Romania Romanian "Military Virtue" Medals Silver and Bronze

[Guest Rick Research]

Picked these up at today's annual militaria show, not sure how old they actually are (created 1959) since there is neither an RPR or RSR designation on them.

I think the suspension on the bronze is GILT ALUMINUM and not brass:

Question: are these ribbons CORRECT? Are the ribbons with different stripes for each class only for RIBBON bars, while the full size medals used the same ribbon on all three classes (I hope )?

The faces on these servicemen are quite macabre-- they appear to be barely animated skeletons with skulls for heads. The choice to place the sailor in the middle with his Donald Duck cap under the state seal rising sun makes him look like he is actually wearing a civilian bowler hat of circa 1905 pushed back on his... skull.

Are these routine "good conduct" medals?

[Carol I]

Are these routine "good conduct" medals?

I can only give you what they were intended for: eroism, courage and initiative on the battlefield and distinguished services in wartime, as well as for strenghtening the armed forces in peacetime.

[Guest Rick Research]

They seem to rank quite low on the precedence of awards-- after some jubilee medals. So I wondered if these were fairly automatic "everyone gets them eventually" awards to NCOs for long service. I have no sense yet of what a normal/average career or non career Romanian military group of awards would consist of.

Here's a close up of the silver medal. For some reason the scanner is much kinder-- their faces are actually rather scray, looking at them in hand!

[Carol I]

I think the NCOs received the Military Merit Medal for long service.

[Kev in Deva]

Nice ones Ricky,

please allow me to introduce you to a first class once owned by Mr.Nicolae P. Craciun (Mr Nick Christmas )

who between trips from the North Pole resided in the town of Brad, Hunedoara County, Transylvania, Romania.

Kevin in Deva.

[Kev in Deva]

Close-ups:-

The ribbon is 25mm wide.

Kevin in Deva

Edited June 1, 2008 by Kev in Deva

[Kev in Deva]

Paper work trimmed and hidden under the insert for the medal:-

dated to28:01:1967, Mr. Christmas was a long service NCO.

Kevin in Deva

[Kev in Deva]

Close-ups:-

Kevin in Deva.

[Kev in Deva]

The Box:-

Kevin in Deva.

[Guest Rick Research]

So these are merit awards for NCOs... on the universal system of Anybody In Grade Long Enough Gets One... or Two... or Three?

I'm still wondering about the ribbons and whether these are indeed correct for the full size, with ribbon bar ones having extra stripes for 2nd and 3rd Classes?

Or have I got 2nd and 3rd Class which are both inexplicably on 1st Class ribbons?

[Kev in Deva]

Hallo Ricky,

there is a peculiarity with regards some ribbons on Romanian Communist awards,

The "Ordinul Meritul Militar" for example, as all, despite 1, 2, 3, class are hanging from

a ribbon with one thin red stripe in the center, on the small ribbons for the chest,

class is denoted by:

1 thin red stripe for First Class,

2 thin stripes for Second Class,

and 3 thin red stripes, for Third Class.

until I see a mini bar featuring this award "Military Virtue Medal" I wont know for sure.

Kevin in Deva.

[Guest Rick Research]

Yeah, that seems to be a consistent pattern from what I've seen. Odd!!!!