IrishGunner

Another nice piece. And I agree, I'd take it chewed up or not...

Very nice. I didn't even know there was an armband for the Peace Conference.

I'd agree with Greg's assessment as well; definitely not a garter buckle. Makes sense for a woman in this size.

I don't believe this is a military badge, but rather a broach representing the Scottish clan Macgregor. "E'en do and spare not" is a motto associated with the Macgregor clan; as well as a lion's head on their family crests.

Nice regiment. I picked up a Royal Scots Fusilier a few months ago myself.

I am curious; what was his regiment?

At least in American usage, this particular member of a gun crew would be called the "gunner". The "gunner" sets deflection, while the "assistant gunner" sets elevation. Not to be confused with the British rank of Gunner.

Very cool seeing the WW1 Victory in second place after the Bronze Star.

Thanks for confirmation of the order of precedence regarding the Naval Reserve Medal. Very helpful. PS: I just take the pictures, I don't paint the colors.

My order of precedence speculation might be pretty spot on... See this link to the usmilitariaforum for two groups including the Naval Reserve Medal AHEAD of the WW2 medals. I'd give this a 90+ percent certainty that this ribbon is the Naval Reserve Medal. http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/114394-faithful-service-the-naval-reserve-medal/

Everything is speculation, but I suspect he put the Naval Reserve Medal first because it required 10 years service to earn. As a long time Navy reservist that perhaps meant something to him. Also, since it was instituted in 1938, maybe that confused the maker as to order of precedence, putting it before the WW2 medals. I don't collect "Navy", but the possible Operation Torch connection makes this is a nice pick-up.

So, here's what I think is the most plausible at this point. The bars go together (I didn't show the backs, but the stitching matches very, very closely). And possibly even missing a top row. A naval officer involved in Operation Torch. Naval Reserve Medal (out of order) American Defense Service Medal American Campaign Medal EAME Campaign Medal (three missing stars) WWII Victory Medal Order of Ouissam Alaouit, Degree of Officer (Morocco)

Jean-Paul, I agree with you that it isn't the Korean award; as you say, the stripes don't match and there is the rosette which the Korean award doesn't have (plus as I said above - where are the other Korea War ribbons?). The Moroccan Order of Ouissam Alaouit certainly matches the color/design for the Grade of Officer. Unfortunately, it matches for the ribbon since 1956. The ribbon before 1956 doesn't have white stripes. On the other hand, the Order of Ouissam Alaouit was awarded to US military personnel by Morocco for Operation Torch - could this particular award have been made several years later - after 1956? Certainly plausible. Or the bar was made after 1956 and the newer ribbon was the only one on hand?

Actually, I think Paul nailed the first ribbon. The Naval Reserve Medal. Sorry, George, but it definitely isn't a green center; it is sort of a cooperish brown. From what I've read on the Naval Reserve Medal, the center is to match the dark red Navy Good Conduct Medal ribbon. Given dye differences and fading, the ribbon certainly could have been a more "red" color at one time. Absolutely never green. Of course, the order of precedence is wrong as the Naval Reserve Medal would have ranked after the WW2 campaign medals. But we all know that order of precedence is often messed up due to lack of knowledge or the recipient decided to put that medal first. Thanks, Paul, I think this is the one...

George, colors match, but does that really make sense directly after the WW2 Victory? If he were a Korean War vet, wouldn't the Korea service medal come before the foreign awards? I also am not sure the white edge stripes match exactly. Interesting Korean award though...was not aware of this award.

I need an assist on these US WW2 ribbon bars I picked up at a flea market in West Virginia a couple weeks ago. I bought them together, but have no idea if they actually belong together. The "top row" obviously has an American Defense Service Medal in #2 spot and an American Campaign Medal in #3 spot. However, the ribbon in #1 spot doesn't appear to be a US ribbon. Order of precedence has Amer Def Svc ahead of Amer Campaign, so the unknown ribbon would logically be in #1 spot - but if it's a foreign ribbon it's way out of order. I have no idea what this brown ribbon with blue/yellow edge stripes even represents... The "bottom row" obviously has a EAME Campaign Medal (with three missing stars) and a WWII Victory Medal in the first two spots, then an orange ribbon with white edge stripes and a rosette in the last position. Orange often is Dutch, but I couldn't find this as a Dutch decoration ribbon. So, what do you all think? What is the brown w/ blue/yellow edge stripes? What is the orange w/rosette? Are the in the right order compared to the US medals they are connected to...? Do you think these two bars even go together? I didn't pay much - I bought them more just for the fun of figuring out what the heck is up with these bars.

Excellent article.

Isn't the USCG involved with Combined Maritime Force Task Force 151 conducting counter-piracy operations off of Somalia? That would be an interesting collecting angle, I think for a Coastie...

I'd say that is about as nice a Navy group as one could find... George, if I might ask, you've been working a lot in the Navy realm lately. As you are an Army soldier, Is this a new area or something you've always been interested?

Doskonała praca Marcin! Probably more than Chris expected to learn.

So, when are you going to tell us about CPO Henderson?

Show off.

No list, but it would have to be regiments recruited in Silesia, Pomerania, and East Prussia - as you probably already know. Of course, they wouldn't necessarily be all "Polish" since there were ethnic Germans living in those areas as well. What is the genesis of the question?