Digger Doug

Thanks guys. I like the pics of the three guys with crabs. I note that two of them have Afghanistan awards as well.

Here's a picture of the OSHIII and OK booklet:

Here are his award cards, citation for the award, and a photo of Grizun with comrades at Bagram. He's the 4th from the right in the back row.

Order For Service to the Homeland 3rd Class #35492 was awarded to Senior Technical Lieutenant Vladimir Alekseevich Grizun for service in Afghanistan in 1981-1982. He served with the 262nd Independent Helicopter Squadron (Mi-24's). He participated in 198 combat missions during which 32 strongpoints, 45 rebel fortresses, 4 units of ANC, 8 Islamic Committees, and 296 rebels were destroyed. Doug

Gosh, I started this post that long ago? Rick, it's good to see you still here holding down the fort. Doug

Hi All, I haven't posted in a long time because, with prices as they have been, I haven't added to the collection. This changed a couple of weeks ago when I found a nice little group containing Red Star 1371393 and Red Banner 359294 at a good old days price. The book is dated October 13, 1945 and the first award is the Red Star. Both awards and the book are mint. Everything about this group says long service to me. Before I research it, what do you guys think? All the best, Doug

Congratulations to Dave for a great article in the new JOMSA! Thanks for a fun and interesting read. Doug

Thanks for the help! Fur Treuen Dienst in Zwei Feldzugen. What approximate era is this from?

Here is the other side. I'm assuming Wurttemburg because of this side.

Here is another medal I can't ID. I would appreciate your help. Doug

Here's a larger image.

Here's a pic of the reverse. I need to spend more time with my image software. Thanks again for all the help with this. Doug

Here is the bar. I'm still experimenting with a new scanner so this might not be too good.

I forgot to add, the Iron Cross is on the combattant ribbon.

Thanks for the replies. The Iron Cross is the 1914 issue. The long service cross is XV which threw me off a bit as I would have assumed this guy would have had more service. The 30 November medal does indeed have a lion on the front. Is this bar worth $500 US? All the best, Doug

Hello, I've been primarlily a collector of Soviet and Japanese items but recently came across an Imperial bar with the following decorations on it: Iron Cross Second Class Red Eagle Order 4th Class Without Swords Prussian Long Service Cross for 15 Years of Service 1870 War Medal for Combatants Kurhessen Medal 1813 30. November 1913 1897 Kaiser Centennial Medal Merit Cross for War Aid I'm thinking seriously about it but the only reference I have is a 1979 Nimmergut catalog. Can anyone tell me anything about this combination of medals? Is it correct? Can I assume this guy had a ~40 year career? What should I pay for it? Thanks! Doug

Arizona must be somewhere near the end of the earth. I still haven't received my OMSA journal yet but it looks like everyone else has. Howdy to everyone - long time no see! Doug

That's a fantastic citation. I hope you can bring it to the SOS. As a collector of Oder / Berlin groups, I'd love to see it. Doug

Howdy, A friend of mine was going through her recently passed husband's things and found a nice medal to the above fraternal organization. The top bar says Certified Primo and the bottom bar says Earl Kitchener Lge 5796. The reverse is engraved "Presented to Br. Walter A. Holly CP 2nd Degree". It is further inscribed "April 15th 1926". Is there any way to research these members? Does anyone know where the Kitchener Lodge was located? I assume it was in the UK as her husband had emigrated from there in the early 1980's. This medal was in a small pouch that also contained a 1939-1945 medal and a 1939 -1945 star. As these aren't named, I don't know if they belinged to Holly or someone else. Any help would be greatly appreciated by the family. Doug

I agree with you Dave. I've wondered that myself. Assuming that the surviving brother was around the same age as Pavel, if still alive, he would have been pretty elderly by the mid-1990's. I don't know if this came directly from the brother or if it had already been in other hands. I also wonder how the brother ended up living in Muldova. I suspect it might have been one of those purposeful moves of people that happened after the GPW. Gerd, I do have the Sharp books and the Poirer / Connor book. They are necessary for what we do. It was interesting to read in Poirer / Connor that the 10th Guards Cavalry Division was orignally the Kuban Cossack Cavalry and was made up primarily (75%) of Civil War veterans. By the GPW, this division was mostly comprised of middle-aged men.

So this is what we know about an old Soviet order that was given to an American serviceman by the commander of a Muldovan Airforce Base to express a friendship that had seemed pretty unlikely a few years previously. As for Comrade Sushchenko a communist party member and political agitator (my translation software interprets this word as "propagandist"), I wonder what he would have thought about where his award ended up. I also think about all that must have happened for his brother to receive it 37 years later. On another note, there are another 2-3 of these ring back OPW2's still in the box. I think I'll research them too. All the best, Doug

The research also included this additional card: [attachmentid=62207] It seems to indicate that he had also been awarded a Combat Service Medal on 29.3.43. The stamp with the number 64 indicates that the award had been presented. I'm not sure if I'm reading it right but it appears that his address at the time was 47th Army.

[attachmentid=62204] As you can see, the award was subsequently reduced to a second class.

[attachmentid=62203] The underlined text at the top says "It is necessary to fill in all columns completely" Award List Sushchenko Pavel Borisovich Guards Major Agitator Political Department 10th Guards Red Banner Order of Suvorov, Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky, Kuban Cossacks Cavalry Division Recommended for Order of Patriotic War 2nd Class Born 1903 (he was 41 years old when he died) He is listed as Russian (award card says Ukrainian) Has been with the Red Army since 1935 (award card says 1937) Party membership since 1927 Participant in the battles for Glussk, Kopyl, Slutsk, Baranovichi from 24.6 to 7.7.1944 Was wounded in 1943 Had received no earlier awards In the address line (8) it states: Lacks relatives and family, has no permanent address Guards Major Comrade Sushchenko P. B. Agitator in the divisions political department from 24.6 to 7.7 S.G. (does s.g. mean current year?) served the units of the division as a representative of the political department, conducting great party - political education work among the staff encouraging an offensive spirit and increasing the fighting capacity of the units. Being the political representative of the 40th Cavalry Regiment which at all times was with the division, accepted direct participation in the battles for the capture of Glussk, Kopyl', Slutsk, and Baranovichi, he served as a personal example of heroism and courage in the battlefield himself leading the cossacks and officers in heroic feats. In the severe battles against superior enemy forces for the capture of Baranovichi on 7.7. S.G. (of this year?) as he served as the assistant commander of the 40th Cavalry Regiment, political comrade Sushchenko was seriously wounded and sent to the hospital. Guards Major Comrade Sushchenko P.B. deserves the governmental award "Order of the Patriotic War 1st Class".

[attachmentid=62202] Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class #970540 Document I No. 358584 Awarded by the 1st Belorussian Front by order 222/N on 2.9.1944. Order and orders booklet given to brother - Sushchenko Ivan Borisovich Bel'tsy Military Counsel Lieutenant Colonel Martynyuk "1" April 1981