JBFloyd

Can anyone identify this Dutch award?

If the medals were to a South African, they would all be impressed and I'd expect an Africa Service Medal with the group. Also, very few SAAF personnel received the France and Germany Star.

Baden Order of the Zahringen Lion, knight first class with swords.

The latest OEK lists it at 1350 Euros in gold and 1050 Euros in silver-gilt.

I'd look further east -- Manchukuo Order of the Auspicious Clouds.

The naming style is a bit large for WWII (although the medal itself is a WWII-era strike). More likely to be Vietnam-era. Value -- US$40-50

Can anyone identify this one? The arms appear to be those of the Khedive of Egypt, but a serious lack of knowledge then sets in.

Thanks. This confirms my own thoughts and research, but I was concerned that I may have missed some nuance in the regulations. Now I have to go back to the family and explain that "family history" is not always accurate.

Has anyone heard of the St. Helena Medal being given on a red/white/blue ribbon to wounded veteran officers?

I've dealing with a case of "family history" and cannot find any documentary evidence to back up such an award.

You might also look at the insignia of the Huguenot Society of America (http://www.hereditary.us/decorations.htm)

Many thanks. That explains why it's not in the major sources on Greek awards.

Does anyone have an accurate identification of this medal? I can't find it in any of my sources on Greek medals.

10th Anniversary of the Rebuilding of the Ukrainian State. These come in 37mm and 34mm sizes.

An RAFVR officer could have qualified for the Air Effiency Award (established in 1942) for 10 years' service. In 1947, officers became eligible for the RAF LSGC if they had served at least 12 years in the ranks before commissioning.

The National Order was created in 1950 and awarded through the end of the Republic. It was a "catch all" award in that it was awarded for military or civil merit, with very broad criteria. For example, in the early days of the US involvement in the war in Vietnam, it was commonly awarded to officers killed in action (as the Military Merit Medal was to KIA enlisted personnel).

The Vietnamese-made version is a scarce award in the collector's market. There are much more common US-made versions.

Two men by this name enlisted in World War II. One was from California; one was from Texas. Neither seems to have been killed. The man from Texas served in the 141st Infantry, 36th Infantry Division, which fought in North Africa, Italy and France.

Your best chance will be to have a professional researcher get his card from the St. Louis Archives. The cost is minimal (approx. $10 per card) and the card has the man's unit, date of wound and date of the award of the Purple Heart.

Try Lori Miller at: redbirdresearch@gmail.com

He was from Indiana, born in 1891. A February 1919 newspaper carried a story that included his name as among the wounded, but had no date or unit.

Shouldn't a "Medal of Valor" recognize something like -- oh, I don't know -- maybe "valor"?

As a nation, we have gone stark raving mad on the subject of medals.

Few days go by, it seems, that some state doesn't create some redundant medal, and its far too often for award to someone who had no military service, but was simply related to someone who did. I think that these medals for families of men and women killed in action simply perpetuate the cult of victimhood we have spawned over many long years.

What honor does this medal bring to the military person killed in action. Is it on his gravestone, or listed on her DD-214, or mentioned in his obituary? Well, no -- because it isn't even awarded to him!

Craziness, absolute craziness.

Another key piece to the puzzle. Many thanks for that.

I'd expect the stars to be impressed like the War Medal and Africa Service Medal.

No clues at all on the back. It's a thin strike, with a needle pin with an open catch; no maker's marks. The body is pierced. There is a single large hole at the top of the upper star arm (which is the 9:00 o'clock arm on the image above), and two larger holes at the base of each of the secondary arms, which may have anchored a larger surround, wreath or other device around the center.

My thanks to E. Halleux for pointing me to Tony McClenaghan's book, "Indian Princely Medals", which lists this as the Shaktimat Order of Jhalavada, first class breast star, from the Indian state of Dhrangadhra.

I've not been able to identify this one. The central design appears to be a lizard/salamander and a bamboo stalk. Can anyone help?

Can anyone give me the correct name for this order?