Remember Pearl Harbor - Navy Good Conduct Medal Groups to Survivors

[Adam R]

USS Vestal. The LoM was for salvage work later in the war. Notice that the WWI Victory is an unofficial type with ball suspension.

[Wharfmaster]

Nice groupings guys. Thanks for posting.

 

Had a cousin aboard the Nevada on December 7th.

 

 

 

Best regards,

 

 

The Wharfmaster

[USMCR79]

USS Keosanqua

[USMCR79]

USS San Francisco at Pearl Harbor 12/7/41 and USS Satterlee at Pointe Du Hoc Normandy 6/6/44

[Adam R]

USS West Virginia. Siewert, who was wounded in the attack, claimed that his medals were destroyed on December 7 and was belatedly issued replacements in 1950. Obviously his pre-war GCM was NOT lost in the attack. Perhaps he just wanted a duplicate? The location of his Purple Heart (presumably unnamed) is unknown. Siewert served on the West Virginia from 1935 until August 1945.

[Adam R]

I owned Siewert's medal for more than 10 years before I was finally able to access his personnel file in St. Louis, where these documents were scanned. The medals were purchased from fellow Forum member Jeff Floyd.

[USMCR79]

USS Maryland

[USMCR79]

Navy Yard Pearl Harbor

[devildog34]

Kurt this is a great tribute. Amazing stuff. Adam your USS Oklahoma group is stunning! Wow. I have a special place in my heart for the Oklahoma, being a native Oklahoman. I remember going to the Kirkpatrick Museum as a kid and seeing the Oklahoma's anchor and what I thought was the propellor and my dad explaining to me what happened to the Oklahoma. For years I remembered it being the Oklahoma's propellor but realized that the propellor I remember was at the zoo just next door to the Kirkpatrick center museum and the propellor was to the U.S.S. Oklahoma City. I do vividly recall my dad explaining to me that the Oklahoma turned over at Pearl Harbor and I remember being fascinated that the anchor was as big as it was and that I was able to touch it. Needless to say it planted a seed.

Semper Fi

[KASTAUFFER]

Thanks for all the new examples! Keep em coming!

 

Kurt

[KASTAUFFER]

Back to the top in commemoration of the 71st anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

[bazsi]

My small contribution to the anniversary:

 

USS Worden. Later he served on USS Caldwell until the end of the war.

 

[bazsi]

[bazsi]

[bazsi]

[KASTAUFFER]

GCM + Purple Heart group to a sailor who was WIA 12/7/41 on the USS California .

 

His GCM was recovered from the ship and mailed to him in March 1942. That is why the planchet is stained black. I added the ribbon.

 

 

 

 

 

[KASTAUFFER]

Sports Medals

 

 

 

 

 

 

[KASTAUFFER]

Liberty Card

 

 

[KASTAUFFER]

USS NARWAHL

 

 

[KASTAUFFER]

USS Vestal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Adam R]

That WWII era medals that are part of a larger grouping to a Boatswain’s Mate 1c on the USS Helena during the attack. He received a Letter of Commendation for his services as gun captain of a 1.1” mount. The LoC later became the Commendation Ribbon, which later became the Commendation Ribbon with Metal Pendant.

 

The GCM is hand engraved with his name and is dated 1937. The grouping also includes his post-war medals, CSC book (which unfortunately doesn’t specifically mention the attack), numerous photos and papers. Also with it is his original helmet liner, which he has personalized with details of the attack.

[Adam R]

Onion skin copy of the 1942 Letter of Commendation.

 

 

[Adam R]

Photo as Chief Boatswain’s Mate.

[Adam R]

Transmittal letter for Commendation Metal Pendant in 1951. It wasn’t until a few years later that this became the “Commendation Medal”.

[Adam R]

Helmet liner. After Japanese he’s written (slant eyes).