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Yangtze Service Medal ,small grouping to James Julian Martin


camelgreen44
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camelgreen44

Just found this little group at an antique mall today. Medal is rim numbered M No 2776. Is there any way this medal can be put with a name? Thanks Denny

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camelgreen44

Well guys, here's the rest of the story. James Julian Martin enlisted in the U.S. Navy on 19 Sep 1919, Discharged Active to Reserve on 11 Mar 1947. Service Ratings from Yeoman 3c to Chief Yeoman,then LTJG in the reserves.His CSC has 8 double sided pages of entries. Mediterian tours in the 20's, Cuba, P.I.,and most of his time in the 20's and 30's all around China. One really neat entry on the last page that I photographed, states the following paragraph: While this vessel (USS LUZON) was in actions with Chinese Communists along the Yangtze River on 16 September,1930,1, 2, 26, and 27 October 1930, and 1 November, 1930, MARTIN performed his duties at his battle station (Lewis Machine Gunner ) in a very creditable manner. and later states Yangtze Service Medal awarded Sept.1,1933 . His diary goes from 1921 to 1926 mostly in the states and the Med. ALL IN ALL, I'm quite happy with my new found little group. I came From his Niece Via her friend ,the antique dealer. She is looking for any other medals, (China Service, I hope) and some pics of him in uniform.... Part II maybe in the future.... Denny Pictures may take a bit of work,please bear with me here.

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USSLuzonPG_7.jpg

 

Now, once again, we know the rest of the story! Glad you got it together! USS LUZON - PRG-47 was Flagship of the Yangtse Fleet. This is a "Sand Pebbles" group. Great!!!!! Bobgee

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More on the LUZON from Wikipedia:

The first USS Luzon (PG-47) was laid down 20 November 1926 by Kiangnan Dock & Engineering Works, Shanghai, China; launched 12 September 1927; sponsored by Miss Mary C. Carter, daughter of Commander Andrew F. Carter, USN; and commissioned 1 June 1928. One of eight gunboats built for service on the Yangtze River in China, Luzon was redesignated PR-7 on 15 June. From commissioning until December 1938, she served as the flagship of the Yangtze River Patrol, operating out of Hankow, between such ports as Nanking, Chunking, and Shanghai. In August 1937, after the Japanese had attacked Shanghai, Luzon evacuated the American Embassy staff to Chunking.

 

In December 1938 the river gunboat arrived at Shanghai to relieve Augusta (CA-31) as station ship. Except for infrequent calls at Nanking, Wuhu and other ports on the Yangtze, she remained off Shanghai until 29 November 1941 when she departed for the Philippines.

 

Luzon arrived at Manila 30 December, just 23 days after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor brought the United States into World War II. She then began patrol operations in the waters of the Philippines, assisting in the defense of both Bataan, from 1 February until the surrender of the peninsula to the Japanese 9 April, and Corregidor, from the beginning evacuations of that entrance island to Manila Bay until the enemy landings 5 May.

 

The next day, with the surrender of the Corregidor and Manila Bay forts to the Japanese, Luzon, along with Oahu (PR-6) and Quail (AM-15), were scuttled in Manila Bay to prevent capture.

 

Struck from the Navy list 8 May, Luzon was salvaged by the Japanese and renamed Karatsu. For the next 2 years she operated in enemy hands until the river gunboat was sunk in the Philippines by Narwhal (SS-167) on 3 March 1944.

 

Luzon received one battle star for World War II service.

 

Bobgee

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camelgreen44

Thanks Bob, I'm learning here,pretty cool stuff ! His CSC lists many ships he served on . From 1927 to 1938, he was almost always in China. His ships in this timeframe were: Uss Pittsburg,Bulmer,Luzon,Pillsbury,Paul Jones,Sacramento,palos,Oahu, and the Augusta. He really got around.

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KASTAUFFER

I am glad you went back and grabbed the rest ! His CSC book even confirmed the awards as I assumed it would. It made all the difference in the world on this group. It just went from being an un-identified Yangtze with a ribbon bar, to an A+++++ group with original documentation . This is what collecting is all about.

 

If you write for his service record at the NPRC , the transmittal letter for the Yangtze might be there confirming the number!

 

Kurt

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camelgreen44

Got a couple pics of James Martin from his Niece today, she's still looking for more. The one in his blues,Taken at a Japanese tea garden at Golden Gate Park.Looks like right after Basic Tng. The other a bit later, maybe duty in China? Denny

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