Why don't we mount medals the British way?

[Dave]

This is the caption underneath photoi

 

A US veteran wears his medals during a commemoration ceremony on June 5, 2009 at the German Military Cemetery of La Cambe, Normandy. Preparations are underway for the upcoming D-Day celebrations to mark the 65th anniversary of the June 6, 1944 allied landings in France, then occupied by Nazi Germany. (JOEL SAGET/AFP/Getty Images)

 

I'll never say never, but having studied Soviet medals to Americans now for over a decade, the chance of someone being awarded the 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 Years of Victory medals is slim...very slim...like impossibly slim.

 

Looks like he got a bit "self-decorated"......

[Welshman]

Here.s the web page it came from.

 

http://www.eugeneleeslover.com/D_Day.html

[Ultima Ratio Regum]

 

I'll never say never, but having studied Soviet medals to Americans now for over a decade, the chance of someone being awarded the 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 Years of Victory medals is slim...very slim...like impossibly slim.

 

Looks like he got a bit "self-decorated"......

Sir,

 

It looks like there are Merchant Marine medals in that stack, 2nd row from the bottom on the right hand side. Assuming that he was indeed a merchant sailor before joining the Army, he could have made trips on the Murmansk run. If I recall correctly, the Russkies did give medals to those sailors. Is

it possible for those medals to be from that?

 

It does seem improbable that a long-term soldier would wear medals from the opponent he fought against in the Cold War. Judging from the rack, I would say this fellow would have to be a colonel at least, Prior enlisted, from the one GCM, but senior enough to earn a Legion of Merit, and long-serving enough to get an MSM, which was started IIRC in the late 1960's. And somewhere along the way, he found time for a combat jump....

[Dave]

Sir,

 

It looks like there are Merchant Marine medals in that stack, 2nd row from the bottom on the right hand side. Assuming that he was indeed a merchant sailor before joining the Army, he could have made trips on the Murmansk run. If I recall correctly, the Russkies did give medals to those sailors. Is

it possible for those medals to be from that?

 

It does seem improbable that a long-term soldier would wear medals from the opponent he fought against in the Cold War. Judging from the rack, I would say this fellow would have to be a colonel at least, Prior enlisted, from the one GCM, but senior enough to earn a Legion of Merit, and long-serving enough to get an MSM, which was started IIRC in the late 1960's. And somewhere along the way, he found time for a combat jump....

 

It does appear to be a couple MM medals in there...looks like the Atlantic Zone and WW2 Victory (could a MM vet wear both the MM Victory and the regular one? I don't know)...and that makes it even odder that he was in the Army in June 1944. But, of course, not impossible, especially if he made one of the early Murmansk Run convoys in 1942. With that said, the earliest Soviet commemoratives I've seen to Americans were the 1985 40 years of Victory medal. Back in 1965, I have a funny feeling not too many medals were exchanging...but then again, there's the never say never aspect...but I still go with him self-awarding some of these...

[Dave]

I know we're getting off topic, but here's another photo of him with some details. Interesting!

[Dave]

Must have been an overachiever...he apparently served in the Merchant Marine before landing on Omaha Beach on June 6th at the age of 19...and then becoming a paratrooper (in theater). Hardcore!

 

MELBOURNE - Bill Ryan is 81 years old, doesn't look a day past 60, has a memory of a man in his 20s and still enjoys living on his boat, which has been anchored on the Indian River between the Eau Gallie and Melbourne Causeway for more than six years.

A career soldier and veteran of three wars, retired Army Command Sgt. Maj. William Ryan, who served his country for more than 30 years, will be the guest speaker of the Jewish War Veterans Brevard Post 639 at its meeting this Sunday.

Walking through a personal memory lane during a recent visit to Melbourne's Liberty Bell Memorial Museum, Command Sgt. Maj. Ryan said he is looking forward to sharing some of his experiences with other local veterans.

"They say a stranger is only a friend you have yet to meet," he said. "I appreciate the invitation and always enjoy these informal talks," he said. "Staying busy helps me feel young and definitely keeps me out of trouble."

He said one memorable occasion when he found himself in a literal boatload of trouble was during the early morning hours of June 6, 1944.

Then Pfc. Ryan was onboard a landing craft: one of hundreds of boats carrying thousands of Allied troops into France during the initial phase of D-Day.

He eventually landed on Omaha Beach, but only after the landing craft he was in suffered heavy damage due to a continuous barrage of heavy fire by German soldiers.

"No, it wasn't me, but (Stephen) Spielberg got it 99 percent right when he made the 1998 movie, 'Saving Private Ryan,'" he said. "Everything was going crazy, and I was knocked unconscious and injured when my boat was hit trying to get closer to the beach."

He later found out that two men from his boat dragged him ashore, placing him against a small embankment before he was evacuated back to England.

"To this day, I've never known who those two guys were, but they sure did a great job saving Private Ryan that day," he said.

Asked what the missing one percent in Saving Private Ryan, was, Command Sgt. Maj. Ryan said it was the "Tommy gun," an American-built Thompson .45 caliber submachine gun that was standard issue during the war.

"All through the movie, they never had to reload them, not once," he said. "The Tommy gun was a good gun, but it wasn't that good. I wish."

After recovering, Pfc. Ryan was assigned to the 508th Airborne Infantry Regiment. He combat jumped into Nijmegen, Holland, and fought in the Battle of the Bulge before ending up in Czechoslovakia at the end of the war.

While members of the media tend to contact him during the anniversary of D-Day every year, when it comes to exactly what the armed forces accomplished during that dark period of the nation's history, Command Sgt. Maj. Ryan said he has detected a general note of apathy among the American public.

"I'm a representative of another generation. That's why I like to speak to groups. I'm trying to ensure our contributions will be remembered," he said. "Take this place - with all its memorabilia and displays - the Liberty Bell Museum is a great local asset for anyone who's interested in military service and our defense of freedom. I hope, by sharing my experiences of the past, that I'm contributing to the future."

JWV Post 639 is part of the Jewish War Veterans of the USA. Organized in 1896 by Civil War veterans, it is the oldest active national veterans service organization in America.

Nationally, its activities include promoting legislation, support of Israel, combating anti-Semitism and sponsoring veteran's projects.

Locally, officials with JWV post 639 recently responded to the needs expressed by officials at the VA clinic in Viera when they delivered an electric cart to help transport patients to and from parking lots and the clinic entrance.

"We're pleased the generous contributions of Brevard citizens and snowbirds have enabled our post to continue its support of the VA clinic and its patients," said Leonard Shaffer, the Post's Senior Vice Cmdr.

Last year, post 639 also purchased a 42-inch plasma television to assist the clinic pharmacy in filling and delivering prescriptions, said Mr. Shaffer.

Members meet at 9:30 a.m. on the second Sunday of each month, except July and August, at the Brevard Alzheimer's Foundation, 4676 N. Wickham Road. Non-members or guests are welcome to attend.

This weekend members and guests will gather at 9 a.m. for breakfast, followed by Command Sgt. Maj. Ryan at 9:30 a.m.

For more information, call Len Shaffer at (321) 453-6522.

[Dave]

His full bio:

 

http://usairborne.be/Biographie/bio_us_ryan.htm

[Gregory]

Not forgetting Kim-Jong-Wotsisname's Generals!

 

Ian,

 

You posted the USMF's Picture of The Year!

 

These red idiots are unbeatable. I wonder if their backs are full of medals as well.

 

What your Dennis Rodman does with these primitives?

[ColdWarRules]

I too wish vets wore their medals in public events

[Wharfmaster]

I wish vets wore only the medals they are entitled to.

 

 

W

[Ultima Ratio Regum]

I too wish vets wore their medals in public events

That would take a shift in our culture. It would be neat to see fellow vets in their Sunday finest and regalia during parades and ceremonies like the British and Australians do, but it seems that it is only acceptable here in the US to wear medals on old fatigue jackets or leather biker vests. This phenomenon only reinforces in some peoples' minds the myths about servicepeople and vets. One myth is that the people that volunteer to serve all all poor and uneducated (right, John Kerry?). Another myth is that vets are all ticking timebombs of psychological problems with PTSD, or all monstrous killing machines.

 

Granted, these fallacious ideas are only expressed by a minority of the population, but the opposite end of the spectrum is not that much better. The polite lip-service formula of "thank you for your service" does tend to turn veteran status into a one-dimensional caricature of our humanity. As we should not be scorned for our serivce, neither should we be worshipped. That worship tends to bring out the posers and exaggerators that wharfmaster is critical of in his above post.

[Sabrejet]

 

"Chelsea Pensioners"....what we call our vets who live in the Royal Hospital in Chelsea, London. This is their traditional garb, worn daily. It's considered a high honour...and rightly so!

[Sabrejet]

A typical selection of British vets on parade. Regimental headgear and full medals are worn.

 

[Sabrejet]

[12A54]

That would take a shift in our culture. It would be neat to see fellow vets in their Sunday finest and regalia during parades and ceremonies like the British and Australians do, but it seems that it is only acceptable here in the US to wear medals on old fatigue jackets or leather biker vests. This phenomenon only reinforces in some peoples' minds the myths about servicepeople and vets. One myth is that the people that volunteer to serve all all poor and uneducated (right, John Kerry?). Another myth is that vets are all ticking timebombs of psychological problems with PTSD, or all monstrous killing machines.

 

Granted, these fallacious ideas are only expressed by a minority of the population, but the opposite end of the spectrum is not that much better. The polite lip-service formula of "thank you for your service" does tend to turn veteran status into a one-dimensional caricature of our humanity. As we should not be scorned for our serivce, neither should we be worshipped. That worship tends to bring out the posers and exaggerators that wharfmaster is critical of in his above post.

Well said.

[Welshman]

I wish vets wore only the medals they are entitled to.

W

 

 

There's been a few in my country, who have been found out to be wearing medals they weren't entitled to. and there are many more that do it, I've seen them on Remembrance Parade's.

[67Rally]

That would take a shift in our culture. It would be neat to see fellow vets in their Sunday finest and regalia during parades and ceremonies like the British and Australians do, but it seems that it is only acceptable here in the US to wear medals on old fatigue jackets or leather biker vests. This phenomenon only reinforces in some peoples' minds the myths about servicepeople and vets.

Remember, veterans, according to Title 10, section 772 of the US Code, and military regulations, are not permitted to wear their uniforms unless they retired from active or reserve duty.

 

http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/10/772

 

[Welshman]

Here's one of them

 

[Sabrejet]

SAS!

[Welshman]

SAS!

 

No ebay

 

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CDIQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.bbc.co.uk%2F2%2Fhi%2Fuk_news%2Fmagazine%2F8454715.stm&ei=j-61UumaHdKYhQfezICwBw&usg=AFQjCNGwCdi30k_ZNgwYTDwfnTQN-YUMWw&bvm=bv.58187178,d.ZG4

[Sabrejet]

The dirty, rotten scoundrel!!

[LtRGFRANK]

 

 

I like my son's mimi medals

[Hermanus]

An old but very interesting read.