Greek medal and documents group-Korean War

[makedon]

Dear Collectors,

This is a group of a Greek conscript who fought in the korean War.

Interesting photos, documents and medals; among them the unofficial enamel badge. Also, a greek paybook, the first one that reaches my collection. The sleeve badges and the superior quality hat badge are also nice. I am wondering if anyone has any information on the Korean decoration seen on the top right of this photo. Who was it given to? What is its name? How many were awarded? Is it rare? I have only seen Greeks wearing it.

Regards,

Dimitris

[Hugh]

Dear Collectors,

This is a group of a Greek conscript who fought in the korean War.

Interesting photos, documents and medals; among them the unofficial enamel badge. Also, a greek paybook, the first one that reaches my collection. The sleeve badges and the superior quality hat badge are also nice. I am wondering if anyone has any information on the Korean decoration seen on the top right of this photo. Who was it given to? What is its name? How many were awarded? Is it rare? I have only seen Greeks wearing it.

Regards,

Dimitris

A very interesting group. The diagonal striped (blue / white) square patch shows that he may have served with the US 3rd Division. I've seen the round red patch with "Korea" supertitle, but can't remember what unit it represents. The three ribbon bar includes the US National Defense Service Medal and the US Korea medal, along with the UN Korea medal.

The Korean "decoration" appears to be the first issue of the War Service Medal, and is on the same ribbon as the better known 2nd type. It would be helpful to see a close up picture of this medal, as the Ingraham book only shows a line drawing (p. 75). This first type was established in October 1950 and I'm guessing that it is relatively rare.

The second type (same ribbon, round bronze planchet) was authorized in April 1954 and was awarded to virtually all participants from ROK and most allied armies. (It has only recently been authorized for wear by US participants.) There are many thousands of them.

The individual ribbon in the gold frame is the ROK Presidential Unit Citation as typically worn by US forces. He also appears to have had a set of US-stylke dogtags.

Best,

Hugh

Edited April 1, 2010 by Hugh

[makedon]

Thank you Hugh!

This is the story that I have also heard; that this is the 1st type of the medal. But, still, why didn't anybody wear it since it was awarded? I heard that they changed it because of the size and type (it didn't "fit" with the other medals in a medal bar !!!). And, most of all, why did the Greeks decide to be the only ones to wear it?

If anybody has a medal bar with this award, it would be interesting to see it mounted!

[Herman]

Hi Makedon,

The red and black badge is of the US 7th Infantry Division 'Sight-Seeing'. The patch represents two crossed number 7's, one inverted.

In WW2 they fought at Attu, Kwajalein, Leyte and Okinawa.

So in the picture there are 2 separate US Infantry Division badges; the 3rd and the 7th. The correct appearance of the badge of the 3rd is starting with the color blue in the upper left corner of the badge. Both divisions saw extensive combat in Korea.

It is very interesting to see the first type of the Korean War Medal. I didn't even know that it existed..... A nice detailed photo of it, obverse and reverse, would be nice.

I just checked "The forgotten war"written by Clay Blair on the Greeks. It says that in december 1950 a Greek bataillon of approx. 1000 men was added to the 7th US Cavalry Regiment of the 1st US Cavalry Division. Their Batcdr was Dionyssios G. Arbouzis. In 1974 he was a Greek 4 star general commanding the Greek Army.

Thx and regards

Herman

Edited April 2, 2010 by Herman

[Hugh]

Yes, a nice detailed picture, obverse and reverse would be very helpful, along with permission to use the picture in the OMSA data base. Thanks in advance.

Hugh

[makedon]

Great info Herman and Hugh!

Where could I find the Ingraham book? What does it write for?

Any online sources or any other books on Korea war medals? I only have the one for UN peacekeeping medals, but it doesn't have many info.

By the way, how is it explained that the Turkish UN Korea medal is so much more expensive than the Greek and the French ones (for example), although it was given in bigger numbers?

I think it is about time we wrote a Korean War medals' book, similar to the one that Laslo wrote about Victory medals!!!

Dimitris

[Hugh]

Great info Herman and Hugh!

Where could I find the Ingraham book? What does it write for?

Any online sources or any other books on Korea war medals? I only have the one for UN peacekeeping medals, but it doesn't have many info.

By the way, how is it explained that the Turkish UN Korea medal is so much more expensive than the Greek and the French ones (for example), although it was given in bigger numbers?

I think it is about time we wrote a Korean War medals' book, similar to the one that Laslo wrote about Victory medals!!!

Dimitris

Honors, Medals and Awards of the Korean War, Kevin R. Ingraham,

Prospect Press / Kevin R. Ingraham

P. O. Box 1911

Binghampton, NY 13902-1911

USA

Printed 1993 by Johnson City Publishing, Inc. Binghampton, NY

The book devotes several pages per country, describing the forces deployed, medals awarded, etc. It also includes a few photographs. The section on Greece includes the following quote, "The Greek battalion was the most heavily decorated infantry battalion in the war, according to an American statement to a U. N. Session on December 8, 1953."

It also shows a photograph of COL I. Daskalopoulos receiving a decoration (unidentified) from MG William Hodge. The colonel is wearing the US 1st Cavalry division patch on his left shoulder.

The book makes no mention of the use of the first vs. second type of ROK campaign medal, and shows only the second type, together with the Greek Distinguished Conduct Medal.

I can't remember, but I think I bought my copy through OMSA. Perhaps it may also be available through Alibris or Abebooks.

Best,

Hugh

Edited April 3, 2010 by Hugh

[makedon]

I am posting both sides of the Korean War Service medal, 1st type.

The Greek to whom the group belongs received it in 1954, so the mystery becomes bigger.

[K.Ingraham]

Great info Herman and Hugh!

Where could I find the Ingraham book?

Dimitris,

Kevin Ingraham here. The book sold out very fast and is only available in used book stores and usually at inflated prices.

I recently started writing its replacement and have a publisher lined up. If you must have the old book, I know of a store in Kingston, Ontario, Canada with one. (the look on the clerk's face when I ID'ed myself as the author was worth the drive up there 8>)

Simply, there is so much new information available now and from better, more primary sources than I had back in the early '90s, and some of it inspired by my book, that I can't re-release the original edition. There are few errors in the old book and most of those are quite minor; it's just that there is so much newer info now, to say nothing of newer medals. Plus, I was an amateur at the time and I'm now a couple courses away from a history degree and am now, let's say, professionaly trained.

There's a few folk on this forum I'll be reaching out to, and I'm looking forward to participating in this new (to me) club.

[saumua]

Really nice set Dimitris, send me some detail photos.

Shaun

[saumua]

Gidday Kevin,

I have some nice Korean war items including New Zealand, Australia and Swedish (off I know). If you need more scans when you start let me know.

Dimitris will enjoy this one to a NZ WW2 and Korea Veteren - nice Greek Award for Rimini.

Shaun

Dimitris,

Kevin Ingraham here. The book sold out very fast and is only available in used book stores and usually at inflated prices.

I recently started writing its replacement and have a publisher lined up. If you must have the old book, I know of a store in Kingston, Ontario, Canada with one. (the look on the clerk's face when I ID'ed myself as the author was worth the drive up there 8>)

Simply, there is so much new information available now and from better, more primary sources than I had back in the early '90s, and some of it inspired by my book, that I can't re-release the original edition. There are few errors in the old book and most of those are quite minor; it's just that there is so much newer info now, to say nothing of newer medals. Plus, I was an amateur at the time and I'm now a couple courses away from a history degree and am now, let's say, professionaly trained.

There's a few folk on this forum I'll be reaching out to, and I'm looking forward to participating in this new (to me) club.

[Hugh]

Gidday Kevin,

I have some nice Korean war items including New Zealand, Australia and Swedish (off I know). If you need more scans when you start let me know.

Dimitris will enjoy this one to a NZ WW2 and Korea Veteren - nice Greek Award for Rimini.

Shaun

Hi, Shaun,

Hope you can tell us a bit more about this fellow. He looks to have had a busy career.

Best,

Hugh

[Dfifer]

I think I can shed a little light on the subject. This is the Korean War Service Medal, type 1, only if the reverse is blank as was authorized by Korean Presidential Decree #390 on October 24, 1950. (I have been referring to the Type 1 medals with the English reverse as Type 1a.) Within a very short period of time, the Koreans realized that they could not afford to produce a million or more KWSMs in enamel. They redesigned the medal to the crossed bullets design (Type 2). The Type 2 medals were issued in large quantities long before Presidential Decree #892, dated April 14, 1954, which effectively authorized the change.

There is also a controversy over the name. Usually referred to as the Korean War Service Medal, the actual Korean name for this medal is "6.25 Incident Participation Medal". The Koreans reissued the crossed bullets medal in large guantities for the 50th Anniversary of the War. If you look at the box, it clearly says in English "Korean War Service Medal", but if you do a word for word translation of the Korean text, you get "6.25 Incident Participation Medal". The titles are one and the same, but there are dozens of websites which state that the medal was renamed in 1954, it wasn't.

As far as I can tell, the Type 1 and 1a medals were only issued to the Greeks. What is interesting is that the Greeks refer to the Type 1 and Type 1a medals as the Korean War Campaign Medal and they refer to the crossed bullets medal as the KWSM. I have seen Greek groups with both medals. I suspect that either the Koreans or the Greeks themselves had the Type 1a medals made, so that everyone would receive one. Several years ago, I was in contact with a Greek Korean War Veteran who told me that Greeks serving either early in the War or late in the War did not receive the Type 1 Medals.

I have attached a photo of my Greek group with the only Type 1 medal that I have ever seen. I also have an example of a Type 1a in my collection. There is a considerable difference in weight and construction.

I have copies of all the original Korean legislation including Presidential Decree #390 which has a drawing of the Type 1 medal, as well as copies of Ki Poong Lee's original offer of the medal to all United Nations Forces serving in Korea.

I hope that I have been of some help.