Hessian Posted March 6, 2015 Share Posted March 6, 2015 Picked this up from the family via Craigslist a few weeks back.. finally arrived in the mail. Unfortunately all he family could tell me was that the veteran was in the band during WW1 (which the photos seem to support) and later in the Navy. The USN Good Conduct and clasp are both marked for the USS Reina Mercedes. The Mercedes was a very interesting ship, being scuttled in Santiago harbor during the Spanish American War. Later it was refloated by the US and served, among other things, as a prison ship. I'm not great at researching but I haven't been able to find out why he would have had the Span Am medal. It's numbered... is there any roster of these? I wonder if there is a correlation between the Span Am medal and the veterans service on the Mercedes. Here are some pics of the group. Link to post Share on other sites
Hessian Posted March 6, 2015 Author Share Posted March 6, 2015 More Link to post Share on other sites
Hessian Posted March 6, 2015 Author Share Posted March 6, 2015 more Link to post Share on other sites
Hessian Posted March 6, 2015 Author Share Posted March 6, 2015 more. Postcards of the USS Renia Mercedes. Link to post Share on other sites
Hessian Posted March 6, 2015 Author Share Posted March 6, 2015 More Link to post Share on other sites
Hessian Posted March 6, 2015 Author Share Posted March 6, 2015 More Link to post Share on other sites
Hessian Posted March 6, 2015 Author Share Posted March 6, 2015 more Link to post Share on other sites
Hessian Posted March 6, 2015 Author Share Posted March 6, 2015 more Link to post Share on other sites
Hessian Posted March 6, 2015 Author Share Posted March 6, 2015 more Link to post Share on other sites
Hessian Posted March 6, 2015 Author Share Posted March 6, 2015 Last one... the reverse of the GCM Thanks for looking and any help that someone might be able to give in sorting this out... Link to post Share on other sites
KASTAUFFER Posted March 6, 2015 Share Posted March 6, 2015 There is a Philippine Campaign ribbon on his ribbon bar too. That medal must be missing. He could have earned it during an Army enlistment. Kurt !!!! WANTED !!!! WWII Prisoner of War items : Medals, Mail, Diaries, Photos, Documents, Scrapbooks + More WWII Naval Aviation Groupings : Medals, Documents, Scrapbooks, Photos, Flight Logs, Flight Jackets + More Link to post Share on other sites
Garth Thompson Posted March 6, 2015 Share Posted March 6, 2015 I guess the medal you are asking about is the bronze cross which is a membership medal for the United Spanish War Veterans organization. The number is not traceable. This man's ribbon bar shows a USN Philippine Campaign medal ribbon, last one the right. This would entitle him to join the USWV. The USN Philippine must have been separated from the group. Garth The three best things in life are a good landing, a good orgasm, and a good bowel movement. A night carrier landing is one of the few opportunities to experience all three at the same time. You can not pronounce as knowledge anything you can not demonstrate. ASMIC Secretary Link to post Share on other sites
Hessian Posted March 6, 2015 Author Share Posted March 6, 2015 Thanks guys.. I did notice the missing medal and asked the family if they knew where it was. They said they would look for it..... Some of the Army postcards are dated 1917 and made out to Alfred so I'm sure he was prior Army. Thanks for the info on the Philippine medal qualifying him for the Spanish War medal, I was not aware of that. Is it uncommon for a sailor to have spent both enlistments on one ship? It would seem like it was really a shore duty since the ship was not powered, Link to post Share on other sites
KASTAUFFER Posted March 6, 2015 Share Posted March 6, 2015 I found a 1901 enlistment for him and he served with the 11th Cav. He was from Canada, He was in the Army for at least 10-12 years. !!!! WANTED !!!! WWII Prisoner of War items : Medals, Mail, Diaries, Photos, Documents, Scrapbooks + More WWII Naval Aviation Groupings : Medals, Documents, Scrapbooks, Photos, Flight Logs, Flight Jackets + More Link to post Share on other sites
Hessian Posted March 6, 2015 Author Share Posted March 6, 2015 Thanks Kurt! Does it give a dob? I found a grave marker but I'm not sure it's the same guy. It gives the WW1 unit as 143rd BN? Link to post Share on other sites
KASTAUFFER Posted March 6, 2015 Share Posted March 6, 2015 It shows 1879 if it is the same man, Kurt !!!! WANTED !!!! WWII Prisoner of War items : Medals, Mail, Diaries, Photos, Documents, Scrapbooks + More WWII Naval Aviation Groupings : Medals, Documents, Scrapbooks, Photos, Flight Logs, Flight Jackets + More Link to post Share on other sites
jmar Posted March 6, 2015 Share Posted March 6, 2015 Army Campaign Philippine No. 6771 Eng C is what is listed My best wishes to you re-uniting it! Don't trick another, and don't get tricked. Don't show your weaknesses, but your spirit.Member of OMSA 7250 and ASMIC 4552 Link to post Share on other sites
Hessian Posted March 6, 2015 Author Share Posted March 6, 2015 BINGO. Thanks Kurt.... Turns out he's buried at Arlington.. I'll have to make it over one day when the snow clears. What is "MUC" that's listed at the top of the stone... Don't think I've ever seen that one.... Link to post Share on other sites
jmar Posted March 6, 2015 Share Posted March 6, 2015 Hit enter too soon...wonderful group!! Thank you for posting it! Don't trick another, and don't get tricked. Don't show your weaknesses, but your spirit.Member of OMSA 7250 and ASMIC 4552 Link to post Share on other sites
KASTAUFFER Posted March 6, 2015 Share Posted March 6, 2015 I believe that is Chief Musician. !!!! WANTED !!!! WWII Prisoner of War items : Medals, Mail, Diaries, Photos, Documents, Scrapbooks + More WWII Naval Aviation Groupings : Medals, Documents, Scrapbooks, Photos, Flight Logs, Flight Jackets + More Link to post Share on other sites
Hessian Posted March 7, 2015 Author Share Posted March 7, 2015 Makes sense now.. Ancestry also says he was part of the 10th Cav and is listed as a "Buffalo Soldier"? Link to post Share on other sites
bryang Posted March 7, 2015 Share Posted March 7, 2015 I believe "MUC" might stand for Meritorious Unit Citation. Link to post Share on other sites
bobgee Posted March 7, 2015 Share Posted March 7, 2015 Not in this case. As Kurt says, Chief Musician. VERY interesting group. Congrats......Bob "I have only two men out of my company and 20 out of some other company. We need support, but it is almost suicide to try to get it here as we are swept by machine gun fire and constant barrage is on us. I have no one on my left and only a few on my right. I will hold." (Message sent by 1st Lt. Clifton B. Cates. USMC, 96th Co., Soissons, 19 July 1918 - later 19th Commandant of the Marine Corps 1948-1952) Link to post Share on other sites
teufelhunde.ret Posted March 7, 2015 Share Posted March 7, 2015 Not in this case. As Kurt says, Chief Musician. VERY interesting group. Congrats......Bob Ditto, good luck in finding that medal! The bended knee is not a tradition of our Corps. (General A. A. Vandegrift, USMC, 5 May 1946) Link to post Share on other sites
flytiger Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 1924 dated USN GCM so would think ship named not related for him to SAW. Grave markers do not always have ALL the service info on a person...i.e...my step-dad was USN WW2, USAF 1948 0n. I had them add the USN service on the stone which they did very nicely. Link to post Share on other sites
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