Ribbon I.D. needed

[2xvetran]

I was hoping someone might be able to help me identify this ribbon. It is from a WWII U.S. Ike Jacket that belonged to a member who served in the 70th Infantry Division and later the Third Infantry Division. The other ribbons all denote European service with an ETO ribbon, Victory ribbon and Good Conduct ribbon. This ribbon is centered above the others. There is also a CIB on a blue felt background as well as the collar brass for infantry and the French Fourragere. The jacket came out of a local museum as a donation and now belongs to my father in law. Is this perhaps a screw up on a Silver Star or DFC? Or just some unit award? It is made in the same fashion as the others on the jacket, so I have no reason to believe it was added later. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance, Scott.

[FireMedals]

Scott,

This ribbon reportedly is used by the Colorado National Guard as a Commendation Ribbon. It has also been identified as various awards for other State Guard units as far back as WWI. I think the CO connection can be checked, but I know at least some of the reported uses of the ribbon are incorrect. I'm not aware of what it may have been used for circa WWII. You could do a search of each state Nat. Guard site for clues. Unfortunately most states have several obsolete awards and finding information on them can be difficult.

Good Luck

Firemedals

[922F]

Firemedals' identification seems on target, especially if the Ike jacket was worn while the owner served in a State Guard unit. I've no idea whether the following fits in a U.S. context but perhaps will be of some use as it relates to a European WW II connection. It's true that medal ribbon 'on hand' was/is used as needs be and that French manufacturers supplied some U.S. ribbon. Some U.S. veterans got involved in foreign veteran societies.

The ribbon in question is sometimes seen on the Franco-British Association Cross, a WW II veteran's organization membership award. [Founded in 1933, the Franco-British Association aimed to improve relations between the two countries. During and after WW II, its activities included maintaining ties between military veterans of the two nations and their Allies.] The ribbon was intended to suggest both the British France-Germany Star ribbon and the French Legion of Honor ribbon. However, the Cross is most often seen with the ribbon imaged below. [French tricolor + British blue, white,red suggestive of the 'Red Duster' flag]. French members often wore the ribbon with the tricolor to the left [as shown below] while British members reversed the ribbon so that the tri-color appeared on the right.

See http://fr.geneawiki....Britannique.jpg

A tricolor red white blue ribbon also is reported with this award.

Edited April 28, 2012 by 922F

[2xvetran]

Thanks for solving the mystery gentlemen! Scott.

Edited April 30, 2012 by 2xvetran