Navy Good Conduct Bars?

[KevinBeyer]

Hello, All,

I am fairly new here. I am sort of a collecting voyeur. I love looking at the items that others have gathered together.

While on my honeymoon a few weeks ago, I visited an antique store in a small town in Massechusetts. In a display cabinet I found what I believe to be are two Navy Good Conduct medal bars from 1935 and 1939 respectively. On the front, these dates are engraved. On the reverse, the name "Edward Francis Grant" was engraved. (See pictures supplied)

I am in need of some assistance. Are these bars in fact from a Good Conduct Medal? Are they Army, Navy, or Marines? Does anyone know how I can track down more information on the recipient? I would like to know more about what I have found. And, I would like some assistance from the good people here.

Thanks for your time,

Kevin Beyer

[FireMedals]

Kevin,

What you have are two US Navy re-enlistment bars. This style was produced and used from about 1919 until the Navy shut down production and issuance of the Good Conduct Medal in 1942 for the duration of WWII. The date of the front represents the year of his discharge under his (then) current enlistment. The previous style bars (pre-1919) would have had the name of the man's ship or duty station on the front, with his date of discharge and CSC number on the reverse. CSC was Continuous Service Certificate, an early written enlistment record book kept by the sailor that recorded all his ship assignments, etc.. The number was similar to a service number today, but not someting assigned to every sailor. You had to apply for continuous service if you wanted to be a career sailor. That style of engraving ended in 1919.

These two bars would have gone on the GC Medal of Edward Grant, and if these were the only two he had, his medal would have been issued about 1931 (assuming his first enlistment was a regular 4-year enlistment). Of course, without knowing when his initial enlistment was, it could have been many years earlier.

The problem with stray re-enlistment bars, US Navy and Marine Corps, it is almost impossible to get the records of the recipient. You generally need to supply the Navy with some dates of service, place of enlistment, etc, to let them sort out your man from those with similar names. You can always try to run the name through via a Navy records request under the full name, and perhaps the assumption he was from the Mass. area. Good luck.

FireMedals

And by the way...you went medal hunting on your HONEYMOON???????

You're a braver man than me!!!

[Guest Rick Research]

If the town was small enough, he may have died thereabouts. I'd try the Social Security Death Index for that first and last name (stupefyingly, the SSDI containues to NOT list any middle names).

What was the town? Any Massachusetts native's military records will be intact. To WW1 are in Worcetser, after WW1 are in Boston. Once a likely birth and death date can be established, the ASdjutant General's Office will be able to provide more.

But you will indeed need DATES and not simply a name.

[KevinBeyer]

Hello,

My apologies for the lateness of this response. Ever since I returned from the Honeymoon, people have expected me to work and catch up on all of the things I let slide while I was away. (Sheesh!)

Thanks for the information. I sincerely appreciate it. I'll start searching for this sailor when I get a free moment, or two. This type of thing is actually outside of my area of collecting interest. But, I felt like I could give these bars a better home than lying unappreciated amongst the clutter of the antique store.

Thanks again,

Kevin