Custom 82nd Airborne officer's ribbon rack

[Flashlarue]

Lt. Col. Otho E. Holms died in Texas 27 August 1969 and Col. Roy E Lindquist died in Texas 15 Nov 1991.

[riflegreen297]

If it was MG® Lindquist wouldn't there be a star on the ADSM? I thought I read somewhere that MG® Lindquist passed in 1986 in Florida. Also, Lundquist was the 3rd CDR of the 187th RCBT wasn't he? Great ribbon rack regardless who it belonged to. Thanks for sharing.

[tom2001]

You can start typing in names here: http://militarytimes.com/citations-medals-awards/search.php

 

Just as an example, James L. Kaiser was a DSC recipient, so you can take him off the list of 27.

[Herman v]

Allright, I checked my files and a lot of books i own and this is what i found:

 

Awarded DSC in WW2:

LTC James L. KAISER, awarded DSC and Silver Star in 1945

LTC Louis G. MENDEZ, awarded DSC, UK-DSO and FR-Croix de Guerre with palm in 1944/45

LTC Teddy H. SANFORD, awarded DSC and Silver Star in 1944. DSM in 1967.

LTC Benjamin VANDERVOORT, awarded two DSC's in 1944/45, 3 PH's and a FR-Croix de Guerre with palm in 1945

 

Awarded Silver Star in WW2:

1Lt Rex COMBS, in may 1945

MAJ Walter DELONG in 1944

1Lt Arthur DRAPER in 1944/45

COL William EKMAN plus OLC, plus FR-Croix de Guerre with palm in 1945. And a DSM in 1968.

2Lt John GUTCHALL in 1944

LTC Otho HOLMES in 1945

LTC Osmund LEAHY plus OLC in 1944/45

COL Roy LINDQUIST plus Legion of Merit FR-Croix de Guerre with palm. After WW2 a DSM and an OLC to Legion of Merit

LTC Talton LONG in 1944/45

Capt John MANNING in 1944

Brig Francis MARCH in 1944/45 plus FR-Croix de Guerre with palm.

Capt Wayne PIERCE in 1944

1Lt Nicholas PSAKI in 1944. After WW2 a DSM in 1968, a Legion of Merit, a DFC, MSM, several Air Medals etc etc.

Capt Charles SARTAIN Jr in 1944/45, plus an Air Medal plus OLC

Maj Dave STOKELY in 1944

LTC Shields WARREN Jr in 1944/45 plus a FR-Croix de Guerre with palm

LTC Edward WELLEMS in 1945 plus a Bronze Star plus 2 OLC's

Capt James WHITE plus OLC in 1944/45

Capt Russell WILDE in 1944/45

 

Please note that all a/m DSC's and Silver Stars were awarded in 1944 and 1945. I checked Brandon Wiegands superb work of the General Orders of the 82nd ABN Div. Snakepuke can rest assured, all medals issued pre-1947 were taken into consideration by me. This said, 23 of the 27 names can be taken from the list now.

 

The 4 survivors are:

 

Maj John T. BERRY in HQ 1st Bn 504 PIR, later LTC and Cdr 1st Bn 504. Retired as COL.

Maj Fordyce GORHAM S2 of 504 PIR. Originally from Muncy, PA.

COL Wilbur M. GRIFFITH Cdr of 376 PFAB

LTC John W. SMILEY in HQ Division Artillery 82nd ABN Div.

 

FYI

- BERRY received a Bronze Star in 1945 and an Army Commendation Medal in 1947.

- GORHAM received a Bronze Star in 1944

- GRIFFITH a Bronze Star plus OLC in 1945

- SMILEY a Bronze Star plus OLC in 1944/45

 

Well, I did my bid. Who wants to react to this and most of all, who can bring down the last 4 to only one name.

 

Regards

Herman

[tom2001]

You can take Smiley off the list. Here's his LOM citation:

 

LT. COL. JOHN W. SMILEY, for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services from 18 Sep to 15 Nov 43. After the departure of a division for Italy, he was left as commanding officer of headquarters base echelon of an Airborne Division, with rear echelons of 17 units dispersed at 11 widely separated points in Sicily and Africa, along with all the organizational equipment, supplies and personal effects of troops. He prepared and executed plans for the concentration and organization of personnel and materiel, and for the air movement of increments of both to forward areas when and as required. This was accomplished with outstanding efficiency, exceptional tact and administrative ability. He then coordinated the efforts of the combined base echelons, displaced them to Algiers and Bizerte and prepared them for a seaborne movement to another station. These highly successful achievements, involving dispersed elements, air, water and ground movements, displacement of the base and innumerable other tasks and problems not encountered by Ground Forces, were due solely to the foresight, professional ability and wholehearted devotion to duty displayed by Col. Smiley. Address, 515 E. 12th St., Bonham, Texas.

[Flashlarue]

Thanks for everyone's assistance. From everything everyone posted and a bit of research I think I have my man, Maj John Thomas Berry. He was born in Oklahoma, went to college in Arkansas and died in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. The uniforms are in the Little Rock, Ark area and the dealer brings items from the Texas area, Arkadelphia is that direction. Due to the snow storm we have had here in the area the antique mall has been closed with power outage. Hopefully they will be open again this week end and I will be able to nail down the info and get pix of the uniforms and get one of them with the other ribbon bar for my collection.

 

I am visiting my son in Little Rock this week and due to the snow storm we were withou power from 4 pm Christmas day to about 2 pm today.

[Flashlarue]

John T. Berry was born on August 31, 1916 and joined the 2nd Battalion of the 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment after completing jump training. He was assigned as commanding officer of F Company. In July 1942 the battalion was sent to England to observe and participate in the British airborne forces training. Some months later, in November 1942, the unit was flown to North Africa where the battalion jumped as part of Operation Torch. In the planes Berry and his fellow officers and men heard that their battalion was resignated as 2nd Battalion of the 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment. The 503rd had left the United States in November and picked up A Company of the 504th and the majority of the 501st Parachute Infantry Battalion enroute to Australia.

 

Captain Berry was injured on the drop at Youks-le-Bains and was sent back to the States for recuperation. In the Summer of 1944 he was sent over to England and assigned to the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment. Berry, now a major, jumped with the 1st Battalion in the Netherlands on 17 September 1944. Three months later Major Berry succeeded Lieutenant Colonel Willard E. Harrison as commanding officer and remained in command until the regiment returned in New York in January 1946.

 

John Berry died on February 23, 1993 in his hometown Arkadelphia, Arkansas.

[Flashlarue]

I have finally made it home from visiting my son in Little Rock, AR. Here is a much better photo of the ribbon rack.

 

[Flashlarue]

Here is a photo I found on line of Lt Col John T. Berry. He is still a Captain and wearing the 503rd PIR crossed rifles. He is wearing his Purple Heart, EAME, and American Campaign ribbon (in the wrong order) So this photo would have been taken while he was stateside recovering from his injuries after his jump at Youks-le-Bains in November 1942 and prior to his returning to England and becoming part of the 504th PIR.

 

[KurtA]

Here is a photo I found on line of Lt Col John T. Berry. He is still a Captain and wearing the 503rd PIR crossed rifles. He is wearing his Purple Heart, EAME, and American Campaign ribbon (in the wrong order) So this photo would have been taken while he was stateside recovering from his injuries after his jump at Youks-le-Bains in November 1942 and prior to his returning to England and becoming part of the 504th PIR.

 

Great photo. Interesting that he wears a USN Lt collar pin on his hat.