Kuwait Liberation Medal

[Paul R]

As the Kuwaiti award is an order and the Saudi award a medal the order of precedence is that the Kuwait award should come first. The two other awards from Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates are both medals and thus if anyone does have these, the order of precedence should be in accordance with the date of their award to the individual concerned.

Regards,

Owain

Very good information. Thank you!

[Guest Rick Research]

Aha! A THIRD foreign made example for issue to yet another ally's own troops-- the reverses of the suspension wreaths will be easy to remember.

Is there an actual KUWAITI Kuwaiti medal?

[Ed_Haynes]

None were made in Kuwait. The medal was out-sourced (as were and are most things in Kuwait) to Italian and British makers. Those made in the US are quite unofficial.

While the US was one of the few foreign participants to allow the wearing of the medal, it was also among the few to blissfully ignore the multi-class structure of the award and force all recipients to accept the lowest class.

I did a short piece in JOMSA on these some time back.

[Chris Boonzaier]

Here is a doc for the medal...

[Chris Boonzaier]

I am not sure why I got the silver one, it seems most guys in the legion got the brown one.

[oamotme]

Chris ,

The certificate states third class which is indeed the "silver" issue. If I recall correctly this grade was for Warrant Officers to Captains......?

Regards,

Owain

Edited January 2, 2008 by oamotme

[Ed_Haynes]

I am not sure why I got the silver one, it seems most guys in the legion got the brown one.

Odd indeed, as the rank breakdown of the Wisam al-Tahrir was:

distinguished class (first class) - rank of lieutenant-general or general or above

first class (second class) - rank of brigadier or major-general

second class (third class) - rank of major, lieutenant-colonel, and colonel

third class (fourth class) - warrant officers and commissioned officers at or below the rank of captain

fourth class (fifth class) - to enlisted personnel

An honorary promotion by the Kuwaitis or just an administrative screw-up?

Thanks for showing the certificate.

Edited January 2, 2008 by Ed_Haynes

[Chris Boonzaier]

I would imagine a screw up of some sort... but I will stick with it, its prettier than the brown one ;-)

[Guest Rick Research]

M. le Capitaine Boonzaier.

I like the sound of that.

2 January, 2108, Galactic Collectors Telepathic Network:

"Entity447, that group is SO fake! It's got a WW1 Croix des Combatants and an officer's medal for Kuwait. Obviously a phony group and the documents don't match...."

[Chris Boonzaier]

Ahhhh.... but the only diff between the WW1 and modern CdC is the quality of the metal ... by then they will all be matt ;-)

[Guest IMHF]

Here is both Medals from my collection: see the difference in the quality and shade?

One is a solid piece as the other has two piece construction attached to the ribbon bar.

Back:

[Guest IMHF]

Difference of the wreath texture in the detail:

Front:

[Guest IMHF]

Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia)

[Chris Boonzaier]

A funny difference.... the Kuwaiti medal to French troops had that US style pinback, the Saudi medal however was on the regular French system of the 2 long pins to be stuck into the jacket (In the award day).

Best

Chris

[Chris Boonzaier]

It looks like the US made ones ARE official after all... here is a boxed set of 10 by a govt supplier...

[Ed_Haynes]

My point, which seems to have been missed, was that these are Kuwaiti medals, not US medals. Who makes them is of secondary relevance.

[Chris Boonzaier]

Lost in the French section....

On the right is my new one :-)

All the cheap fake patina gunk stripped.... silver plated, and now a REAL patina will develop....

[Guest IMHF]

Lost in the French section....

On the right is my new one :-)

All the cheap fake patina gunk stripped.... silver plated, and now a REAL patina will develop....

Very Beautiful piece

Thank you for sharing.... Need one for my collection, you have any more?

Lorenzo

[Ulsterman]

..

Edited April 11, 2008 by Ulsterman

[Ulsterman]

Sgt. L:

I think that this is a private silver-plated piece and may be unique.

Now if he'd just engrave his name on the rims.....

[Chris Boonzaier]

Very Beautiful piece

Thank you for sharing.... Need one for my collection, you have any more?

Lorenzo

Nope... but give me a couple of weeks and I can have one whipped up for you ;-)

[Guest IMHF]

Nope... but give me a couple of weeks and I can have one whipped up for you ;-)

Thank you:

Cool piece to have as well in my collection: they are already making fake medals in Iraq I seen a fake Wisam al-Rafidain First class..

Lorenzo

[Andy Harris]

A thought to this one...

As the country is one of the few in the region where the population WAS grateful to see western troops.... and as they have zillions of dollars of oil....

This piece of crap medal is a bit of an insult. They could not have paid more than EUR2 for it.

The first time I got a medal retroactively I had my medal bar changed to include it.

This one, I did not bother.

I am glad I have the document entitling me to the award.... but feel the medal itself is an insult.... one of the worst examples of taking the "Lowest bidder" ever.

As someone who served in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait in the 1st Gulf War, then returned to Kuwait with the military in 2000, I had to chuckle at your comments. The feeling I got from the Kuwaitis was that they really did not like us, and had long-forgotten the fact that we had liberated thier country in the previous decade.

[Chris Boonzaier]

Here is an honest to god example I am keeping... maybe it will be worth a fortune some day....

Its the Monday morning "I am still too drunk from the weekend to see straight..." version...

[Chris Boonzaier]

Not bent, just soldered on that way... where is the RZM when you need it!!