1st Infantry Division D-Day Silver Star Citation and More!

[IKEsaysGO44]

Here is a very special Award Citation (GO) for a 1st Infantry Division Medic, Charles C. E. Woods that include:

 

- Original D-Day Silver Star GO

- Broze Star Oak Leaf Cluster - Sicily

- with Extract

- Bronze Star GO - El Guettar, Tunisia

- with Extract

 

I thought it was amazing and wanted to share it with you all!

 

Andy

[David D]

I've said it once and I'll say it again. These are absolutely amazing documents, Andy!

[Moonlight Gecko]

I second David D's comments. Amazing documents!

[IKEsaysGO44]

Many thanks guys!

[seanmc1114]

Those are very nice. I wonder if, before the introduction of the Bronze Star Medal, units kept accounts of heroic or meritorious acts that did not rate a higher award and went back and submitted them for the Bronze Star after it was created. Maybe he had been recommended for the Silver Star for the acts in North Africa and Sicily but they were rejected and the paperwork was still around. Then when the Bronze Star was created, the same recommendations were resubmitted. Otherwise, it seems like it would have been a paperwork nightmare to go back to acts that had occurred almost two years before and draft up recommendations for an award that didn't even exist when the acts occurred. This would especially be true when you consider what kind of turnover in personnel a unit like the 16th Infantry Regiment must have had in that time period. There couldn't have been too many guys left who had witnessed the acts in 1943 by late 1944/early 1945.

[IKEsaysGO44]

I agree. I have often wondered why the General Orders were dated '45 - and not earlier. I have seen plenty of photos of award presentations in the Normandy country-side for actions that occurred on D-Day, through various units including the 1st Infantry Division.

 

I love this little group, and thanks to all for the comments. I would love to find out more.

 

Andy