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United American Veterans Inc.


KevinBeyer
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Hello, All,

 

I recently picked up either a reunion medal or membership badge belonging to the United American Veterans Inc. It is constructed like a reunion badge in that its ribbon has a date and that the top bar has "BOSTON" across the bottom of it. The funny thing is that the ribbon itself has been wrapped through the nameplate section of the top bar such that it obscured the city name. The ribbon is sewn closed and looks to have come that way from the manufacturer. There exists a clasp mechanism on the reverse of the top bar in which the ribbon could have been threaded. Why this was not use I have no idea.

 

When I bought this item, there were actually two identical medal in the lot. Both came with the ribbon fashioned as stated above. This leads me to believe that this is how they were originally constructed. I don't think that someone piecing these items together would have sewn both ribbons so professionally. The coloring of the medal on the top bar and the pendent suggest that they were fabricated at the same time with the same metal.

 

Does anyone have any information regarding this group?

 

UnitedAmericanVeteransInc.jpg

UnitedAmericanVeteransIncClose.jpg

 

Kevin

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Am not sure how you do it, but you have posted two veterans groups in the last six months that I have never heard of before your posting. This badge and the Army-Navy Veterans badge are totally new to me. When I first ventured into the veteran arena, I thought "How many groups can there be?" It seems that for every successful society that becomes national in scope, fifteen or twenty groups try, gain some success, then disappear. Hope someone has info on this group.

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The United American Veterans (UAV) formed around 1892 by a group of former Confederate and Union Civil War veterans who were Christian. Their main objective was to spread peace and to rid the divide among North and South. As William Brann stated in his Feb 1894 address to the UAV members: "That the pitiful sectional prejudices which we see here and there coming to the surface both north and south; that the petty hatreds, which appear to transform some hearts into bitter little pools in which Justice perishes and divine Reason is quite overthrown, have no lot or part among the soldiers who made the civil war the grandest event in modern history--one from which the world will mark time for centuries yet to be." (For more of this speech, click Excerpts of Brann's speech to the UAV). They were a common site at many a GAR encampment, which is where I've heard about them.

 

After World War II, their focused changed somewhat to where the sole purpose became to "combat communism" (quote from their National Adjutant Thomas Dixon inTime magazine article from Nov 25, 1946). Dixon, like many of the WWII members, were from prewar Christian and Bund groups. It appears the TIME magazine article kind of labeled them as extremist, citing that many "posts" contained bylaws and doctrines against Cathoics, Jews, and African Americans.

 

They are still active today. I am not sure what their main focus today is, but I believe they have gone more back to their early roots and are advocates for peace.

 

(PS: Some of this info may be wrong or misinterpretted as there were several groups with similar names during this period, so please feel free to correct me.)

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  • 4 years later...

Here's the lastest addition to my Whitehead and Hoag collection. A lapel button with a button screw-back, with maker's mark on the button. Pretty good die work by Whitehead and Hoag. I guess it would date from the 1930s-1940s?

Pete

post-5467-1336782091.jpg

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KevinBeyer

I am not sure when it dates from, but I do recognize that the eagle in the center has a completely different design. I think that it definitely suggests an earlier version.

 

Nice one!

 

Kevin

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  • 9 years later...
KevinBeyer

I have come across an officer badge for the United American Veterans.  This one is for a COMMANDER.  On the reverse, it is marked STERLING.

 

I do not know the significance of the color of the ribbon.  Does it represent a local, state, or national level commander?  Does anyone have a copy of their Constitution and Bylaws?

 

UnitedAmericanWarVeteransCommander_750.jpg

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