A Purple Heart

[PKeating]

This has been sitting in my cupboard for a couple of years.

[PKeating]

The medal is impressed to "Eddie M Thompson". There is a middle initial. There are two Edward M. Thompsons listed as KIA in WW2:

THOMPSON EDWARD M SGT 32143986 16-Nov-44 FL

THOMPSON EDWARD M TEC5 19173701 27-May-45 ML

Edward M. Thompson

Sergeant, U.S. Army

Service # 32143986

371st Infantry Regiment

92nd Infantry Division

Entered the Service from: New York

Died: 16-Nov-44

Buried at: Plot B Row 5 Grave 45

Florence American Cemetery

Florence, Italy

Awards: Purple Heart

I acquired it from a friend who knows I am interested in African-American militaria. I showed it on another forum at the time and was contacted by a Purple Heart collector who told me that he was sure it was a Korea award to one Eddie M Thompson. He stated:

I'm sure that this is not a W.W.II KIA award. Even if the family had applied for a replacement, it would have had his full correct name.

The rules are much more lacs when it comes to WIA engraving. The soldier could have had it engraved without the middle initial if he wanted to. That, and the fact the it is 1950s engraving leads me to the conclusion that it was the Korean War Eddie Thompson's medal.

The medal itself is a Type 3 unnumbered issue dating from 1943 to 1945. So many Purple Hearts were delivered to the US Army in anticipation of heavy casualties during the planned invasion of Japan that no more were supplied until 1970. So it could be a Korea issue. However, having looked into this a little more, my studies indicate the the type of naming on the reverse of this PH is known by PH collectors as "small blackened machine engraving", which is one of four distinctive styles seen on Purple Hearts issued by the Philadelphia Quartermasters Department to the next-of-kin of posthumous recipients. Furthermore, a casual study of late-WW2 posthumous awards from October 1944 onwards shows identical naming to that on the "Eddie M. Thompson" Purple Heart in my possession. Below are some examples of Purple Hearts to US Army KIA late in WW2.

[PKeating]

Here is another late-war award to a US Army KIA. I would say that it was named on the same machine as mine! Yet the fellow who contacted me was adamant that my Purple Heart bears 1950s-style naming. I take his point about the diminutive form of the forename, that the QM Department would have engraved the medal with Thompson's name as it appeared in their records. So, is this a Korean War WIA award or a WW2 KIA award? The supplementary photos came from a couple of websites recommended by the gentleman who contacted me. According to his assertions about the naming style, this WW2 PH to Donald Childers was named up in the 1950s.

PK

Edited September 23, 2007 by PKeating

[bigjarofwasps]

PK,

What a really interesting thread. I was especially interested in the whole invasion of Japan no more minted till 1970 thing, that speaks volumes!!!

I also found the differances in the naming of the purple hearts to the wounded and killed, very interesting. Just out of inerest lets say a guy was wounded three times, would he have three purple hearts or a clasp or something? Now re the naming, the throw a spanner in the works. Lets say he was wounded three times, got his PH, and clasp or whatever, but then for this fourth PH he gets killed, would he then be issued with a offically named one, or would he just get a clasp or whaterver for the unamed one he already had?

I have a Bronze Star which I think was issued to a guy for service in WW2, for being a `good egg` as it were, might be of help/interest?

Gordon.

[bigjarofwasps]

Just out of interest re the naming on Purple Hearts, are modern issue (Iraq/Afganistan) medals named to wounded & killed or just killed? By named I mean by the Government as appposed to by the recipient?

[Ulsterman]

unnamed, but KIAs are still engraved. Some are engraved at the local level and others privately. Most aren't, which i think is a crime.

[PKeating]

Thanks for the replies, gents. So, it looks as if I could indeed have a PH to an African-American KIA, given that a Korean War WIA would have been unlikely to end up with a Philadephia QM Department-engraved PH as prepared and sent to NoK of KIA?

PK

[PKeating]

PK,

What a really interesting thread. I was especially interested in the whole invasion of Japan no more minted till 1970 thing, that speaks volumes!!!

Indeed! They minted half a million for the planned invasion. Sobering thought...

PK

[Andy Hopkins]

I think whoever told you the PH was 50s era was correct. Whatever the case, it is not done in WWII small machine engraving. Machine engraving for Army PHs began either very late in 1944 or early in 1945. The earlier style is the "small". Later in 1945 the "large" machine engraving came into use. WWII era machine engraving was done w/ a unique flat bit that leaves a distinctive pattern in the engraving. Yours is machine engraved, but from the post WWII era. Also concur that a posthumous PH of the WWII era would have used his full given name. As a point of reference, the Ellison PH you picture is actually a hand engraved version, and the Dickson PH appears to be an example of the large machine engraving I mentioned...very late 1945 to very early post war. Yes, KIA PHs for OIF and OEF are engraved. I presented one to the family of one of my men killed in Baghdad on July 5th. He was a Sailor and the PH was engraved w/ his Navy rate and last name

Edited November 12, 2007 by Andy Hopkins

[PKeating]

Thank you very much to everyone who responded. And a thank you to Andy Hopkins for explaining it in a clear way. So this PH is to the Eddie M Thompson listed as WIA in Korea.

Regards,

PK

[Andy Hopkins]

Prosper, happy to help...these are my obsession of the last 4 years or so. They are fascinating. Here is a good example of blackened small machine engraving. This man was a B-25 pilot killed in the Pacific in 1945..

Edited November 12, 2007 by Andy Hopkins

[NavyFCO]

Just out of inerest lets say a guy was wounded three times, would he have three purple hearts or a clasp or something? Now re the naming, the throw a spanner in the works. Lets say he was wounded three times, got his PH, and clasp or whatever, but then for this fourth PH he gets killed, would he then be issued with a offically named one, or would he just get a clasp or whaterver for the unamed one he already had?

Yes, if the person was wounded three times, they would be entitled to three Purple Hearts. Of course, on the uniform only one would be worn with two oak leaf clusters (or gold stars) signifying the other two awards.

If the person was later KIA, they would be entitled to another oak leaf cluster or gold star for their next subsequent award. However, the NOK would get a separate Purple Heart with the person's name engraved on it at that point.

There's very little "science" to the awarding of our medals... A person could end up with four Purple Hearts in their possession for being wounded four times or they could end up with none, as today we typically have our "awarded" medals which are then turned back in after the award ceremony. Only if he was KIA would one be certain of actually having a physical medal awarded to the person.

Dave

[Kev in Deva]

Gentlemen

For Forum members with a U.S. Purple Heart interest,

then this site is worth a visit:

http://www.purplehearts.net/index.html

Kevin in Deva.

[Guest IMHF]

Gentlemen

For Forum members with a U.S. Purple Heart interest,

then this site is worth a visit:

http://www.purplehearts.net/index.html

Kevin in Deva.

Kevin

Thank you so much for sharing the site: I love the page that showed the Purple Hearts that were faked engraved. How he kept up with each one and followed how they sold.

Thank you

SSG Luna, Lorenzo