heusy68

I have a photo of a silver version of the medal. Emmanuel

Hello Gentlemen, In the southern State of Johor in Malaysia, Sultan Ibrahim if the ruler since 2010. In 2015, for the first time in 55 years the decided to make coronation ceremony. To mark that event, a Commemorative Medal was awarded, in 3 Classes, bronze, silver & gold. The medals were made by Royal Insignia in Singapore. The medal is 36 millimeters in diameter, and 3 millimeters tick. Weight : 34 grammes with its ribbon & suspension device (for the bronze medal) The ribbon is 31 millimeters width : 7 millimeters blue; 3,5 millimeters white; 10 millimeters red; 3,5 millimeters white; 7 millimeters blue. The case of issue is in sky blue leather, with an outer case for protection, with painted Cypher of Sultan Ibrahim. Best regards to All. Emmanuel A photo of reverse suspension device

Hello Iilja, But what is medal 1, that one is Uzbek !! Regards. Emmanuel

Hello Gentlemen, I believe that one is the Uzbekistan 10 Years of Independence Medal. As the others from Uzbekistan Medals shown (by me before), it is 34 millimeters in diameter. Best regards. Emmanuel

Hello Gentlemen, This medal, still from Uzbekistan is a bit smaller, only 32 mm in diameter, thickness 3 mm. Again the document shows award to the same person. But no idea what us this medal for ? Could it be for Military Cooperation between foreign countries ????? If any one could helps, he's most welcome. Regards. Emmanuel

Hello Gentlemen, I believe this medal is Uzbekistan Armed Forces 10 Years, it is a superb modern quality medal, of 34 mm in diameter, and thickness : 3 mm. The medal is NOT numbered. If any one has a better translation he's most welcome to help. I will post the photo of the 2 others medals later today. Regards. Emmanuel

Hello Gentlemen, I visited Uzbekistan last year, but I found no medals for sale there, and besides the common soviet era medals, it it forbidden to take Uzbekistan Republic Medal out of the country. May However? I had recently the possibility to buy 4 medals from Uzbekistan. I will post them here. All with document to the same person. As this person might be still alive, I prefer not to post photo of the document with the name. As I do not read uzbek, I still wonder what this medal could be. Its diameter is 34 millimeters and thickness 1,5 millimeters. It is NOT numbered. Regards Emmanuel

Hello Gentlemen, Here is the silver version of the 40 Years Commemorative Medal. The bronze version is indeed rarer. I have been said by people in Seoul, that all these commemorative medals have also existed in gold, only to be awarded to Royalty. But I have never seen one, and even in museum in Seoul, they do not have such medals (I mean in gold). Regards. Emmanuel

This is an article from a Paraguay Newspaper or Magazine related to the Chaco War Medal Also exist on this topic, the very well made book by Miguel Angel Pratt. Emmanuel

Here is the explication (in spanish), about this medal, that now I understand better. The specimen shown in Army Museum in Asunción also shows no ribbon. I spoke with 2 collectors in Asunción, none of them have this medal in their colelction, so I can assume, it's a rare one. Emmanuel

These are links in English to Boqueron Battle : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Boquerón_(1932 https://anydayguide.com/calendar/2528 In this thread, there is a link to a bolivian fim (at least the trailer) about the Chaco War and the Boqueron Battle : http://soundsandcolours.com/reviews/film-reviews/bolivian-film-boqueron-evokes-the-forgotten-horrors-of-the-chaco-war-29020/ Here for a better explication of the roots and the outcomes of the Chaco War, with photofrom troops, and some equipments. http://www.allempires.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=22753&OB=DESC

Hello Gentlemen, I ounce purchased an elusive medal from Jeffrey Floyd, with very few information available about. The Medal for the 1st Conscription of the National Guard of Paraguay in 1901. A silver (or nickel) medal of 27 millimeters in diameter and weight 8 grammes Don't be confused, beside beeing a paraguayan medal, this medal is NOT related to the Chaco War 1932-1935. Emmanuel

Here is the onliest Battle Medal for this War, the Boqueron Battle Medal 29 September 1932. It exist in bronze and in silver. The silver one from my collection is without ribbon, and is 31 millimeters in diameter. The bronze one from my collection is with its original and very very hard to get ribbon, and is 30 millimeter in diameter. Colors of the ribbon have been tarnished by the sun, but it is the original ribbon. Width of ribbon is 35 millimeter (red 2,75 mm/white 2,5 mm/blue 2,75 mm; yellow 19 mm; blue 2,75 mm, white 2,5 mm, red 2,75 mm) Boqueron Medal with variation of the ribbon.

Now I will show different variation of the Cruz del Defensor. Mainly there is 3 type, one with an eyelet perpendicular to the cross (and that I believe was the first type), one with an eyelet parallel to the cross, and 2 rings to hung the ribbon, and there is a third type that seems to be cast. The Cruz del Defensor of Colonel Alberto Meyer illustrate prefectly the First Type. Another Cruz del Defensor mounted on a neck ribbon of Order of Merit of Paraguay is also from First Type The Cruz del Defensor on a black background is also from the First Type. I'am looking to purchase one like that.... The one of my collection (photo 4 & 5 is without ribbon). Also from my collection (photo 6 & 7), is a Cruz del Defensor with a different suspension Second Type, with original ribbon. I got that one in Buenos Aires, and believe me, if it is very easy to get a Cruz del Defensor without ribbon, to get one with its ribbon is VERY hard. Paid 200 US $ for it, but first time I see one for sale with its roriginal ribbon. The Cruz del Defensor from Captan Ramon Diaz de Bedoya, illustrate a different type, it looks smoother and less crisp detail. That cross is certainly a cast one. The Cruz del Defensor are 38 millimeters in size. Emmanuel This is a Cruz del Defensor cast.

When I was in Asunción, I have been offered to purchase this frame, with a Cruz del Chaco & a Cruz del Defensor. But even if on reverse of the frame is an attribution, attribution to a Colonel of the Military Health Service Juan B.Rivarola, and attribution confirmed by the roll, price asked was 1000 US $. I didn't bought that frame. But I can show photo. Maybe next visit price will be a bit less expensive....

Hello Gentlemen, Here is the following of this topic. All Chaco Cross are in bronze, but the one awarded to the President was in Silver (with 2 real and much larger gold star on ribbon). Not in the Army Museum, but in another museum near Central Bank. Next is a Chaco Cross with a citation, a star in gold on a gold circle bordered by palms of laurel & olive leaf. That is the highest citation for a Military (said to be the one of Mariscal José Félix Estigarribia). The next one (third one), is the one of Colonel Alberto Meyer, one gold star is a Citation at "Order of the Army Corps" A silver star on ribbon would be a Citation at "Order of the Division" An open lozange shaped device would be a Citation at "Order of the Regiment". A gold star with laurel & olive leaf (but NOT on a roundel), would be a Citation at " Order General of the Army in Campaign " It is said to exist a Citation for Aviator who got the Chaco Cross, but even in books, you have no description. The last 2 are from my own collection. In Buenos Aires, I got a Cruz del Chaco with a neck ribbon. And long time ago, I got in the UK, a Cruz del Chaco with a lapel roundel (due to its suspension by 2 rings, I believe it was a cross made in the 1950ies or 1960ies). These 2 crosses are 39 millimeters. If there are collectors around who got Chaco Cross or other Awards from Paraguay feel free to post them.

On the ribbon bar (from Air Force Uniform, 2nd row, first from left), and on the Melgarejo ribbon bar (first row, last one on right hand side), this ribbon correspond to the Medal of Honor of the Ministry of Defense. The one I own is silver gilt and of very beautifull quality, but in Asunción I saw one which was one side gold, the other side silver-gilt. Tomorrow mid day CET I will post all the variation of Cruz del Chaco, Cruz del Defensor & Boqueron Medal I have in my data base, but for now, it's time for me to go to sleep.

Here are different contemporary uniform. The first one from the Air Force, with only the ribbon bar. the 2nd and the 3rd are from the Army (there was a citation device on the ribbon of the Cruz del Chaco on uniform N°3, but sadly is missing). All Cruz del Chaco with citation are rare, but I have been told that the original citation were of real gold, this could explain many missings..... The 4th uniform (Brown color) shows no medals, but I choose to show it, because it's a bit "different" : Army Reserve corps

Here are the Awards of Captan Ramon Diaz de Bedoya You can se different suspension type of Cruz del Chaco and of the Cruz del Defensor (and also with different way to "make" the ribbon).

Now I will post the Awards of Captan Juan E.Melgarejo. Born in 1911 and passed away in 1995, interestingly this Officer was not awarded the Cruz del Chaco, but as an Officers of the Transmission Unit, he was awarded the Medal of Honor of Communication. The medal show its reverse (it's the oval shaped medal on lower left corner of first photo). This is the obverse of the Paraguay Medal of Honor of the Transmisiones. All the different Medal of Honor for the different services Inside the Armed Forces were instituted in 1955 (one year after Alfredo Stroessner took power). There is 11 such a medals, each with a different obverse, but a common reverse. Some ribbon are for many of the medals like the red ribbon with edges stripes in red/white/blue, that is used by 4 of the 11 such a medals. The quality of frabrication vary enormously from the 1950ies till nowdays. In the frame that is in the museum, the ribbon is likely to be the one of the Medal of Honor of the Cavalry. You can also see the suspension of the Cruz del Defensor is different from previous crosses shown here.

Here are some photo related to Major Amancio Pampliega. The document in the frame is his Award Document with the Citation for the Cruz del Chaco. From left to right are displayed : Boqueron medal, Cruz del Chaco, Cruz del Defensor. Major Pampliega survived the war, and in 1968 published a book about the war : " El Conductor Glorioso : Mariscal José Félix Estigarribia ".

Here is Order of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the highest award of the country, and this is this award that is worn by the late President Hugo Chavez from Venezuela (photo posted a few years ago by another member of this forum).

I grab this photo on the net, it said it is the Order of Freedom from Islamic Republic of Iran....

Here are some photo taken in the museum, and related to various officers of the Army of Paraguay who saw action during the Chaco War Let's start by Colonel Alberto Meyer, hero of Mandyyupecua You can clearly see on the photo, that the Colonel is wearing his Chaco Cross on the neck ! In 1996, Colonel Meyer was awarded the Medal of the Military History Academy of Paraguay. I do believe that it is the first time that this medal is shown.

Last year, I was shown this very "odd" Order that seems to be from Tonga, but I cannot say anything about it..... If anyone here knows a bit more, it would help.... Emmanuel