How about THIS medal grouping

[emccomas]

SSG Joseph Beryle, 506th PIR, 101st Airborne. I recently read a biography ("Behind Hitler's Lines) of this fascinating soldier that fought on both the western front (France) and the eastern front (Russia) during WWII.

 

Glider Badge (not shown)

Parachutist Badge

Combat Infantryman's Badge

 

Bronze Star

Purple Heart with 4 OLC

POW Medal

Army Good Conduct Medal

American Campaign Medal

European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal

WWII Victory Medal

Croix de guerre (France)

Medal of Zhukov (Russia)

Medal "for the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945 (USSR)

Jubilee Medal "50 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945" (Russia)

 

This soldier is also accredited with (not shown here)

Order of the Red Banner (USSR)

Medal for the Liberation of Warsaw (USSR)

Order of the Patriotic War (USSR)

Order of Friendship of Peoples (USSR)

 

Not a bad group.

 

I believe it is on display at the USS Silversides Memorial in Muskegon, MI; the soldier's hometown.

 

 

[268th C.A.]

Hey Ed, I thought for a minute you had found some more medals in the pantry. LOL. Outrageous group!

[JasonT]

Amazing grouping, nice to see it's all still in one piece. I read the same book last year and thought it was great, he definitely had a very unique experience throughout the war. Thanks for sharing!

[Allan H.]

These medals were put together by an airborne enthusiast and are not his original medals. Additionally, the enthusiast was rather liberal with the commemorative medals and insignias included in the frame. I am not disparaging the veteran's accomplishments, just saying that the presentation is a bit over the top if you ask me.

 

Allan

[Teamski]

These medals were put together by an airborne enthusiast and are not his original medals. Additionally, the enthusiast was rather liberal with the commemorative medals and insignias included in the frame. I am not disparaging the veteran's accomplishments, just saying that the presentation is a bit over the top if you ask me.

 

Allan

 

 

This. Looks like somebody spent a ton of money at Medals of America.

 

-Ski

[JasonT]

Do we know for sure they aren't his real medals? The US medals appear accurate, I'm just not familiar with the Russian ones and he is considered somewhat of a hero in Russia. I think one medal is French, as he was awarded the Croix de Guerre. These medals were part of an exhibit that went around to a few cities that included some other of his personal items. According to the exhibit only the dog tags were copies, since he lost his during the war.

[Dave]

Do we know for sure they aren't his real medals? The US medals appear accurate, I'm just not familiar with the Russian ones and he is considered somewhat of a hero in Russia. I think one medal is French, as he was awarded the Croix de Guerre. These medals were part of an exhibit that went around to a few cities that included some other of his personal items. According to the exhibit only the dog tags were copies, since he lost his during the war.

 

Here's how you can tell. First, there are no serial numbered medals in the frame. He was awarded the following according to the first post, all of which would be serial numbered:

 

Order of the Red Banner (USSR)

Order of the Patriotic War (USSR)

Order of Friendship of Peoples (USSR)

He was also awarded the Order of the Red Star, which would also be serial numbered but is missing from the display.

 

Noted in his bio in the first post is his award of the:

 

Medal for the Liberation of Warsaw (USSR)

 

Which is also absent from the frame.

 

In photos online, it also appears that he was awarded the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky from Ukraine (it might not be, but from the edge shown in the photos, it appears something similar. That one too is not in the frame.

 

The Soviet/Russian medals that are present are ones that are easily obtainable for very little money, and were assembled by someone wanting "representation" but not having a significant knowledge of Soviet/Russian awards or really wanting to put out a lot of money on the serial numbered medals (when this frame was made, it would have run $1500 or so to buy the serial numbered awards, even ones that were not his, just original representations.)

 

In short, given that none of the actual Soviet medals that were awarded to him are present in the frame, and based on the fact that the US awards appear to be recent issues, along with the addition of the commemorative medals, all point to this frame being a "representation" rather than his actual awards, which are still probably in the possession of his son.

 

Hope that helps!

 

Dave

 

 

[JasonT]

Thank you Dave! I'm always impressed with your knowledge on all things medals. I thought perhaps his real medals were on loan for the exhibit but I'm sure you are correct that they remain in possession of his son (who as a sidenote served as ambassador to Russia a few years back). It would make sense that they wouldn't spend thousands of dollars just to accurately replicate all the medals.

[Allan H.]

Some years ago, there was a guy on Mark Bando's Trigger Time Forum that made up a number of these shadow boxes for notable 101st A/B personalities, to include several of the Band of Brothers E/506 well-knowns to include Major Richard Winters etc. None of the insignia is old- in fact the 101st SSIs are reproductions, and not simply newly manufactured pieces.

 

You are right about the person who put these together- he must have spent a fortune with one of the on-line purveyors of medals.

 

Allan

[Dave]

Some years ago, there was a guy on Mark Bando's Trigger Time Forum that made up a number of these shadow boxes for notable 101st A/B personalities, to include several of the Band of Brothers E/506 well-knowns to include Major Richard Winters etc. None of the insignia is old- in fact the 101st SSIs are reproductions, and not simply newly manufactured pieces.

 

You are right about the person who put these together- he must have spent a fortune with one of the on-line purveyors of medals.

 

Allan

 

 

His name was Frank DeAngelis. He also made frames for KIA soldiers and Marines of the latest GWOT as well. And you're right...he did spend a fortune doing it.

 

http://www.frankdeangelis.com/

 

http://www.frankdeangelis.com/Staff%20Sergeant%20Joe%20Beyrle.htm

[emccomas]

So do we know what happened to this soldier's real medals?

[Dave]

So do we know what happened to this soldier's real medals?

 

I believe his son has them.

[emccomas]

So do we know what happened to this soldier's real medals?

 

I thought it was interesting that when he connected with Soviet forces, he hooked up with Guards Captain Aleksandra Samusenko (1st Guards Tank Army), the only female tankman of that rank in the 1st Guards Tank Army. She died from injuries received in February or March of 1945.

 

Sgt Beyrle was injured in early February of 1945 and subsequently sent to Moscow. He had been reported KIA, so he was held under guard until his identity was confirmed through fingerprints.

 

Fascinating story...

[McDermut99]

These medals were put together by an airborne enthusiast and are not his original medals. Additionally, the enthusiast was rather liberal with the commemorative medals and insignias included in the frame. I am not disparaging the veteran's accomplishments, just saying that the presentation is a bit over the top if you ask me.

 

Allan

 

+1. I'm sure his original medals are very impressive, but I have seen a number of these online including one made to commemorate Maj. Dick Winters service. I think they were put together with Medals of America products.