Interesting medal group....

[bigjarofwasps]

What do you guys make of this?

[Paul R]

Home made medal bar...

This would not be a single bar.

Per the regs, the bottom row would have the last three and the top row would have the top two. They are in the correct order.

We did have a few soldiers who were POWs, so this is a possible combination. Are these attributed to any one person?

[Ed_Haynes]

I'd agree with Paul, I'd guess that this is 99% sure a fake/assembly/fraud group.

[bigjarofwasps]

Cheers Guys, I thought as much. There not attributed to anyone that I`ve been able to confirm. Just out of interest how many POW`s did the Iraqi`s capture, and are they still being held?

Putting all that aside, they do make a nice group though don`t they.

[Paul R]

Cheers Guys, I thought as much. There not attributed to anyone that I`ve been able to confirm. Just out of interest how many POW`s did the Iraqi`s capture, and are they still being held?

Putting all that aside, they do make a nice group though don`t they.

Seeing these medals(or their ribbon bar representatives) on a person's chest would definately be a thought provoking sight. I will do some checking on the numbers of POWs from this war. I dont think that we have any known service men(women) in custody of the enemy at this time. I know that we had close to a dozen service men and women who were captured by the Iraqis in the first weeks of the war.

[JBFloyd]

There are still two MIAs -- one from Gulf War I and one from Gulf War II.

[Paul R]

The first one from Desert Storm was a pilot... right?

[bigjarofwasps]

I`m shocked, to learn that theres still guys unaccounted for. I feel for their loved ones!!!!!

Have any Medals of Honour been awarded for Op Iraqi Freedom?

Another interesting group, again an obvious made up one, but it looks impressive none the less!!!

[David Tiffin]

Hi All,

I have a nice medal bar that is attributed to a fellow who joined the Marines in 1937, 1st Marine Division. Retired as a Captain in 1960. When his son gave it to me it was attached to a piece of cardboard. The son kept the individual medals and gave me the bar.

[Paul R]

I am not aware of any Medal of Honor nominations from Operation Iraqi Freedom... yet!

You are right! That grouping is very impressive. The only problem I would have is that the person has both the Iraq Campaign medal and the GWOT. That combination is possible but unlikely... these two medals are confusing to me. I went and served in Iraq for a year and received the GWOT instead of the Campaign medal because I was tour complete before the medal came out last year.

Someone with a chest of medals like that would have a base named after them!

I dont think that there was more than a small handfull of people who have received the Silver Star thus far.

Here is an article on a woman who won this medal!

https://hn.afnews.af.mil/webpages/PFeatures...an%20Bowl03.htm

David,

That is a nice original grouping for a hard fighting Marine! Three Theaters of action in WW2 and Korea too! Very nice!

[David S]

Have any Medals of Honour been awarded for Op Iraqi Freedom?

I am not aware of any Medal of Honor nominations from Operation Iraqi Freedom... yet!

One so far.

http://www.mishalov.com/smith-iraq.html

[David S]

This could be a group representing what Jessica Lynch received

[Dave Danner]

It would pretty much correspond to her awards.

Shoshanna Johnson, another POW far less famous than PFC Lynch, also had an Army Commendation Medal and a Good Conduct Medal.

[Paul R]

One so far.

http://www.mishalov.com/smith-iraq.html

Wow! I never heard his story! One heck of a citation!!

[Dave Danner]

I dont think that there was more than a small handfull of people who have received the Silver Star thus far.

As of 30 November 2005, the Army has awarded 184 Silver Star Medals for Operation Iraqi Freedom, along with the aforementioned Medal of Honor to SFC Smith and two Distinguished Service Crosses. Also, 73 Soldier's Medals for non-combat valor, 966 Bronze Star Medals with the "V" device for valor, 369 Air Medals with "V" and 2,727 Army Commendation Medals with "V". For Operation Enduring Freedom, primarily Afghanistan, the Army has awarded 1 DSC, 39 Silver Star Medals, 16 Soldier's Medals, 504 Bronze Star Medals with "V", 245 Air Medals with "V" and 325 Army Commendation Medals with "V".

As of April 28, 2005, for OIF the Marine Corps had awarded eight Navy Crosses, 24 Silver Star Medals, 23 Legions of Merit with "V", 396 Bronze Star Medals with "V", 411 Air Medals with "V", 1,748 Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals with "V", and 3,148 Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals with "V". For OEF, where the Marine role is significantly smaller, the Marines had awarded 1 Silver Star Medal, 25 Bronze Star Medals with "V", 75 Air Medals with "V", 33 Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals with "V", and 63 Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals with "V".

I don't have comprehensive statistics for the Navy or Air Force, or more recent numbers for the Army and Marine Corps.

For both OIF and OEF, though, through 10 November 2004 the Air Force had awarded 2 Air Force Crosses and 30 Silver Star Medals. Both of the Air Force Crosses and most of the Silver Star Medals were for Afghanistan. Of the 24 Air Force Silver Star Medal recipients for whom I have names, 17 were for Afghanistan and 7 for Iraq.

I also know of at least 11 Air Force Silver Star Medal recipients for the Kosovo war. The Army awarded no valor awards for Kosovo. No idea about other awards or other services.

[Paul R]

Wow David! Thanks for the information! Where did you find this? I would have thought that a big deal would have been made with the awardees of such medals!!!

[Dave Danner]

Wow David! Thanks for the information! Where did you find this? I would have thought that a big deal would have been made with the awardees of such medals!!!

From the Military Awards Branch, HQMC and the Military Awards Branch, U.S. Army Human Resources Command.

The media show little interest in stories of heroism by servicemen in OEF and OIF and the services' public affairs departments don't do too much to push publicity either.

[Dave Danner]

One small update - a week ago, the Marine Corps awarded its first Navy Cross for Afghanistan:

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf...86?opendocument

http://www.beaufortgazette.com/local_news/...p-4995887c.html

[David S]

Here's the story of a USMC Navy Cross winner in Iraq . . . Cpt Brian Chontosh

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf...ef/200456162723

Edited March 5, 2006 by David S

[bigjarofwasps]

Cheers Guys, keep it coming!!!!!!!

[bigjarofwasps]

Can anyone tell me whether the 2nd Battalion of the 127th National Guard, have been awarded any medals for their tour of Iraq on Op Iraq Freedom?

[Dave Danner]

The unit only deployed in August 2005, arriving in Iraq in early September, so it is a bit early for most awards, which take time to process. They have had two soldiers killed in action and at least one wounded in action.

By the way, it is not "2nd Battalion of the 127th National Guard"; it is 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry, Wisconsin Army National Guard, or 2-172 IN in the Army's shorthand. It is an element of the 32nd Infantry Brigade (Separate) (Light), descendant of the 32nd Infantry Division. Here is a link with better images and a description of the 127th Infantry's distinctive unit insignia: http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/Inf/127I...tryRegiment.htm

[Dave Danner]

Just out of interest how many POW`s did the Iraqi`s capture, and are they still being held?

There are still two MIAs -- one from Gulf War I and one from Gulf War II.

The first one from Desert Storm was a pilot... right?

The Desert Storm POW/MIA is Michael Scott Speicher. He was a Lieutenant Commander when he was shot down, but has subsequently been promoted to Captain. He was a naval aviator with Strike Fighter Squadron Eight One (VFA-81), flying off the USS Saratoga. He is still listed as a POW, although what happened to him remains unknown.

During the major ground operations phase of Operation Iraqi Freedom, eight American soldiers were taken prisoner by Iraqi forces - six from the ambushed convoy of the 507th Maintenance Company and two from a crashed AH-64 Apache. One of the eight, Pfc. Jessica Lynch, was rescued by special operations forces on April 2, 2003. The other seven were rescued by U.S. Marines on April 13, 2003, who were tipped by Iraqi civilians to their whereabouts after their captors abandoned them as U.S. forces approached Tikrit.

The current OIF MIA was captured during the insurgency phase, on April 9, 2004. He was PFC Keith M. Maupin (subsequently promoted to sergeant), of the 724th Transportation Company, U.S. Army Reserve. http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/04/17/missing.s...oted/index.html

Edited March 6, 2006 by Dave Danner

[Dave Danner]

One revision to what I noted above. Seven members of the 507th Maintenance Company were taken prisoner. Six were rescued. One, Sgt. Donald R. Walters, was captured and later murdered by the Saddam Fedayeen.

[bigjarofwasps]

The unit only deployed in August 2005, arriving in Iraq in early September, so it is a bit early for most awards, which take time to process. They have had two soldiers killed in action and at least one wounded in action.

By the way, it is not "2nd Battalion of the 127th National Guard"; it is 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry, Wisconsin Army National Guard, or 2-172 IN in the Army's shorthand. It is an element of the 32nd Infantry Brigade (Separate) (Light), descendant of the 32nd Infantry Division. Here is a link with better images and a description of the 127th Infantry's distinctive unit insignia: http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/Inf/127I...tryRegiment.htm

Many thanks for that Dave, I think I`m right in saying that there out there for 12 months is that correct? Also I`m aware of Sgt Wallace & Spec Wendling ( http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=425&st=20 ), and Spec R######f, getting wounded, by shrapnel during the same incident, there was also a battle shock casualty. But I was also under the impression that they`d also lost a female soldier, a few days later, a bit further south, which resulted in a few more of their guys being wounded, is this information correct? Thanks also for the link to their site.