Paul R

Thank you all for the kind words. It actually only took me few minutes to lay them out. They are stored like this in riker mounts. Noel cut me squares of blue/gray felt to line the insides of the mounts. I almost forgot these. The two musican boards are Luftwaffe.

It has been a while since I posted my LW insignia as a collective shot... so here we go. I hope that you like them. I still have a few holes to fill, but I think this is not bad for 12 years.

Outstanding early Coast Guard Commendation Medal with an original, hand-signed citation for a Cold War event with the Soviets. Commendation Medal citations were signed by the Commandant back then. Now, these are delegated to unit COs that are Captain or above. The citation is for this event: In July 1965, Northwind, under the command of Captain Kingdrel N. Ayers, conducted an oceanographic survey between Greenland,Iceland, and Scotland and was the first western vessel to operate in the Kara Sea of the Soviet Union, for which she received the Coast Guard Unit Commendation with Operational Distinguishing Device. The (then) classified mission of Northwind was to attempt a transit of the Northeast Passage. This voyage involved transiting the Panama Canal. The effort was not successful and caused a diplomatic incident between the U.S.S.R. and U.S.A. (Petrow) Petrow, Richard (1967) Across the Top of Russia, The Cruise of the USCGC Northwind into the Polar Seas North of Siberia. New York, David McKay Co. Inc. and Van Rees Press. Library of Congress Cataloge Number: 67-19909.

Outstanding early Coast Guard Commendation Medal with an original, hand-signed citation for a Cold War event with the Soviets. Commendation Medal citations were signed by the Commandant back then. Now, these are delegated to unit COs that are Captain or above. The citation is for this event: In July 1965, Northwind, under the command of Captain Kingdrel N. Ayers, conducted an oceanographic survey between Greenland,Iceland, and Scotland and was the first western vessel to operate in the Kara Sea of the Soviet Union, for which she received the Coast Guard Unit Commendation with Operational Distinguishing Device. The (then) classified mission of Northwind was to attempt a transit of the Northeast Passage. This voyage involved transiting the Panama Canal. The effort was not successful and caused a diplomatic incident between the U.S.S.R. and U.S.A. (Petrow) Petrow, Richard (1967) Across the Top of Russia, The Cruise of the USCGC Northwind into the Polar Seas North of Siberia. New York, David McKay Co. Inc. and Van Rees Press. Library of Congress Cataloge Number: 67-19909.

So basically, the person paid for someone to say it was good without a guarantee. I need to get into that business. Paul

Very nice Imperial LS bar. Is this for four years? I've never seen this as a single mount either? Perhaps for a reservist?

That is a nice set of insignia!

This is why the buyer should really do his/her homework. COAs are nice, but most of the time not worth the paper they are written on. Everyone his human and makes mistakes. If a person likes to collect an item, it ultimately falls upon the person to use his resources to make sure what is being bought is good and to ensure a good return policy in case things are not as the seemed.

So Dave, what order is this? I may likie!!

Thank you all for the kind words. Coast Guard stuff is tough to find. Bars were on the medals before the change over to stars. I dont know when they stopped using bars. I think that it was sometime in the 1960s. I really like the bars too

This is something we do not see ever! Thank you! Great find!

I dont know about the others, but I do not think that the situation is any worse than it was 10-15 years ago. Medals and Orders are easy enough to find and there are a ton of reputable collectors and dealers. Unless I know that I am looking at 100%, I tend to avoid ebay- especially when it comes to groups.

Thank you for sharing. Are any of his medal bars in private collections or museums?

I understand now. I do not think it is impossible to reproduce a McDaniel's Certificate, but I have not heard of it yet. Can you post images of the items you are interested in and we can all look and provide opinions that may help?

I have not yet, but I am sure that it is bound to happen. Are you talking about ground up fakes or assembled fake groups with original medals/orders? What sort of items are you looking for? There are tons of originals around.

Doh- your right. It was late when I wrote my last response. LOL

Special bars in my opinion! Thank you for sharing. You did really well.

Thanks to a fellow collector, I have this awesome first pattern named Coast Guard Good Conduct Medal with repetition bar, which is dated with the same month and day for 1953(on the reverse of the bar). He started service in 1947, just after the close of World War Two. He was stationed in Coast Guard 17th District when he received the first award(the medal). The Coast Guard 17th District encompasses Alaska. His 1953 repetition bar was awarded to him while he was stationed in Coast Guard 13th District, which is composed of Oregon, Washington(the state), Idaho, and Montana. I dont think that there were many Coast Guard members in the last two listed for the district. This very medal is featured in the book, "Beyond the Call of Duty."

Cool! Lets see the ribbon bars too. I did a search on line and I see these medals in the condition of yours from 150-200 dollars.

I've never seen anything like it.

OK- I found his Obituary. No sons.... Perhaps a grandson? You were not in Vietnam in 1968, were you? KENNETH K. COWART U.S. Coast Guard Vice Admiral Kenneth K. Cowart, 91, a retired U.S. Coast Guard vice admiral, died of congestive heart failure March 4 at his home in McLean. Adm. Cowart received the Silver Star for gallantry as engineer officer aboard the cutter Campbell when that vessel rammed and sank a German submarine in 1943. He directed damage control of the Campbell, which suffered a large tear in its side plating from its fight with the submarine while on convoy escort operations. He served as a district engineer officer and assistant engineer in chief before his appointment in 1950 to engineer in chief of the Coast Guard with rank of rear admiral. He served two consecutive four-year terms, and he retired from the Coast Guard in 1959, He was born in Twin City, Ga., and entered the Coast Guard in 1923. He graduated from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn., and received a master's degree in science from the University of California at Berkeley. Adm. Cowart, who served as an engineer officer on several cutters in the 1920s and early 1930s, taught science and engineering at the Coast Guard Academy in 1934 and later at Fort Trumbull in New London. He was a past president of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy Alumni Association, the Propeller Club and the American Society of Naval Engineers. His wife, Adah Hatch Cowart, died in 1983. Survivors include a daughter, Brinda Cowart Hollywood of Washington; a sister, Virginia M. Dixon of Orange, Va.; a brother, D. Roy Cowart of Swainsboro, Ga.; and two grandsons.

Thanks guys. Hugh, the weirdest thing is that I found a lot on Vice Admiral Cowart online, but unusually, nothing about this family. In most official bios, they list the names of the wife and kids. Nothing on his family. Strange.

Not my biggest or most expensive set, but it is perhaps one of the more significant in regard to Coast Guard history. It consists of what would be a 40 dollar ribbon bar, some photographs, and a small hand written note on a named letterhead, and a large set of Rear Admiral stars. This set is to Vice Admiral Kenneth Cowart. As the Engineering Officer onboard CGC CAMPBELL during WW2, the then LDCR Cowart was awarded the Silver Star for saving the cutter after it rammed U-606 in 1943, sinking it. The story of the CAMPBELL and the U-boat is in our Blue Jacket's Manual. Here is his official bio. I feel so lucky to the guardian of such a valuable piece of Coast Guard history. bio:https://www.uscg.mil/history/people/Flags/CowartKBio.pdf

Dr. Muckaroon, I agree with you. Did you print off your M.D. certificate yet? Yale is a great logo to put on it.

I believe that the hobby will continue on. As dealers realize their over-priced inventory is not selling, the prices will start falling until folks start buying again. Militaria dealers, like car dealers, have to move inventory in order to put food on the table. I think that there will always be an interest, IMHO.