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Lets see some USMC Good Conduct Medals


DevilDan1900
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These are the bars on a NAVY Good Conduct Medal. Since it has a strong Marine Corps connection I thought it would be appropriate to post it here.

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Here's another Navy GCM in the same category. The planchet has been turned around so that the engraving faces the front of the medal.

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Here's a close up shot of the engraving on a Harris type 3 medal. I didn't show the suspension because I obtained the medal as a planchet only. Note that the medal number is high that what would be expected for the 1903 date on the medal. This will be explained below. The research that follows is what really makes the medal neat.

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Here's the letter of recommendation for Cornwell's Good Conduct Medal. I got very excited when I saw the nice bold signature of the recommending officer. Interestingly, this recommendation was disapproved, as shown in the document below. All of these documents were scanned from Cornwell's service file which is at the records center in St. Louis.

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Here's the letter that denied Cornwell the GCM. Apparently this decision was later overruled, as shown by the documents below.

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This entry was pasted into the service book. Apparently the award of the GCM was approved in November, 1906 and engraved with a sequential number that was assigned at that time. However the medal was backdated to the date of the end of his first enlistment in 1903. This is why the medal number doesn't sync up with the date when compared to other medals from the same era. There was no explanation in the service file as to why the award was eventually approved.

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BigJohn#3RD
This entry was pasted into the service book. Apparently the award of the GCM was approved in November, 1906 and engraved with a sequential number that was assigned at that time. However the medal was backdated to the date of the end of his first enlistment in 1903. This is why the medal number doesn't sync up with the date when compared to other medals from the same era. There was no explanation in the service file as to why the award was eventually approved.

Great information and pictures :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: Thank You for Sharing!

Regards

John

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And finally, here the other entry regarding the medal in the service book. Unfortunately is shows that there was one bar awarded as well, which is now missing from the medal.

 

This give a pretty good idea of the "paper trail" that you might find on a Marine Good Conduct Medal that was issued in the late 1800s or early 1900s. By about 1908 the documentation isn't as extensive and most times there's only a copy of a transmittal letter.

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Adam, those are magnificent!!!

 

Here's one I got earlier this year before everything turned to crap for me. I was a bit thrown off the "7" in the engraving, but in a previous posting, it appears the same "hand" may have done this one as well. So far, I have been unable to research this one, and have gotten no leads on it, either. Suggestions?

 

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Adam, those are magnificent!!!

 

Here's one I got earlier this year before everything turned to crap for me. I was a bit thrown off the "7" in the engraving, but in a previous posting, it appears the same "hand" may have done this one as well. So far, I have been unable to research this one, and have gotten no leads on it, either. Suggestions?

 

Thanks. Here's what I was able to find on your medal. Harry Dykes Carter, born 21 Nov 1896, enlisted 26 Jan 1917, service number 078984. Late WWI service was with the Co. C., 11th Regiment, so he probably rated a Victory Medal with France bar. Full details should be in his service file in St. Louis.

Hope this info helps.

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Here's another one of mine that I haven't found any info on.

Bailey's 3rd Enlistment GCM. I'm a little puzzed by this one. Ya think he was a bad boy during his first two enlistments, or perhaps he was just given this one in lieu of a bar? Also, Since the Marines weren't giving these out during the war, this had to have been issued just after, right? Not sure, but nonetheless, I like it and think it's neat. Just need to somehow research his service.

Thanks,

G

 

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Bailey doesn't show up in the pre-1940 USMC muster rolls so his previous enlistments must have been in another branch of the service. These enlistments were counted when it was time to engrave up his medal. I've seen other USMC GC medals where this was the case. The Marine Corps was very strict about issuing a medal for the first award and bars for additional awards, so this medal wouldn't have been issued in lieu of a bar.

 

The engraving is in the proper format but something about the medal just doesn't look right to me. However it could be the lighting in the photo. Attached is a photo of a similar post war issued GCM. Note that the MC didn't get around to issuing these until quite a few years after the war, 1949 in this case. I've seen similar examples from the same era.

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Here's a copy of the transmittal letter for the medal shown above. The date is hard to read but it's August 4, 1949.

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Here's another one of mine that I haven't found any info on......

 

Just need to somehow research his service.

Thanks,

G

 

Since he doesn't show up in any online source, the only way to get info on him will be from his service file in St. Louis. Most likely you'll need to hire Lori Miller or another researcher to go in and do some on site work to track down Bailey's file.

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Here's a rim #'d WW1 GCM - # on the medal matches the one on the box. Interesting that it is also engraved (must have been done privately, but it was very professionally done).

Kurt

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Since he doesn't show up in any online source, the only way to get info on him will be from his service file in St. Louis. Most likely you'll need to hire Lori Miller or another researcher to go in and do some on site work to track down Bailey's file.

 

Thanks for looking! I'll be in touch with Lori once I can afford it.

Thanks for the help!

 

Kurt, that's a beautiful engraving!!

G

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Here's one standard post-war stamped naming. But unusual that it's named to a female Marine, Mary F. Wancheck. She was also the first to earn a hash mark for her uniform. I'll post her full medal group and story in a few days.

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Here's an example of a GCM that's engraved for a 5th enlistment. As the the card below shows, the previous four enlistments were in the Army, but were still counted when the medal was awarded. (I didn't show the ribbon and rifle suspension because they're newer replacements.)

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Here's the summary of service card for the medal to Dietz, showing all of his enlistments, both Army and USMC. Presumably he had at least three bars for the GCM but they're now missing.

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Here's another 5th enlistment medal but in this case all of the prior enlistments were in the Marine Corps. It just took him quite a few tries to get the marks necessary to earn the medal.

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Here's the card for the medal to Evans above. Apparently at that time a "Very Good" rating wasn't good enough to qualify for a GCM. It's not clear in his record why he didn't receive a GCM for his second enlistment.

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And the "bad boy" Sgt. Evans himself. His WWI service was with the Canadian Army. He tried to enlist in the Marine Corps for the war but was rejected because of his previous bad conduct discharge. Apparently his honorable service with the Canadians was enough to get him back into the Corps after the war.

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Here's an unusual one. The medal is dated 1909 but medals with an "A" prefix number date from the late 1930s. It must be a late issue because a reissue would have been engraved with the number that was on the original medal.

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