued any other medals? Lukasz

Thanks Megan! Nice one. I think it will become popular soon, just like its Army and Navy counterparts, the Combat Infantryman Badge and Combat Action Ribbon are. Lukasz

MUCH better though! You can see tha details. Thanks Do you have information of the width of the ribbon? Lukasz

No, nothing. The photo comes from a recent Polish military magazine, from a quite unrelated article without any caption. It seems it was attached for illustrative purposes only. Lukasz

I have just come across a photo of a group of Polish soldiers being awarded with a medal, which is completely unknown to me. It can be a medal of some central European country, but it is just my guess. Please help identify. Thanks. Lukasz Close-ups:

H.M. the Queen has approved of a new NZ military honour, known as the New Zealand Distinguished Service Decoration. The Decoration may be awarded to all military ranks of the New Zealand Defence Force, or uniformed members of allied forces operating with or alongside units of the New Zealand Defence Force. The Decoration may be awarded for the outstanding performance of military duties in either warlike or non-warlike operations and for individual efforts toward peacetime and humanitarian service which brings great credit to the New Zealand Defence Force and contributes significantly, through exceptional devotion to duty, dedication, judgement or application of skills to one or more of the following: 1. the conduct of an operational deployment; 2. the conduct of military training or a military operation or operations; and 3. the management and implementation of a project or activity with significant implications for the current or future capability of the New Zealand Defence Force. The Distinguished Service Decoration also may be awarded for a singular accomplishment or instance of extraordinary performance of duty, or be awarded for superior cumulative efforts over a sustained period of time. Recipients of the Decoration shall have the privilege of placing the letters ?DSD? after their name. Persons to whom the Decoration has been awarded who for further services qualify for the Decoration, shall be awarded a Bar to their Decoration. The Bar to the Decoration shall be of silver, oblong in shape, and bearing two New Zealand fern fronds. Although not explicitly stated, a coiled fern frond emblem shall probably be attached when a ribbon bar alone is worn, as it is the case with other NZ awards. The decoration ranks as a sixth level award and takes precedence immediately following The New Zealand Antarctic Medal, which is fairly low. More information can be found here, and the Wiki News article is here. Unfortunately, the only photo of the decoration I have found is not of best quality. If someone has a better one, please share. Lukasz

It looks like the Governor's Outstanding Unit Award of Nevada NG (slightly bleached). Best, Lukasz

The site is potentially a very good one but it needs tidying up. I am very much indebted to the author for sharing all theese photos. There are some I haven't found anywhere else on the Net. I wanted to write the author about the site, but firstly it is in French, which I am not particularly good at and, which is more important, I couldn't find the address anywhere. If someone knows the address, please share Lukasz

My new acquisition: The Order Virtuti Civili was planned in 1792 by King Stanislas Augustus as a civilian counterpart to the Order Virtuti Militari. An oval medal in gold and siver, inscribed "VIRTUTI CIVILI" was struck, but due to the partition of Poland it was never awarded. In 1969 The Association of Polish Legionnaires revived the order as the top honor of the organization. It is awarded to individuals who have shown flawless moral attitude, civil courage and dignity in hard times, thus being an example to others. Until 1989 the order was conspirational. The order comes in two classes, as a gold and silver cross. Until 1989 the Gold Cross was awarded only to three individuals: Pope John Paul IICardinal Stefan Wyszynski, Primate of Poland (posthumous award)Edward Smigly-Rydz, Marshal of Poland (posthumous award)As you can see, the order is similar in appearance to the Order Virtuti Militari. The second class of the order looks similar, but it is in silver and without the surmounting eagle. The original ribbon was light blue with darker blue side stripes and black edges, but in the 1990s a new ribbon was adopted - similar to that of the Virtuti Militari, but with two extra red pinstripes along the black stripes, which are the colors of another decoration, the Independence Cross.The first class of the order is a neck decoration, the second is worn on the ribbon on the left side of chest. The motto of the order is "DIGNITAS SCUTUM LIBERORUM HOMINUM" (dignity is the shield of free people). Hope you will like it. Lukasz

Meritorious Worker:

OK, here are two other medals from the same stable. They are the Exemplary Worker (on the blue ribbon) and Meritorious Worker of Metal Industry (don't know which one is higher). Unlike the above, they were both federal awards, conferred by the Minister of Metallurgical, Electric and Engineering Industry. It can be interesting that despite being non-military awards, they were accompanied by a ribbon bar, apparently to be worn on civilian attire. Unfortunately I have only the bar from the Exemplary Worker decoration. Lukasz

Feel free to use the close-ups done by me. I personally think you should acknowledge the Middle East Media Research Institute too, as it was there that the movie was from . I think I won't be far from the truth to say you have blessings from all of us on this forum. We can't wait when the article is ready!!! Best regards, Lukasz

It is a medal of an exemplary worker of timber (as far as I can understand this Slovak inscription) industry of the Slovak Socialist Republic (being then a part of Czechoslovakaia). There were many such medals for good work in particular branches of national economy in Czechoslovakia at that time. I myself have a couple. Most had an interesting design. So does this one! I like it! Lukasz

Or it may have belonged to a former Soviet admiral, who settled down in Belarus and whose rank was recognized.

Sorry to disappoint you, but the Virtuti Militari seems very much to be a modern copy of the pre-WWII 5th class type, consequently the value is not very high. The genuine piece should have a serial number on reverse and the central medallion should be gilt. Also the ribbon is not correct for the pre-war type, which should be darker, almost royal blue. I believe the width of this ribbon will be ca. 40 mm. If so, it is a fake. The width of the original ribbon was 35-37 mm at most. Cheers, Lukasz BTW: the metal cap eagle is the type used by privates in the army during the communist era. The ribbon of the Polish Armed Forces in the West Military Action Cross is reversed - the white stripe should be on the left.

Glad I was able to assist. The dedication in the album reads: To Comrade Marshal A.J. Koldunov As a memory of his stay with Country's Air Defense Forces on the occassion of the "Granit-84" training. I'd like to ask you something: I am thinking of writing an entry about Gen. Lozowicki in Polish wiki. It is a good quality photo of his in full glory. Can I use it as an illustration? A real fantastic acquisition indeed! Could you please post some other photos from the album? Lukasz

Hello Gerd, It is Lt. Gen. (later full Gen.) Longin Lozowicki, Air Defense Forces Commander (1977-1990). The photo must have been taken between 1978 (Lozowicki's promotion to Lt. Gen.) and 1984 (Koldunov's promotion to Air Chief Marshal), probably in the early 1980s. Note Gen. Lozowicki's wound badge above the upper row of his ribbons. Hope it will help. Best regards, Lukasz PS: where did you get the photos?

Thanks Megan, they are beautiful (and hard to get!). More please! Lukasz

His epaulettes show that he was a senior officer (major up to colonel) rather than a general (general's ones had broad cords, following the Russian pattern). That is probably why he had no top classes of orders. I wonder who he was and when the photo was taken. Certainly not during WWI, for he wouldn't have been wearing French, Romanian and Montenegran orders. An impressive tunic anyway! Lukasz

In 1929 the Large Gold Signum Laudis medal was entirely redesigned. The new medal was oval, surrounded by a green enameled laurel wreath and worn as a neck decoration. The ribbon was also different - red with white edges. War merit (since 1939) war denoted by a pair of crossed swords between the medal and the surmounting St. Stephen's crown. Lukasz (http://www.akm.externet.hu/rendjel/adatok/sl.htm)

It is the Commemorative Medal of the Czech Military Police in Iraq, established in 2004. It was awarded to the Czech contingent and allied troops, and that is probably why it is in English (but in Arabic as well!). Czechs have always loved medals and have established a number of various semi-official ones like this both before WWII and now. Most of them are of good quality and interesting design. Lukasz

Dear Christian, Well, I think that perhaps the reason is that so far there have been just few medals to choose from. Das Milit?r- Verdienstzeichen is indeed a very high decoration, and therefore difficult to obtain. Die Einsatzmedaille is awarded for specific service abroad or emergency service only and thus limited, too. I believe that das Wehrdienstzeichen is awarded "automatically" upon the completion of prescribed years of service (5, 15 and 25), while die Wehrdienstmedaille with its demand to complete 60 and 30 days of training doesn't seem too difficult to obtain, although, as far as I remember there are certain limitations. Please correct me if I am wrong - is the bronze Wehrdienstmedaille conferred upon completion of the basic training? Anyway, let's hope that with the introduction of the Milit?r-Anerkennungsmedaille the situation will get better Best, Lukasz

Thanks, Christian! In the I Austrian Republic a Milit?rverdienstmedaille also existed. It was established in 1935 in one class. The medal was made of gilt bronze and was 30 mm of diameter. The ribbon was red with white edges. Between 1935 and 1938 only 112 medals are known to have been awarded, mostly to lieutenants and captains. The name "Signum Laudis" was not used. It ceased to exist with the incorporation of Austria into Germany in 1938. (Image courtesy G?nter Erik Schmidt)