Sgt. Milburn Stephens, Bronze Star, Purple Heart WW2

[Rogi]

I've been itching to pick up awards from the Aleutian Isands, its a very little known part of history, and it was always fascinating to me

http://www.emedals.com/collectors-gallery/world-nations/united-states/second-world-war-campaign-medals/the-wwii-us-awards-of-sgt-milburn-stephens-w01300

It has the Bronze Star and Purple Heart of Sgt. Milburn Stephens, more importantly the Purple Heart was awarded for wounds pertaining to the Aleutian Islands.+ it has many documents including:

"Bronze Star, slot broach with full citation and original citation document. Purple Heart with document"

I'd like to ask is there any site or way to obtain his picture and or other info. about him and his time serving?

When I receive the set I'll post some pics, what do you all think?

Regards,

Igor

Edited May 21, 2013 by Rogi

[Paul R]

Super rare grouping there. The battle of the Aleutian Chain is one of the more interesting and less talked about battles. I have been lucky enough to visit many of these sites, at Attu, Dutch Harbor, and etc. There are many untouched battlefields still there. I look forward to seeing more photos when your new grouping arrives.

[Rogi]

They arrived today Hope you guys enjoy

The first page is a script writen in German, what do you guys think a collector that had this researched?

The back of the bronze star and purple heart:

i'll start from the last documents and go up:

Hi seperation record

There was also a page on the reverse (that I forgot to photo but its more his personal info. before the war.

Certificate of Service:

Honorable Discharge:

Honorable Discharge:

Edited May 23, 2013 by Rogi

[Rogi]

This was after his first tour, a recal to active duty (the previous discharge was for his final)

Citation for Bronze Star:

Promotion:

This was at the back of one of the papers (I beleive the Honorable discharge)

Top

and bottom

Is there any way to accuratley determine what and where the Purple Heart was awarded for? It seems in this final document that it was awarded for action in 45? Can anyone shed any light It is also listed that he was wounder in May of 45 in Okinawa, could this Purple Heart be for that action?

I'll try ordering archival research one of these days but I'd like to decipher (with your help) the documents first

There was one more document that I won't post at the current moment, it was a letter from Sgt. Stephens to a colleauge of his that served with him on Atau, it describes the battle and injuries he sustained, I can post it in a pm to someone (it has some adresses and such that I would rather not post in the open) I'll try to take a picture and then cover the stuff that could seem sensitive, but it really demonstrates the horrors of war.

What do you all think about the set and the medals, do they seem period?

He was an amazing individual who served in some of histories major conflicts (from the list in the documents) and I'd like to preserve this for history sake

Regards,

Igor

[Paul R]

The medals were not awarded for the Battle of ATTU, which took place in 1943. Okinawa makes more sense to me.

[Paul R]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volcano_and_Ryukyu_Islands_campaign

The Volcano and Ryūkyū Islands campaign was a series of battles and engagements between Allied forces and Imperial Japanese forces in the Pacific Ocean campaign of World War II between January and June, 1945.

The campaign took place in the Volcano and Ryukyu island groups. The two main land battles in the campaign were the Battle of Iwo Jima (February 16-March 26, 1945) and the Battle of Okinawa (April 1-June 21, 1945). One major naval battle occurred, called Operation Ten-Go (April 7, 1945) after the operational title given to it by the Japanese.

The campaign was part of the Allied Japan campaign intended to provide staging areas for an invasion of Japan as well as supporting aerial bombardment and a naval blockade of the Japanese mainland. The dropping of atomic weapons on two Japanese cities and the hammer-blow Soviet invasion of Japanese Manchuria, however, caused the Japanese government to surrender without an armed invasion being necessary.

The medals were not awarded for the Battle of ATTU, which took place in 1943. Okinawa makes more sense to me.

[Rogi]

The medals were not awarded for the Battle of ATTU, which took place in 1943. Okinawa makes more sense to me.

Thank you Paul From the dates on the service record it seems like the Bronze Star could be awarded for Iwo? Since on the Citation it says March 13 to 26th 1945? although on the Service record it seems to list it as May 4th 1945 (or lists something I'm not sure it its the Good Conduct or the Bronze star for that date)

The Purple Heart on the service record seems like it is listed as 4th June 1945.

I'll try to find someone who can do Archival research and see if it pops up with anything

[Paul R]

My wife can do it. I Will email her a link to this and she will reply. She will try to do this tomorrow.

[Rogi]

My wife can do it. I Will email her a link to this and she will reply. She will try to do this tomorrow.

Thank you so much to you and your wife Paul I've sent an pm with more info.

Edited May 24, 2013 by Rogi

[Hoyden R.]

I found census records for him and the contents of his enlistment records.

I am going through the newspapers for any mention of his name now.

[Hoyden R.]

Not too many records in Ancestry.com

US Army Records of the 7th Infantry Division in WWII: http://www.history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/cbtchron/cc/007id.htm

Activated: 1 July 1940.

Overseas: 24 April 1943.

Campaigns: Aleutian Islands, Leyte, Eastern Mandates, Ryukyus.

Days of combat: 208.

Distinguished Unit Citations: 9.

Awards: MH-3 ; DSC-26 ; DSM-1; SS982; LM-33; SM-50 ; BSM-3,853 ; AM-178.

Commanders:

Maj. Gen. Joseph W. Stillwell (1 July 1940-August 1941)

Maj. Gen. C. H. White (August 1941-October 1942)

Maj. Gen. A. E. Brown (22 October 1942-21 April 1943)

Maj. Gen. Eugene M. Landrum (May 1943-June 1943)

Brig. Gen. A. V. Arnold (July 1943-September 1943)

Maj. Gen. C. H. Corlett (6 September 1943-19 February 1944)

Maj. Gen. A. V. Arnold (19 February 1944-8 September 1945)

Brig. Gen. J. L. Ready (8 September 1945-January 1946)

Brig. Gen. L. J. Stewart (January 1946-March 1946)

Maj. Gen. Andrew D. Bruce (March 1946-October 1947)

Brig. Gen. Harlan N. Hartness (October 1947-1 May 1948)

Maj. Gen. William F. Dean (1 September 1948- ).

Combat Chronicle

Elements of the 7th Infantry Division first saw combat in the amphibious assault on Attu, western-most Japanese entrenchment in the Aleutian chain. Elements landed, 11 May 1943, and fought a bitter battle over freezing tundra against fanatically resisting Japanese, finally defeating the Japanese at Chichagof Harbor. In August 1943 elements of the Division took part in the assault on Kiska, only to find the island deserted by the Japanese. With the Aleutians secured,

524

the Division moved to Hawaii, where it trained in amphibious landing technique and in jungle warfare. On 31 January 1944 the Division landed on islands in the Kwajalein Atoll in conjunction with the 4th Marine Division, and in a week of heavy fighting, wrested them from the Japanese. Elements took part in the capture of Engebi in the Eniwetok Atoll, 18 February 1944. The Division then moved to Oahu, T. H., remaining there until mid-September when it sailed to join the assault on the Philippines. On 20 October 1944, the Division made an assault landing at Dulag, Leyte, and after heavy fighting secured airstrips at Dulag, San Pablo, and Buri. The troops moved north to take Dagami, 29 October, and then shifted to the west coast of Leyte, 26 November, and attacked north toward Ormoc, securing Valencia, 25 December. An amphibious landing by the 77th Infantry Division effected the capture of Ormoc, 11 December 1944, and the 7th joined in its occupation. Mopping up operations continued until early February 1945. Next D-day for the Division was 1 April 1945, when it made an assault landing on Okinawa. It drove from the west to the east coast on the first day and engaged in a savage 51-day battle in the hills of southern Okinawa.

[Rogi]

Thank you so much Its very interesting and I will most likley try the archival research further I'm really curious about his record

It seems from the bio. and the dates in his record that and Purple heart was most likley earned on Okinawa?

The Bronze star lists March 1945 so that could be something in between those dates?

Edited May 25, 2013 by Rogi

[Hoyden R.]

GO = General Orders

WD = War Department

http://www.history.army.mil/documents/WDGO/WDGO24-1947/WW2campindex.htm

Ryekyue GO 40 WD 45 = General Order 45, War Department 1945 - http://www.history.army.mil/documents/WDGO/WDGO24-1947/f06.jpg

Bronze Star Metal GO 69 HQ 7th Inf was awarded on General Orders 69, 7th Infantry HQ 4 May 1945
Purple Heart was awarded on General Orders 63, 7th Infantry HQ on 4 June 1945

Both awards look to be awarded for action in Okinawa.

Some General Orders that list awards are available on line, however I can not find them for the 7th Infantry Division. I do not know if they are available in the National Archives. If you are looking for the award citation that goes with the medal, I think you will have to have someone with access to those archives pull it for you.

[Ulsterman]

Very cool. looks like he left school at 16 and ended up an E5, which is pretty cool. Note his DD 214 states his wounds were on Okinawa. Is the medal numbered at all? he got the Phillipene Liberation ribbon with 2 stars, which I have always wondered about. how did one qualify for 2 stars? I have seen lots of Liberation medals with 1 star, but 2 ?

[Rogi]

Very cool. looks like he left school at 16 and ended up an E5, which is pretty cool. Note his DD 214 states his wounds were on Okinawa. Is the medal numbered at all? he got the Phillipene Liberation ribbon with 2 stars, which I have always wondered about. how did one qualify for 2 stars? I have seen lots of Liberation medals with 1 star, but 2 ?

I've looked over both medals and neither are numbered or imprinted with the recipient's name, I've read in a couple places that they usually came out like this from WW2 onward so it would be standard for the period? You eiher got it serialed and/orimprinted or not.

For the Philipine Bronze Stars I found this while researching:

"

Bronze Stars: Individuals eligible under any two of the qualifying provisions listed above are authorized to wear one bronze star on the ribbon. Personnel eligible under all three provisions may wear two bronze stars on the ribbon. "

There is a site which lists the regulation of the two bronze stars to the philipine liberation medal. Once I re-find it I'll post here

I beleive it was because they took part in more than 1 campaign in the Phillipines.

This is a better explanation from another forum on medals:

Taken from the US army rules section:

"

Briefly, there were four separate eligibility conditions for this ribbon. Satisfying any one of the four yielded the basic ribbon. After that: "…An individual who meets more than one of the conditions set forth [by this regulation] is authorized to wear a bronze service star on the ribbon for each additional condition….other than that under which he or she is eligible for the initial award of the ribbon." So, theoretically, three stars would be the maximum allowed on the Philippine Liberation ribbon. You didn't ask about stars on the Philippine Defense Ribbon the answer is that one is authorized. There were two eligibility conditions for this ribbon and anyone who satisfied both would be entitled to wear the star. As for the Philippine Independence Ribbon, no service stars are authorized. "