Antonio Prieto

For Tajikistan:, please see: http://znaki-uniforma.narod.ru/index/tajik.../nagraditaj.htm

Also mi ribbon sheet at: www.coleccionesmilitares.com/cintas/asia/tadjikistan.gif

This is the Order of the Liberation of Spain

Created in Paris in September 3, 1947 for the Spanish Government of the Republic in the exile to reward the Spaniards and foreigners that surrendered important services to the republican cause

It was granted in three classes: plaque, cross with rossette and cross. Also exist a medal of merit.

The ribbon takes the colors of the flag of the Republic (red, yellow and purple). The insignias were carried out by Arthus-Bertand of Paris.

Please see

http://www.elmanifiesto.com/articulos.asp?idarticulo=1130

This is a electronic translation

He was general Esteban, the last one Honored

The Laureate Cross of San Fernando is the Highest Spanish military decoration. It was created by Cortes of Cadiz in 1811. The last honored horseman alive was the general lieutenant Adolfo Esteban Ascensi?n, that finishes passing away in the most complete forgetfulness on the part of mass media and official instances. The minister of Defense was not in the burial. Either no institutional representation of the State. All the countries honor their heroes, independently of the political circumstances in that they were decorated. Normally it is considered that it compensates form leaves from the cultural and political heap of a nation. Spain, reason why sees itself, is different.

By Diego de Arcaya

The general lieutenant Adolfo Esteban Ascensi?n was buried days ago Christian in an intimate and familiar act in the cemetery of Santo Angel of Guarda de Segovia, which they attended a good number of friends and companions and where they were made notice some clamorous absences, beginning by the one of Jose Antonio Alonso, Minister of Defense.

General Esteban was the last horseman of the Military order of San Fernando that was with life. The Real Order of San Fernando, well-known popularly like the honored one, was created by Cortes of Cadiz in 1811 and distinguishes the heroic conducts in feats of arms. To general Esteban to him it was granted being cavalry captain, by his gallant defense of the position of the Mines, in the front of Biscay, happened fact the 27 of May of 1937, when its swarm was attacked by very superior enemy forces in number and, exhausted the ammunition, it knew to reject them machete in hand.

No mass media of national diffusion have become echo of the news. Not even ABC, where the family presented the death by means of one esquela, has dedicated a single line to the subject. Disdain, ignorance, deliberate ninguneo? The case is that in times in which so many informative spaces are filled with frivolous and insustanciales the news, when not openly stupid, silence on the death of the military veteran is everything a symptom of desmemoria historical and the mediatic triviality in which a long time ago we were installed.

Why they serve the decorations?

We have always thought that the prizes and distinctions wisely administered constitute a powerful instrument of social cohesion. The honor that reports has moved from immemorial time to the men and the towns to fulfill severity his stricter obligations. And the visible recognition that implies can encourage, in those who do not have them, the perfection yearning and the will superadores. For that reason they have existed, and they exist, in all the political regimes, independently of its particular ideological direction.

Spain counts on a varied heap of orders and decorations, some of very old and prestigious them, who comprise by own right of the legal and iconogr?fico patrimony of all. And the Real and Military Order of San Fernando can be said that, along with the Insigne Order of the Tois?n de Oro, figure to the front of the roster of all of them. But unlike which it happens in other nations of our cultural and historical surroundings, where this class of traditions is respected and dealt with certain seriousness and honor, in our country the same it gives to belong to a chivalrous corporation that sinks its roots in the Average Age that to be member of a brotherhood with gastronomical and verbeneros aims.

Trasfondo that sublies in this lamentable episode of social amnesia which we are examinee is of more pierced depth and would deserve a lengthy analysis. Thus, the proliferation in the last decades of decorations without a clear inspirador criterion and without the successive Governments of the Monarchy have worried to spread between the citizens and the institutions of the State a premial culture that within the framework explains the true reason of being of the honorary distinctions of a democratic society and the characteristics and peculiarities of each one of them.

This way the present dripping of imposition of decorations on the part of the most different politicians and in the most many-colored places is explained, where the solemn rite as institutional ceremony is often supplanted by a putting in scene to the purest Hollywood style - spoiled words and atuendos, self-assured scenery and corporal gestures -, and any reference to Corona like phons honorum systematically silenced.

Although the Real and Military Order of San Fernando is not extinguished formally with the death of the last one honored, because the Ministry of Defense, thanks to a decision of legal engineering, is going it to maintain in operation incorporating in its sine to the military distinguished with others you compensate of smaller category, the certain thing is that with the death of general Esteban an ancestry of servants of the arms disappears that knew to make of their lives a conduct style, of resignation and spirit of sacrifice today in frank declivity in our Armed Forces. By the others, although with the Regulation of the Order in the hand it is theoretically possible that they can grant itself in the future new honored, the military have very assumed the fact that in these times of asymmetric conflicts and paranoicas preventive wars will be actually impossible to credit the heroic value in the battlefield.

To the aim you can rest peacefully, my general, after a total life of sense. Although the majority has not found out, History has reserved the honor to you to be the last representative of a confraternidad of chosen. Surely that at the moment you will be sharing the formation with the army of angels with swords that the Paradise guards.

The reverse

I have only the images of the another forum just posted by Rafaello Carola in http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/sho...highlight=spain

Type / Obverse / Reverse

1 / Ballon+EGA?A vertical / Ballon no marks

2 / EGA?A vertical / No marks

3 / AM under the neck del dragoon / INDUSTRIAS EGA?A below the helmet

4a / AM under the claw del dragoon / INDUSTRIAS EGA?A around the shield

4b / AM under the claw del dragoon / INDUSTRIAS EGA?A around the shield + AM under the end of eagle wing

4c / AM under the claw del dragoon / INDUSTRIAS EGA?A around the shield + AM under the helmet

4d / AM under the claw del dragoon / INDUSTRIAS EGA?A under the helmet. AM

around the shield

4e / AM under the claw del dragoon / No marks

5 / No marks / INDUSTRIAS EGA?A

6 / EGA?A horizontal together to the tail del dragoon / No marks

7 / Lezos or Lizos horizontal together to the tail del dragoon / No marks

8 / No marks / No marks

Any correction, update and also good images of the medaillons are very welcome, specially for types 3, 4a, 4b, 5 and 8

More informations about the german firms are also welcome (Steinhauer & Luck, Schickle y Paul Meybauer) I believe

CARL VON HAARTMAN: Any have a good pic of this finish captain, wear the spanish decorations?

Thank you

I have this infos about the collaboration of Mr. John Duncan McMeekin

For more ribbons, please see:

www.coleccionesmilitares.com/cintas/europa/eslovaquia4.gif

I dont sure because the book is in slovak, except the identification of the medals with lists in german and english

The images of the medals

Taken from the book Slovensk? Rady Vyznamenania Cestn? Odznaky

by J?n Marcinko and Alexander Jirousek

Year 2002

ISBN 80-967096-7-4

7.6.1 Military Victory Cross fourth class with embroidered ribbon and ribbons

7.6.2 Military Victory Cross fourth class with swords, embroidered ribbon and ribbons

7.6.3 Military Victory Cross fourth class with swords, dua?-strip ribbon and ribbon

Lt. Gen. Parami Kulatunga

Ranasura Padakkama (RSP), Uttama Seva Padakkama (USP), Armed Service Medal 1972

Sri Lanka Army 50th Anniversary Medal, Sri Lanka Armed Services LSM, Presidential Inauguration Medal, 50th Independence Anniversary Commemoration Medal

North and East operational Medal, Poorna Bhumi Padakkama, Vadamarachchi Operation Medal, Riviresa campaign medal

Yes, in www.coleccionesmilitares.com/medallas/texto/alfonsox.htm you can see more on this CIVIL ORDER OF ALPHONSO X "THE WISE"

M?daille de la Valeur Militaire/Military Valour Medal

Reverse is plain

I believe that I'm posted this in the thread of Libanon

ok

Thank you again

A new ribbon for add to yhe ribbon sheets, perhaps this week-end

Thanks a lot

It's a beautiful combination of colors

Regards

Please help me to identify, if possible, and also a good image, for the medal awarded to the portuguese police, I believe that at Timor

Thank you

The idea is following different thread only for this type de decorations: peacekeeping, service abroad, etc

It's for a PDF military review of Bangladesh (no english translation or info)

Thank you and regards

The same fot the:

Letonia

Any information, aer very welcome

1st row: Perhaps AF 50th Anniversary Medal, Sri Lanka Armed Services LSM 1979, 50th Independence Anniverary Commemoration Medal

2nd row: North ansd East Operations Medals, Purna Bhumi Padakkama, Vadamarachi Operation Medal, Riveria Campaign Medal

More ribbons at:

www.coleccionesmilitares.com/cintas/asia/srilanka1.gif

www.coleccionesmilitares.com/cintas/asia/srilanka2.gif

Regards

Please see a ribbon plate of the Cuba pre Castro

Regards