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WW2 4th IVY Division 1st Lieutenant. Silver Star and Field Commission Recipient


carbinephalen
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The story of this brave veteran has a beggining like many others. He was born in 1919 and worked as a ticket clerk at the local railway in New York City. He enlisted in the Army in February of 1942. Coughlin was assigned to the 8th Infantry Regiment in the 4th Division and trained with the unit prior to being deployed in January of 1944. In the following months, it was decided that the famous ivy division would spearhead the charge for mainland europe by being the first unit to hit the beaches of Normandy. Coughlin's records indicate that he was wounded on D+4 (and also later on in November of that year)

This brave soldier not only received a Silver Star Medal and Purple Heart Medal w/ OLC for his heroic actions in the ETO, but a battlefield commission also. He was commissioned from a,SSgt to 2nd Lieutnant a month after landing in France. If only this uniform could talk to me and tell me the details of the footsteps that this Ivy Divisioner took. I was lucky enough to get some records with the uniform including (what must be a VERY rare) letter of commission.

The uniform is in gorgeous condition and it has his initials embroidered on to a tailors tag on the inside. Sterling CIB, All Pinback ribbon bars, machine sewn 4th Division patch (he was discharged from the 4th at Camp Butner so there isn't another on the other sleeve) match his service record perfectly!

 

*Strange his discharge doesn't mention a Good Conduct Medal! He also apparently never felt the need to put an OLC on his Purple Heart or the "Invasion Medal" on his EAME ribbon!

It is a centerpiece addition to my war room and I hope to display it for years to come. PLEASE if anybody could tell me how he received his Silver Star I would forever be thankful! Or any other information about him!

 

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Officer+Commission+Letter.jpg

 

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Thomas, you need to get your hands on a copy of General Orders No. 71, 1945, Fourth Infantry Division. That's where his SSM award was announced, and perhaps the citation is included. This document is no doubt in RG 407 at Archives II.

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It would be incredible if it was a D-Day Silver Star! I would think it would have been published in 1944 though not 1945.

 

Does anybody have this General Order?!

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Also...

 

I found that the 8th Regiment receiving a Distinguished Unit Citation for their actions at Normandy.

 

However, this does not explain the Presidential Unit Citation on the jacket.

 

Is that for another action? I cannot find the 4th receiving a PUC. Any help?

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You're right, a 1945 G.O. would tend to indicate that the SSM was for an action after D-Day, but that's not always true. I've found D-Day awards made in 1945 and 1946. I'll be at Archives II next month and will check if I have time. No guarantees. In the meantime, somebody else on the forum may locate the GO.

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IMO, the unit citation on the jacket relates to the 8th Infantry unit award. It's pretty rare for an entire division to receive it. The award was usually made at regimental level or lower, often by battalion.

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At the NARA website it shows that he enlisted or inducted Feb. 24, 1941 So the GC, American theater and American defense make since. I wonder why the paperwork does not show his prior service as an enlisted man, but shows some of his medals for that prior service.

 

I read that officers who were previously enlisted men were very proud to wear the GC. Also one of my relatives did not want the purple heart as he said it was a medal for "failing to keep your a** down." So I could see him not wearing the oak leaf.

 

Is the jacket dated and named to him?

 

Interesting jacket and a great display piece.

 

Paul

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The story of this brave veteran has a beggining like many others. He was born in 1919 and worked as a ticket clerk at the local railway in New York City. He enlisted in the Army in February of 1942. Coughlin was assigned to the 8th Infantry Regiment in the 4th Division and trained with the unit prior to being deployed in January of 1944. In the following months, it was decided that the famous ivy division would spearhead the charge for mainland europe by being the first unit to hit the beaches of Normandy. Coughlin's records indicate that he was wounded on D+4 (and also later on in November of that year)

 

This brave soldier not only received a Silver Star Medal and Purple Heart Medal w/ OLC for his heroic actions in the ETO, but a battlefield commission also. He was commissioned from a,SSgt to 2nd Lieutnant a month after landing in France. If only this uniform could talk to me and tell me the details of the footsteps that this Ivy Divisioner took. I was lucky enough to get some records with the uniform including (what must be a VERY rare) letter of commission.

 

The uniform is in gorgeous condition and it has his initials embroidered on to a tailors tag on the inside. Sterling CIB, All Pinback ribbon bars, machine sewn 4th Division patch (he was discharged from the 4th at Camp Butner so there isn't another on the other sleeve) match his service record perfectly!

 

*Strange his discharge doesn't mention a Good Conduct Medal! He also apparently never felt the need to put an OLC on his Purple Heart or the "Invasion Medal" on his EAME ribbon!

 

It is a centerpiece addition to my war room and I hope to display it for years to come. PLEASE if anybody could tell me how he received his Silver Star I would forever be thankful! Or any other information about him!

 

Forum+To+Use.jpg

Officer+Commission+Letter.jpg

 

100_7976.JPG

 

Officer+Separation+Paper.jpg

 

Reference the Good Conduct Medal ribbon, I do not know what the regulations were back then but normally three years enlisted service, if receiving a OCS commission or battlefield promotion, and in the case of appointment would qualify an individual automatically for a GCM.

 

I think that he was proud of the fact he was former enlisted and wanted other to know he came by his rank the hard way. Back then it the silver star representing 5 campaigns was not always available and getting a arrow head on the ribbon with 5 single stars was a little hard.

Though OLC were plentiful many vets did not put OLC on their Purple Heart Ribbons, probably influenced Bill Mauldin "Willey and Joe" Cartoon where Joe is seeing a medic who is sitting at a desk with a stack of Purple Hearts Boxes Joe tells the Medic "Just gimme a couple aspirin, I already got a Purple Heart." Personified the Line Doggies "aw the hell with it" when it came to OLCs and states side earned awards like marksman medals and American Campaign ribbons which were automatically authorized to anyone who was stateside for more then 90 days. Then again maybe he did not have the paperwork for the OLC until final out processing and said in Willey and Joe fashion "aw the hell with it I'm outahere". Earthier way none of us will never know as the reason went to the grave with the veteran. Great info and uniform, thanks for sharing.

John

 

PS You should be able to order the GO from the College Park Archive, I used to mail my request but the last ones I requested were done from their internet site. I also agree it could potentially be a D-Day award, I have a Silver Star Medal group to a medic in the 36th ID for action in May of 44 being awarded in July of 45. Good luck and keep us posted.

Silver StarSee more recipients of this award

 

Awarded for actions during the World War II

 

(UNCONFIRMED - Citation Needed): Thomas F. Coughlin, United States Army, is reported to have been awarded the Silver Star under the below-listed General Orders, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against the enemy while serving with the 4th Infantry Division during World War II.

General Orders: Headquarters, 4th Infantry Division, General Orders No. 71 (1945)

 

Action Date: World War II

 

Service: Army

 

Division: 4th Infantry Division

From the Military Times Hall Of Valor web page

http://projects.militarytimes.com/citations-medals-awards/recipient.php?recipientid=78997

 

 

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One possible explanation for the omission of the Good Conduct Medal is that it may have been on his enlisted discharge. When an enlisted man received a commission, whether through OCS or a battlefield commission, he was officially discharged as an enlisted man and began a new term of service as an officer. In those cases, the soldier would actually have two separate discharge forms and the awards earned prior to the first discharge would usually be listed on that discharge and typically not repeated on the second. However, in your case, his officer discharge does list his American Defense and American Campaign Medals which would have been earned as an enlisted man prior to deploying overseas, so it's hard to say.

 

Also, note that even though his 1945 discharge lists the American Defense and American Campaign Medals (AT Ribbon for American Theater), the uniform does not have either of those.

 

Finally, note that the discharge does not list, and he did not wear, the ribbons for the World War II Victory Medal and the WWII Army of Occupation Medal which he would have also been entitled to. The Victory Medal was authorized by Congress in July 1945 but I have seen references that it was not initially issued until around December 1945, right after your guy was discharged. I don't know when it first started being referenced on discharges.

 

On the other hand, the Occupation Medal was not even authorized until April 1946, well after his final discharge. I don't know when it was first issued, but I have the discharge of a family friend who served with the 103rd Division in Europe and did not return from Europe until November 1946 and was not discharged until January 1947 and his discharge does not even list the Occupation Medal.

 

Also, per the lineage and honors page for the 8th Infantry Regiment on the Center Of Military History webpage and the Army's Unit Citation And Campaign Participation Credit Register, the 8th Infantry earned a Presidential Unit Citation for the period 6 to 9 June 1944 for Normandy and was also entitled to the Belgian Fourragere 1940 for being cited twice in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army for action in BELGIUM the ARDENNES.

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Thanks for that very detailed response SeanNMC. I think some soldiers really did choose to wear what they wanted to or perhaps which ones were "important" to them. Great insight.

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  • 1 month later...

Thomas, I was at NARA today and found GO 71, 5 Oct 1945. Your man received his SSM for actions on 21 Nov 44. Unfortunately the full text of his citation is not provided in the general orders.

post-105245-0-01841700-1383090871.jpg

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carbinephalen

Wow!!! Thanks so much for that! I have found that Divisions who were really kicking butt didn't have much time to write out long Citations in the GO's

 

Still great to have though!

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It's pretty typical not to find the full text of the citation except in the case of posthumous awards or awards to persons statused as Missing in Action.

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Great job! I always enjoy a post like this. I have a dear friend who won the DSC in the 12th Regiment during the struggle for the Hurtgen Forest.

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  • 6 years later...

Hi, I was researching my wife's grandpa online and came across this post. My wife's grandpa is the Thomas Coughlin being discussed in this forum. I showed the post to my wife's dad and uncle, they sent me an photo of her grandpa in this uniform, on his wedding day to her grandma. I tried to post the pic to the forum but couldn't figure how to upload it. They have all his medals, all the paperwork and all the stories that go with him. Honestly, there really could be a movie made on this guy. He had the silver star with oak leaf cluster, bronze star and purple heart. Let me know how to post the photo and I will add it, the photo shows the bars for the silver star.

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  • 6 months later...
RegularsByGod

Poor quality copy of the 8th Infantry Regiment yearbook done at Camp Butner, North Carolina 1945 showing 1st Lieutenant Thomas F. Coughlin as the photo fourth from the left.

coughlin yb.jpg

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  • 1 year later...

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