Mention in Dispatches/Meritorious Service Citation Certificates

[grokett]

Do "mention in despatches" during WWI equate to award of the Meritorious Service Citation Certificates?

 

I have a cousin who was awarded 10 Meritorious Service Citation Certificates after the war when Pershing's headquarters went through the unit's files. I'm a little confused about these "mention in despatches" and Meritorious Service Citation Certificates. Are they completely separate? Is there any way of locating a list of Meritorious Service Citation Certificates issued to a specific individual?

 

Also, if a soldier was mentioned in despatches, would this entitle him to a decoration? I know he received the French Croix de Guerre with bronze star and three palms, and I know the circumstances behind each, but only once was an American decoration bestowed.

 

I really need some help on this one.

 

Many thanks!!

 

Joe

[Allan H.]

Joe,

 

"Mentioned in Dispatches" is a term used by the British army to denote a soldier who was specifically mentioned for outstanding performance of duty during an action. This could be done for specific acts of valor or for extremely meritorious service. I've read dispatches that have mentioned a soldier for taking out a machine gun nest and have also read them that have referred to a soldier going back and forth for ammunition and supplies for hours without taking any sort of break or rest period. The British award a bronze palm device which was sewn to the ribbon of the Victory or specific campaign medal. Soldiers who are mentioned in dispatches for actions that don't rate a campaign medal are authorized to wear a palm on the uniform after the campaign ribbons. Often times, this palm will be sewn to a black ribbon.

 

Now, I am going to ASSUME that the cousin to which you refer is the same one whose ribbons you posted previously. By looking at the ribbon bars that you posted, you can clearly see that the cousin wore the Purple Heart ribbon with oak leaf clusters on the ribbons. Back in the day, a soldier could only wear four devices on a ribbon. Any awards above that would be worn on a second ribbon placed directly next to the previous ribbon. As you see on those bars, you have two PH ribbons, each with four oak leaf cluster for a total of ten awards.

 

When the Purple Heart was authorized in 1932, the award was specified for either wounds in combat or for merit. In your cousin's case, his meritorious certificates that he received in WWI were converted to awards of the Purple Heart. When the certificates were originally awarded, the only option for a medal was the Distinguished Service Medal. The certificates were awarded as it was determined that the action meriting the award was not sufficient to award the DSM. After WWI, meritorious service could be acknowledged with the award of a Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, or a Commendation ribbon which eventually became the Army Commendation Medal.

 

I hope this helps.

Allan

[bertmedals]

I believe you are referring to the AEF "Citation for Exceptionally Meritorious and Conspicuous Services" (MSCC) which recognized meritorious services that did not warrant the award of the DSM. These citations used a certificate that was very similar to the AEF "Citation for Distinguished and Exceptional Gallantry" which entitled the awardee to the Silver Citation Star. The MSCC did not entitle the awardee to a Silver Citation Star, however.

[grokett]

Thank you very much, Allan and bertmedals! You really helped. Yes, my cousin was Charlie Barger. I have a great deal of information on him and am trying to puzzle a few things out. By going through the forum, I learned that when American soldiers were mentioned in these "despatches" the French would award them the Croix de Guerre. I know about four heroic incidents where he was mentioned in despatches, one being the MOH action and the other three being for actions that I posted earlier. That makes sense for the four Croix de Guerres he earned.

 

I must guess that the ten Army Meritorious Service Citation Certificates he received from Pershing were for these actions and several others that were unrelated. He was very active in the last several weeks of the war, participating in harrowing patrols almost daily. His regimental commander, Col. Conrad S. Babcock, must have recognized his accomplishments through commendations sent up to 89th Division headquarters and on to Pershing's headquarters in Chaumont. I'm afraid we'll never know the specifics.

 

Thank you again! You were both a great help!

 

Joe

[bertmedals]

Thank you very much, Allan and bertmedals! You really helped. Yes, my cousin was Charlie Barger. I have a great deal of information on him and am trying to puzzle a few things out. By going through the forum, I learned that when American soldiers were mentioned in these "despatches" the French would award them the Croix de Guerre. I know about four heroic incidents where he was mentioned in despatches, one being the MOH action and the other three being for actions that I posted earlier. That makes sense for the four Croix de Guerres he earned.

 

I must guess that the ten Army Meritorious Service Citation Certificates he received from Pershing were for these actions and several others that were unrelated. He was very active in the last several weeks of the war, participating in harrowing patrols almost daily. His regimental commander, Col. Conrad S. Babcock, must have recognized his accomplishments through commendations sent up to 89th Division headquarters and on to Pershing's headquarters in Chaumont. I'm afraid we'll never know the specifics.

 

Thank you again! You were both a great help!

 

Joe

Joe,

Help me here -- is your cousin the Medal of Honor winner PFC Charles D. Barger, Co. L, 354th Infantry Regiment?

Dennis

[grokett]

Yes, he was, Dennis. His father, George Staffelbach, was my uncle.

 

Am I on the right track that the "mention in despatches" is not necessarily affiliated with the award of Army Meritorious Service Citation Certificates? I know he had to apply to the War Department when the Purple Heart was reestablished in 1932 and the certificates were presented at that time.

 

I'm learning a lot here. I thought that he was mentioned in despatches ten times, but that may not be the case. At any rate, he did receive ten of these certificates, which were later converted to award of the Purple Heart and oak leaf clusters. His assistant gunner on his Chauchat squad, Jesse Funk, received three of these certificates, plus a Purple Heart for a foot wound he suffered a day or two before their MOH action.

 

Thank you again for your help!

 

Joe

[bertmedals]

Joe,

OK, I'm up to speed now -- this is what I get for not reading the forum in detail every day! Regardless, if I understand what you are trying to figure out, this is my take, recognizing this is without the benefit of the records.

 

The term "mentioned in despatches" in this case probably refers to the French and Belgian Croix de Guerre awards. The Croix de Guerre (CdG) indicates that the soldier was cited in a unit order with the device (star, palm, etc.) signifying the level. For your cousin, it means he was cited in a French regiment or brigade order (CdG with bronze star) and 3 times in a French Army order (CdG with 3 palms). The Belgian Croix de Guerre with Palm means he was cited in a Belgian Army order. That probably accounts for 5 "mentions in despatches" in the record although the Belgian citation could be for one of the same acts that earned one of the French citations. And as you pointed out, one of the citations could be for the same act that the Medal of Honor was awarded.

 

The 10 Purple Hearts account for the 10 MSCCs as you have already pointed out.

 

The other valor awards (British Military Medal, French Medaille Militaire, Belgian Order of Leopold, Montenegro Medal of Bravery, and Italian War Merit Cross) were likely awarded to recognize his overall gallantry especially in light of the Medal of Honor having been awarded him. There are a lot of nuances to how and why the foreign decorations were awarded.

 

I also suspect he probably deserved an 11th Purple Heart for the gassing especially if he received medical treatment out of the line.

 

Again, this is my opinion from a few years studying WWI awards.

Dennis

[grokett]

Hi Dennis,

 

Your e-mail makes a lot of sense and really helps me with this. I noticed that Jess Funk, who was generally with Charlie, since he was his assistant gunner, received most of the same decorations, except fewer Croix de Guerres, no Order of Leopold and only three of the certificates.

 

On Christmas Eve, 1918, Charlie entered the hospital in Germany, and stayed there until after the first of the year. Jess was released from the hospital on Christmas Day, after spending a week there. I am not sure what for, but it may be due to the affects of gas. Regardless, he was never recognized for being gassed during the war, even though we know that he was. Jess' family believes that his untimely death was due to being gassed during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. I know that Charlie's lungs were affected, and he didn't smoke. The VA repeatedly denied his claims for compensation, citing there was no proof his disabilities were military-related. Again, we know they were. By the end of the 1920s, his mental health began to deteriorate, the result of PTSD and being gassed. There's a lot to the story not in print, but he suffered a few breakdowns, the last of which took his life. When the autopsy was performed, the medical examiner noted the problem with his lungs that the family knew all along. He noted: The lungs are rather subcrepitant throughout. On section through the lower lobes of both lungs they are moderately congested and hemorrhagic. One or two of the dense fibrosis adhesions are present between the visceral and parietal pleura on the right side, and one small thin band is present on the left side. A small healed tubercle is also present in the lower portion of the upper left lobe of the lung which measures 1 cm. in diameter."

 

Mustard gas was known to affect other organs and I read studies that show a direct correlation between gas exposure and mental health. Although Charlie probably would be authorized yet another Purple Heart, the fact that he couldn't get the Army or DVA to acknowledge his disability during his lifetime and their inaction directly led to his death, I don't think anyone in the family wants to pursue that now. His record speaks for itself. He was one gutsy guy!

 

I just want to make sure I get it right. I'm writing a detailed biography for my cousin Joe, who is Charlie's grandson and legal next-of-kin, and it will be up to him whether he wants it published or not. It details a lot of personal information about Charlie's difficult life.

 

You and Allan have been a tremendous help to me with this issue and I can't thank you enough! Again, thank you!!

 

Joe

[bertmedals]

My pleasure. I had a great uncle who was mustard gassed while serving with the British Army in WWI and he suffered from it to the end of his life 50+ years later.