Rocket

Thanks Ura87...I'll relay this information to the family. John

Ura87, I've been in contact with the family of another fallen legion member. I mentioned Andrew being awarded the Order of Courage, III Class. The family said their son was awarded this medal...but they didn't know the name of it. Can you help identify this medal so I can relay the information to the family? Thanks. John

I'm happy to annouce that the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington DC has informed us that our son, Andrew Peters, has been posthumously awarded the "Order of Courage, III Class" for his service and selfless sacrifice. Once we receive the medal, I'll post a picture. John

Ura87, Do you have any information on this particular medal called the "Defender of Ukraine" medal? Who issues the medal? What are the award eligibility requirements? The medal and the ribbon with the gold gilt is beautiful! Thanks. John

I purchased mine off of GunBroker. They also have some for sale at Indiana Surplus. Here's a link: https://www.indianaarmysurplusstore.com/product/16-naval-battle-ship-projectile/

Thank you Ura87!

Hi Ura87 I've been in contact with the family of another fallen legion member. He traveled to Ukraine to attend his son's funeral since he was buried over there. He sent me pics of the 2 medals they gave him for his son's service. However, he has no idea what the medals are called and what they are for. If you can assist in identifying these...I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks John

Ura87, Can you tell me what the reverse of the medal says in both Ukrainian and English? The photo is hard to see when I enlarge it. I know the name of the legion member is engraved, but it looks like the same Ukrainian word is engraved above the recipients name. I find it interesting that they have the Latin phrase SIMUL AD VICTORIAM at the bottom which translates to WE PRESS ON TOGETHER TO VICTORY. Thanks!

Ura87, Do you know what kind of metal or alloy that's used on most Ukrainian medals? I've noticed that several Ukrainian medals feel very heavy in relation to their size. Are they possibly made of sterling silver? Thanks.

Hi Tony, My son's name was Andrew Peters. Thank you for the kind words and condolences. We're still waiting on his awards to be sent. If or when we receive them...I'll be sure to share pictures of them on this thread. Thanks. John

I noticed in the second article that Ura87 shared...the ribbon color appears to be gray instead of black. The red strips in the middle also appears much brighter. Did they change the colors of the ribbon??

Thank you for the explanation of the ribbon widths...I greatly appreciate it! 🙂

Ura87, I have a question I was hoping you could answer. I've noticed that several modern Ukrainian medals appear to have the same 28mm wide ribbon. Is the 28mm wide ribbon the standard for all Ukrainian medals? Thanks. John

Thank you for the kind words. It's good to know he should hopefully receive some kind of recognition for his sacrifice.

Thanks for the kind words...I appreciate it.

Thank you for the information. I was asking because my wife and I were informed earlier this week that my 28 year son was killed in action while serving with the International Legion. John

Thank you for the information...I greatly appreciate it!

Do you know if the "Medal for Combat Injuries" is also awarded for a service members death in combat? Or is it just for combat injuries? Thanks. John

Thank you!!!

Ura87, Do you have a picture of the reverse side of this medal? On a side note...I want to thank you for sharing your wealth of knowledge regarding modern Ukrainian military medals and awards. I have learned so much from this thread and look forward to seeing more posts! John

I too know of someone who should qualify for this medal. I'd be curious to see if it's considered a "service medal" or "campaign medal" like you see in most western militaries where the participant is awarded the medal simply by being in the theater of operations. Or is it something that a military commander has to individually recommend for a person to be eligible. Thanks for all of your help "Ura87" on these Ukrainian medals. Please keep us posted on any additional info regarding this particular medal.

Thank you for the information...I greatly appreciate it!

Thought I would share a picture of my latest acquisition. This is a 16" training shell that was used on the U.S. Navy's Iowa class battleships. The shell measures 5 1/2 feet tall and weighs in at just under 2,000 pounds!! The U.S. Department of Defense started demilling and destroying their stockpile of these shells back in 2016 since all of the Iowa class battleships have been turned into museums. As a result...these will be harder and harder to come by. My plan is to donate the shell and have it put on display next to a local veterans memorial display.

Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge of Ukrainian military awards. I have a question. I have a family member who's currently serving with the International Legion for the Defense of Ukraine. What medals or awards might he be eligible for? The medal for military service to Ukraine?

Hi Jim, A sailor on the Belgrano or a Marine on Mt. Tumbledown would have been awarded all the medals you mentioned. The only one I'm not sure of is the Naval Medal for International Operations. I can't say for sure, but I suspect that particular medal was implemented at a later date. I can't find any information on it in Jose Felix Lamela's book and from what little information I have found it appears it was first awarded to sailor's who participated in the 1990-91 Gulf War. Who knows...they might've authorized the Malvinas bar retroactively for those sailors who participated in both the Malvinas and Gulf War. Of course...this is just all speculation. John I was going through Jose Felix Martinez Lamela's book and found some interesting information. I was surprised at how few of the Argentine Nation's highest decorations were awarded for the Falklands War. According to the book... * Cross to the Heroic Valor in Combat (nation's highest award) Total = 19 (7 Army, 5 Marines, 7 Air Force) * Medal of Valor in Combat Total = 133 (57 Army, 5 Marines, 71 Air Force) * Wounded in Combat Medal Total = 119 (57 Army, 32 Marines, 30 Air Force) * Killed in Combat Medal Total = 611 (165 Army, 391 Marines, 55 Air Force) John