Medal Bar to Captain Edward Muhlenfeld

Ed Maroli · November 8, 2008

I do not collect much american stuff. I got this years ago on ebay from an estate buyer who split up every single item from Captain Edward Muhlenfeld's into individual auctions. This was the only thing I won. It must date fom when the Navy Commendation ribbon became a medal 1950. One of the other items I did not win was a box of two fruitsalads with these 5 plus: WWII Vic, Occupation, China Service,National Def, Korea (3 stars), UN Korea, and ROK Presidental Unit Citation. He was class of Annapolis 1940.

~ED

From class of 1940 Biography.

Ed's first ship was LEXINGTON (CV-2), usually operating out of Pearl Harbor. LEX was at sea and missed the Japanese attack on December 7; but in the Battle of the Coral Sea, she was so badly damaged that she was abandoned and sunk. Ed then abruptly joined the Destroyer NAVY via a short swim to ANDERSON. He finished the war in destroyers PARKER. SPROSTON and SOUTHERLAND; and commanded Destroyer Minesweeper EARLE. These ships were engaged in convoy escort, the invasions of North Africa and Sicily, winter operations in the Aleutian Islands, bombardments of the Japanese-held Kurile Islands, the final massive strikes against Japan, and minesweeping in the South China Sea. In the midst of all this, on a free weekend in San Francisco, he met Marge Baum, doing her bit in the war effort. Two years and many letters later, he returned, found her still there, and they picked up where they had left off. On Easter Eve of 1947, they were married, in the Naval Academy Chapel; and in a few months were off to Boston, where Ed earned his Master's Degree from MIT.

Graduation led to his participation in the Korean Conflict, as Gunnery Officer of BOXER (CV-21). He next became a pioneer in the new PG course in Operations Analysis, then went back to sea as Gunnery Officer of the Atlantic Fleet Battleship-Cruiser Force. Ed paid his dues for the two technical PG courses with four tours of Washington duty. Dovetailed among these, he commanded Destroyer BUCK and Reefer VEGA in the Pacific Fleet, and Service Squadron FOUR in the Atlantic. His twilight tour was in the Department of Defense, and he retired from active duty on July 1, 1970.