Named Coast Guard/Navy WW2/Korean War Medal Bar

[Paul R]

Original full-size ten medal group mounted for full dress wear, all awarded to Chief Water Tender John Robert Weimelt who served in both the US Navy and Coast Guard earning the Good Conduct Medal for both services. Group consists of a named and engraved USN Good Conduct Medal dated 1941; unnamed Type I US Coast Guard Good Conduct Medal; American Defense Service Medal with FLEET clasp; American, European-Africa-Mediterranean, Pacific Campaign Medals; WWII Victory, National Defense Medals, Korean Service and UN Korean Campaign Medals. Group includes Chief Weimelt's WWII USN dog tag.
John Robert Weimelt born 1920 in Kansas; enlisted in the Navy on 15 February 1938 at Kansas City; served aboard the USS Kanawha and USS Maryland during this enlistment and was discharged on May 1941 receiving the Good Conduct Medal. Weimelt re-enlisted in the USNR on 28 October 1941. On 9 November 1942 Weimelt reported aboard the mine sweeper USS Sustain and served in the Mediterranean where Weimelt took part in the amphibious assault on Sicily. He was transferred back to the US on 4 September 1943 for further training at the Oil-Burning Turbine Lab, Philadelphia Navy Yard. On 11 February Weimelt was part of the commissioning crew for the USS Lloyd APD-63 on which Weimelt was to serve for the remainder of WWII taking part in the invasions of the Philippines, Borneo, and Morotai. Weimelt was discharged from the Naval Reserve as a Chief Water Tender on 4 October 1945. Weimelt enlisted in the US Coast Guard on 27 January 1950, serving in the Pacific and in Korean waters. He was discharged on 6 February 1953 at Seattle having earned the Coast Guard Good Conduct Medal. Weimelt then joined the Naval Transport Service serving as a crew member on the civilian-crewed LST-618. Weimelt passed away on 8 September 1991 in Washington State.

The Navy GCM and dogtags are named to the Chief. I look forward to finding more about his career, most specifically, time in the Coast Guard. Oddly enough, even today, about 40% of all CG members have prior service from the other branches of the military.

[Rogi]

Very cool addition Paul :D

[army historian]

Very nice - and I like the research.

[scottplen]

nice bar

[Paul R]

Thanks! After searching forever, these CG groupings are starting to appear pretty regularly the past couple of months.. I like how this man had the "full house" for WW2 and Korean War service medals.

The primary role of the US Coast Guard during the Korean War was the upkeep and maintenance of the aids to navigation in the friendly ports and seaways.

[Rogi]

It could be just a fad that they are appearing regularly, sometimes we get a lot of Bravery or Combat Service medal bars hit the market in Soviet collecting. Sometimes it just happens that it is popular that month to sell that certain style were as some other months you could get labor medal bars etc. Only negative is if you enjoy collecting these you have to pick and choose which ones are your favorite vs buying everything out there because when they start to thin out, you won't have as many options and something else will take over the popularity :)