Dirk Posted April 7, 2019 Share #1 Posted April 7, 2019 Recently, I was contacted by a family who wanted to pass on their father's legacy for research purposes. Military museum were tried, but they showed no interest, so here the legacy was sent to be studied and kept together. The Marine entered in 1936, was sent to Cavite in the summer of 37, only to be turned north and sent to the banks of Shanghai's Soochow Creek for duty. After the fighting ended, he was retained and along with his brother who was also sent during the battle spending another year and a half before returning stateside. He got out only to come back in during WW2 followed by a commission and service into the early 1960's. The group includes his medals minus the GCM. To include numbered China Service medal, and pristine engraved Type V Soochow Creek medal, ribbons, very clean leather dragon album, a Walla, his cruise log and Neptune Cert and a interesting Peiping Privates Club "Pilots License", a Pan Am clipper mailed letter and a great letter written while on the Soochow describing the fighting.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirk Posted April 7, 2019 Author Share #2 Posted April 7, 2019 The Leather Dragon Album with EGA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirk Posted April 7, 2019 Author Share #3 Posted April 7, 2019 Photos taken by a commercial photographer. The photo on the Creek is unusual in that it was taken by a commercial studio vice a Marine or Marine Corps photographer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirk Posted April 7, 2019 Author Share #4 Posted April 7, 2019 With a Japanese soldier after the fighting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirk Posted April 7, 2019 Author Share #5 Posted April 7, 2019 Nice shots of the Cavite Det arriving in Shanghai. The Walla Walla he kept was the one that recorded the start of the fighting in 1937, and a copy of the Guam Recorder, Guam's version of the Walla Walla Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirk Posted April 7, 2019 Author Share #6 Posted April 7, 2019 Neptune Cert and Peiping Privates License Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan H. Posted April 7, 2019 Share #7 Posted April 7, 2019 Dirk, THis is an OUTSTANDING grouping and I am glad to see that the family realized that you would honor this brave marine's memory. What an amazing group! While the medals are nice, and rare in their own right, the paper and photos is what really fleshes the grouping out. Congratulations and thank you for sharing. Allan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirk Posted April 7, 2019 Author Share #8 Posted April 7, 2019 Letters Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirk Posted April 7, 2019 Author Share #9 Posted April 7, 2019 Allan thank you! They put aside monetary, and instead concentrated on preservation knowing it will be used for research, in books (hopefully) and shown. I am most grateful they allowed me to preserve his honor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirk Posted April 7, 2019 Author Share #10 Posted April 7, 2019 Transmittal letter for the China Service. Just a single Gooney.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirk Posted April 7, 2019 Author Share #11 Posted April 7, 2019 This Type V's condition is similar to one in the BobG's collection. I wish I knew why the Marine chose this style over the Honey Cart version. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZPhil Posted April 7, 2019 Share #12 Posted April 7, 2019 That is an amazing china Marine collection. Its good to know it found a good home. Semper Fi Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobgee Posted April 7, 2019 Share #13 Posted April 7, 2019 Wonderful grouping, Dirk. Couldn't be in better hands - except mine of course! LOL Congrats! Semper Fi - Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirk Posted April 7, 2019 Author Share #14 Posted April 7, 2019 Thanks all! Bob don't you already have a type V, type IV, type ...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremiahcable Posted April 7, 2019 Share #15 Posted April 7, 2019 That's a killer group, Dirk. I'm glad it landed in your hands! Love the album cover. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirk Posted April 7, 2019 Author Share #16 Posted April 7, 2019 J thank you and for the editing too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brig Posted April 8, 2019 Share #17 Posted April 8, 2019 Phenomenal group...always great to see an attributed Soochow, but I have to concur with Allan, the paper really makes this one...looks like lots of good material there for study Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teufelhunde.ret Posted April 8, 2019 Share #18 Posted April 8, 2019 ... what the rest said, could not be in better hands. Enjoy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirk Posted April 8, 2019 Author Share #19 Posted April 8, 2019 Brig/D thank you both! Lots of great material to study here! M just starting to go thru the album and confirmed with his family he had a camera at that time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kanemono Posted April 8, 2019 Share #20 Posted April 8, 2019 Great group Dirk. It is in the best of hands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirk Posted April 8, 2019 Author Share #21 Posted April 8, 2019 Thanks Dick!! This one came out of the blue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devildog34 Posted April 8, 2019 Share #22 Posted April 8, 2019 Just absolutely spectacular!!!!! An id'd Soochow medal is definitely on the list. The photos in this one make this group just spectacular. Congrats on this fantastic find. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirk Posted April 8, 2019 Author Share #23 Posted April 8, 2019 Kevin thank you! Fully agree the photos take it over the top! Very grateful to the Marine's family. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brig Posted April 9, 2019 Share #24 Posted April 9, 2019 Still regret trading/selling all the Soochows I ever acquired. I had a hot streak and picked up 3 or 4 in a matter of months, didn't realize how lucky that streak was until I traded them. Can't keep it all, but in all the stuff I parted with during my focusing purge, that's the only item I truly regret Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobgee Posted April 9, 2019 Share #25 Posted April 9, 2019 So here's a twin set of the USMC Soochow & China Service medal. My Marine was on his 2nd tour in China having arrived on Sept 19, 1937 with F/2/6. From his SRB it appears that his platoon leader was 2/Lt David E. Shoup, future Medal of Honor recipient at Tarawa and later Commandant. He was on the Defense of the International Settlement from 09/20/1937 unti 02/17/1938 the day he left Shanghai. He was awarded China Service Medal #121 which is shown. The Soo Chow also came in a cardboard box and my Marine's has remarkably survived: His Soo Chow is inscribed with his last name - "Kupfernagel" and it also appears on the bottom of the box. He was awarded USMC GCM No. 83309 - N0v 5, 1927 - It's whereabouts are unknown and believed to be in collector's hands. Any info about it would be gratefully appreciated. Semper Fi! Bobgee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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