Chuck In Oregon

Hello Ulsterman Don't have a clue what was behind this sentence. In 1923 it might have been ties (current or past) to the Menshevik or White movements. Remember, Georgia wasn't conquered until 1921 and there was a major violent revolt in 1924, savagely put down by (I think) the 11th Red Army, re-named the Caucasus Red Army. There was plenty of opposition. I have 1-2 Caucasus Red Army items from that period. Pretty scarce stuff. I also have 2-3 entire Cheka capital crime case files from the very early days, including one of a Chekist officer who was pardoned the first time, executed the second time around for being a train robber and gang leader. I found them at the Tbilisi Dry Bridge Flea Market years ago. When independence came the KGB archives were ransacked and a lot of this stuff was burned or otherwise destroyed or stolen. Some of it stayed around and you still find it here and there. No one understands why a crazy foreigner would want this stuff. I'd share the files here but I don't know how to post such voluminous things. I can't even figure out how to use them on my web site. I've been around but not too active. I've spent the spring and summer supporting my darlin' wife in her battle with breast cancer. Surgery, chemo, radiation, the whole nine yards. She has five more daily radiation treatments to go, the next one in three hours. She is in the "burst" phase and is suffering very angry and irritating 1st degree radiation burns. Who knew? Anyway, next Tuesday is her last treatment. The prognosis is good. She had an unrelated cancer 13 years ago and this has renewed a lot of old fears but there are no indications for other than a full recovery. The orphanage goes very well. One of our girls got married last year and lives with her husband, a young small businessman, and his family in Telavi. I saw her in March and she looks just great and very happy. I took her and a few of the oldest kids out to a great supper when I was there. It was a rare privilege. This year we're bringing in a tutor for the 12th-grade (equivalent) students who show college potential. I don't select them, of course, but our teachers do. The national exams are very difficult but if we can get some kids successfully through them they will be admitted for free. We have high hopes. Always good to hear from you my friend, and to read your posts. Chuck

Here's a pair of unusual documents. One is an execution order for one Sandro Ivanovich Gvsalia. The other is a confirmation message that he was, indeed, executed on June 27, 1923, in Senaki Prison, Republic of Georgia. If this belongs in another forum, or if it is somehow inappropriate here, I won't resent it if it is moved or deleted. I post these as minor historical documents of some interest. Chuck

And of course you want to see the interior. Enjoy.

I know this little badge has been shared here before but you don't see many of the award books. So take a look at one. Chuck

* * * * * OK. Are you going to share some or are you asking us to post med docs that we might have? I'm pretty sure that I have one or two if the latter. Whichever, I'll follow this thread with interest. Chuck

And here are the maker's marks up close.

Here's the reverse.

That is a very nice badge and quite hard to find. I really enjoy seeing Imperial aviation items. Here's another example, this one by Eduard, or at least from one of his shops. The 56 proof mark didn't scan very well but it is pretty clear under a 10x glass. Chuck

Thanks for reviving this thread. It's a good one. Here's an obscure little badge from the 1957 Kirghiz Theater Festival. You remember that one, right? I conducted the Frunze Children's Little Theater play "All Rise for Comrade Krushchev". Enjoy!

This image includes three police badges from Georgia, two of them from Tbilisi. The top badge most closely resembles Aver-8 item 1836, which is an illustration only rather than a photo. It is also described as an RKM ranker?s breast badge, 1923-26. There are a couple of differences from the book. This one appears to be solid brass (and is definitely heavy enough) and has crude blue, rather than red, enamel and Georgian letters instead of a Cyrillic RSFSR. That?s as close as I can get. The blue enamel might suggest a GRU version, I guess, but my references don?t show one. The lower two badges are specifically from Tiflis (Tbilisi). I think they are Tbilisi Criminal Investigation Department badges. I was told (but cannot substantiate) that the one of the left is for a detective/officer and the one on the right is for an ordinary investigator. The badge on the right does not have a badge number attachment but is does have a small ?24? stamped on the reverse. None of my references show any of these variations. I suppose if I had a good "Badges of the Republics? reference I could check there. Anyone know where I might get one? I'd like to see some of your early badges, so please jump on in. Chuck

I?d like to start a thread on early Soviet police badges. Nearly all my things come from Georgia, including these first five badges, so that?s what I can contribute. In the first image, the smaller badge on the left is similar to item 1841 in Avers-8 but with less detail, much poorer enamel and no visible design beneath the enamel. It is grey metal rather than gilt. Avers describes 1841 - the silver variant - as a hat badge for RKM officers, 1926-30. The example in the book is gilt or brass, a ranker?s variant. Replacement screwplate. The larger badge on the right most closely resembles Avers-8 item 1849 which is described as an RKM ranker?s breast badge, 1923. The only obvious difference is there is no portion below the banner that might have born a badge number. These examples are pretty crude, nothing like the quality of the RSFSR examples in the books. I don?t think they?re fakes, though. I think they?re just local rush-job badges from a chaotic period in a far-away republic. Neither appears problematic under a black light. Chuck

Are you quite sure? If that's the case, what US Army rank would be the equivalent of a US Navy ensign? Chuck

Is this really Bill Dienna? Where you been, Bill? They just let you out? That's a great photo. WW II's smallest awards ceremony. In case of bad weather they could've moved it indoors... to a three-holer. Is there a story about how you came into possession of this picture? Nice find. Nice exchange of awards, too. Good for the morale, will go a long ways toward establishing post-war harmony. The poor 1LT must have arrived on May 10. Chuck

I once attended a lecture at a local college about the Vietnam War. Someone left me a note, "F... you, Vietnam vet." No one, of course, would own up to the simple, anonymous and meaningless rant, only the most recent of so many by that date. I've not been called a crybaby nor heard that word used regarding combatants. I have been called a babykiller, and more than once, each time by women who were safe in their assumption that I would not hurt them for their insult and blissfully ignorant that insults can bring non-proportionate responses. Others enjoy that protection as well but at the cost of respect. Name calling and denigration of service aren't new or unique to Vietnam vets. In Chapter 47 of Alexander Solzhenitsyn's novel The First Circle you can find the following passages: "Once she heard a young graduate student who was out to humiliate Shchagov ask him with a proud lift of her head, "What backwater are you from?" Shchagov had looked down on the student with a sort of lazy regret. Rocking quietly back and forth on his heels, he had answered, "You never had a chance to go there. From a province called the Front. A village called Foxhole." And: "The sufferings of Captain of Combat Engineers Shchagov could not be assuaged now, not in whole decades. He could think of people in only one way: either they were soldiers or they were not." I was. Captain of Artillery Troops Solzhenitsyn understood. Chuck

With regard to your former, not all the "People who were there" share that opinion. In debate that argument is called "phantom support" and is generally discredited. The late Col. is not here to ask. I accept that he believed this to be true. Who am I to question what he believed? There are at least two people on this forum with different experiences who are here to ask and they have expressed their thoughts. Who are you to question what they witnessed and believe to be true? With regard to your latter, addressing the comment "What I find disturbing is the lack of respect for the Vietnam combat vet", I am compelled to quote my brother Wayne who wrote "... we?ve listened to 30 plus years of this crud from people who have no clue." I would also quote my brother Rudyard, who wrote in part: You talk o' better food for us, an' schools, an' fires, an' all: We'll wait for extry rations if you treat us rational Don't mess about the cook-room slops, but prove it to our face The Widow's uniform is not the soldier-man's disgrace. For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Chuck him out, the brute!" But it's "Saviour of 'is country" when the guns begin to shoot; An' it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' anything you please; An' Tommy ain't a bloomin' fool--you bet that Tommy sees! As ever was. Chuck

* * * * * Nice photo Chris. You can see a few more in my 12-15-05 thread HERE. At least, I think that's what some of them are. Chuck

Good learning experience. Thank you all. These are not in a field of interest of mine, although I do collect Russian shooting items. Off to the Bay, I think. Chuck

I didn't want to hijack TerryG's photo thread. I haven't seen these discussed before so I thought I'd share them here. They look somewhat similar to some of the minor medals that Terry's guy is wearing. The medal on the left is dated 4.9.32. The last name is Konig. I can't quite discern the first name, something like "Joh." perhaps, maybe shortened by the engraver. 39.33mm diameter, weight 22.44 grams. The medal on the right is dated 6.6.33, awarded to I. Ritter. Diameter 39.35mm, weight 22.65 grams. These were both Red Army bringbacks that I found in Tbilisi. Enjoy. Chuck

* * * * * Good luck with all that George. This problem scared me enough to buy a stand-alone hard drive for backups. Chuck

* * * * * Hi Chris The family says he had two of these but they couldn't find the other one. Maybe someday, they're still looking.. Must have been some kind of annual nod from the commissar to the republic chiefs. Chuck

And his Medal for Valiant Labor. Hope you enjoy this little group. Chuck

Closeups of the above two reverses.

And his Medal for Valiant Labor #60339, similarly converted.

And here's his Red Banner of Labor #6611. Converted, but what'cha gonna do?

G. S. Kiknadze was head of the Transcaucasus Railway during and after WW II. This group consists of a 1946 presentation watch, Red Banner of Labor #6611, Medal for Valiant Labor #60339 and a Medal for Valiant Labor in WW II. I'll start with the watch. It's inscribed "Comrade Kiknadze G. S. from the People's Commissar of Railways 12 March 1946". Enjoy. Chuck