Brian Keith Posted March 8, 2018 Share #1 Posted March 8, 2018 I'm trying to verify a Soldiers Medal, privately engraved to Harry C. Slick, with the date of 30 May, 1944. He doesn't show up on Home of Heroes. Any thoughts? Thanks in advance. No, I don't have photo's. BKW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted March 8, 2018 Share #2 Posted March 8, 2018 Soldiers Medals are particularly tough to find out about the owner. If you don't get a lucky google hit, you're sometimes out of luck. In my opinion, the best bet would be to find his enlistment doc and then send for his records. Chances are, they burned in 1973, but you might get lucky and maybe something might still be there. Hopefully someone will have better advise! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattS Posted March 8, 2018 Share #3 Posted March 8, 2018 Not sure, but he's buried in Ft Wayne (you probably saw that already). SLICK, HARRY C. was born 03 January 1918 in Pennsylvania and Death Master File says, died 13 September 1991. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/86688495/harry-c-slick https://aad.archives.gov/aad/record-detail.jsp?dt=893&mtch=1&cat=all&tf=F&q=SLICK+Harry+C&bc=sd&rpp=10&pg=1&rid=3605413 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBFloyd Posted March 8, 2018 Share #4 Posted March 8, 2018 He's not in War Department General Orders, so you'll have to track down a unit to make the search feasible. Since he enlisted on 8 December 1941, he could have been anywhere unfortunately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Keith Posted March 8, 2018 Author Share #5 Posted March 8, 2018 Thanks for the responses, Yes, he is the Ft. Wayne guy. BKW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lettow Posted March 8, 2018 Share #6 Posted March 8, 2018 The April 26, 1944 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette indicates he was awarded the Soviet Order of the Red Star for support to the Russians while with the Persian Gulf Command. He was a Tech 5 at the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garandomatic Posted March 8, 2018 Share #7 Posted March 8, 2018 Interesting! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted March 8, 2018 Share #8 Posted March 8, 2018 The April 26, 1944 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette indicates he was awarded the Soviet Order of the Red Star for support to the Russians while with the Persian Gulf Command. He was a Tech 5 at the time. Now that's an interesting twist! I went through my State Department Soviet awards files but couldn't find him though. There were several awardings during this time to all ranks of the Persian Gulf Command, but for whatever reason, I don't show him listed on my documents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aznation Posted March 8, 2018 Share #9 Posted March 8, 2018 > Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aznation Posted March 8, 2018 Share #10 Posted March 8, 2018 http://www.historynet.com/the-battle-before-the-battle.htm Harry Slick had stayed alive, averted disaster, and saved a critical cargo. Besides the U.S. Army’s Soldier’s Medal he received the Soviet Order of the Red Star. It was another day in the life of the Persian Gulf Command, the main Allied supply line to Russia. On this unheralded but essential conduit, men shipped arms and materiel in remote obscurity amid astonishingly extreme conditions. They called themselves “the Forgotten Bastards of Iran.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lettow Posted March 8, 2018 Share #11 Posted March 8, 2018 From the April 26 1944 Somerset Daily American Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Dentino Posted March 8, 2018 Share #12 Posted March 8, 2018 Very interesting.......and now we know the rest of the story. Great detective work as usual, and a very cool story from a little part of a huge war. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottplen Posted March 8, 2018 Share #13 Posted March 8, 2018 Great research! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Keith Posted March 9, 2018 Author Share #14 Posted March 9, 2018 WOW! You folks are GREAT! Very interesting information you all helped with and thanks for all the comments and interest. So, with this information, I decided to purchase the frame of his items on my lunch break today. It was framed up in a home-made fashion; most of the artifacts were glued down. It does have the Soviet ribbon for the Order for the Red Star, pretty interesting! With the interesting info provided by you guys on the forum, I thought it was worth the $. Attached are photos. Thanks to all who assisted with the research on the artifacts of the really interesting story of this soldier! You didnt have to storm a beach to have a great War Story! As far as the home-made frame job, while I wish it hadnt been done in this fashion, likely, it was done by the veteran himself and Im sure he did the best he could. I have seen worse! It is possible that if he hadnt had framed it up to demonstrate that it was of some value, it could well have been discarded. There is damage, but displayed in a rikker, it wont show. I hope you enjoy the photos! Thanks for your service Harry Slick! RIP! BKW As found. With out glass Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Keith Posted March 9, 2018 Author Share #15 Posted March 9, 2018 When framed, the person wanted the reverse of the medal to show (engraved with his name), so he cut the threads and flipped over the pinback bar and displayed the obverse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Keith Posted March 9, 2018 Author Share #16 Posted March 9, 2018 What you've been wanting to see! Now, I suspect this would be called unofficial engraving, comments? Is it uncommon to have a date? This must be the date it was awarded as the event it was awarded for happened in 1943. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Keith Posted March 9, 2018 Author Share #17 Posted March 9, 2018 Soviet Order of the Red Star ribbon. Reverse showing glue. Thanks for looking and all your input! BKW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aznation Posted March 9, 2018 Share #18 Posted March 9, 2018 Well worth the price for those items AND the story of this brave soldier and his comrades. Nice pickup! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Keith Posted March 9, 2018 Author Share #19 Posted March 9, 2018 Well worth the price for those items AND the story of this brave soldier and his comrades. Nice pickup!Thanks you Sir! I very much appreciate your link to this man's story! BKW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aznation Posted March 9, 2018 Share #20 Posted March 9, 2018 Thanks you Sir! I very much appreciate your link to this man's story! BKW You're very welcome! Glad I was able to find it for you. It's a wonderful story! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattS Posted March 9, 2018 Share #21 Posted March 9, 2018 Nice save! Too bad about the glue, but it's better than ending up in the dumpster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted March 9, 2018 Share #22 Posted March 9, 2018 What a neat group! I'll have to see what I have about the other recipients in the State Department files about the Soviet medal (I have hundreds of pages to sort through...) I do think it's kind of funny that you asked first before buying...yes, that's typically recommended on the forum, but for the price, I would have broken a finger getting my wallet out the first time I saw it! :D For a named and numbered Soldier's Medal group, that's pretty much a bargain price! Great find! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vicjoy1945 Posted March 9, 2018 Share #23 Posted March 9, 2018 I seem to recall a listing of SM recipients and citations...although it may not be complete...does exist. I have a posthumously named SM to a soldier who drown saving the life of another soldier while on a training mission if memory serves me correct. I believe the citation was among those found in the doc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BEAST Posted March 9, 2018 Share #24 Posted March 9, 2018 Brian, That is a great group! Good luck with your research. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sapper23 Posted March 10, 2018 Share #25 Posted March 10, 2018 Great medal and grouping. I will add him to my SM i am working on. I only have about 4 thousand names left to find, but many more citations. I have 64 woman listed who were awarded the SM now. Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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