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It's a great topic, I believe this whole area of collecting is underappreciated. It's not as high visibility or sexy as military awards. Kevin

Darrell - Great set of medals! It made me look at my Saudi issued Liberation of Kuwait Medals. I have two each in simular but different sized cases and the back is a bit different. So there are at least two variations of this medal. Keviin

And the reverse, its hard to see, bit the medal is marked L.I. Ster. which I assume stands for Lordship Industries, Sterling -

Here is another US Army Cadet medal, one you don't see often - The Cadet Medal for Heroism

It is an East German Police Medal for Excellent Achievement. This version was issued from approximately 1988-90. Kevin

Dan, here is a site for Army ROTC Ribbons: http://www.gruntsmilitary.com/arotc.shtml And if you look at the left side naviagtion bar on this page you will see links to ribbons for the other services ROTC programs. Kevin

If it is National Guard you can find most US National Guard ribbon bars, by state, at: http://www.frontiernet.net/~ericbush/US/NG/Nglist.html Kevin

Dave, There is a thread on the DDR section of Wehrmacht-Awards on East German Army RK recipients, which include Adam and M?ller. It is at: http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/sho...ad.php?t=144079 Kevin

And the cover of the book -

Drawings of the Cross -

Here are the relevent pages from Polskie ordery i odznaczenia (1989). Note that there is a table indicating the number issued each year from 1923-1938. -

Commander's Award for Civilian Service -

Army Civilian Superior Service Medal with Mini Medal -

Army Civilian Superior Service Medal -

Army Civilian Achievement Award -

Outstanding Civilian Service Award -

Reverse -

Here you go -

Darrell - A very interesting thread, yes and a slippery slope if you consider all of the agencies in the US Govt that issue medals. We can't forget the Army Civilian Medals and decorations. Here is the link to them at The U.S. Army Institute of Heraldry website. I believe I have the first four service awards at home and will scan them if anyone is interested: http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/Civilian...MedalsDecor.htm Kevin

Here you go -

If we are talking rarest, then Fliegerkosmonaut der DDR (Cosmonaut-Pilot of the German Democratic Republic) would probably be it. It was only bestowed once, on 10 September 1978, to then Oberstleutnant Sigmund J?hn. He was the first German (east or west) in space.

All of the rarer DDR medals have been or are being copied. Some are post unification restrikes by the original firms that made them, others are out and out reproductions or fakes. Kevin

I would say it is Bluecher (some spell Blucher) Orden several which were found in a vault in Strausberg after the fall of the wall. So there are is no mention of this medal in standard references prior to 1989. They were to be awarded upon a successful Soviet offensive against NATO. Only a few hundred were made and all went to the Armee Museum (formerly NVA Museum) in Dresden. You see copies on the market, but originals are very rare. There are rumors that a few went out the back door to other museums and collectors. There were thousands of the lesser Bluecher medal produced, but I believe they also went to Dresden. Copies of these abound as well. Kevin

Her is the medal -

Rick - Looks like a homemade job through and through. The Aktivist der sozialisteischen Arbeit to my knowledge never had a ribbon bar. The suspension bar was metal with a red enamel field the DDR state symbol in the center. Kevin