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325th Glider/508th/8th Ranger Co/503rd career medal group


Gumshoe
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My son found this group in an antique shop near where he lives several months ago. He gave it to me as a Father's Day present-such a good son!. Unfortunately, the seller did not have ANY documents. It's taken me several weeks to get the research done (with many thanks going to Geoff Gentilini at Golden Arrow Research) in an attempt to find and collect copy documents to flesh out SFC Charles B. Wheat's career. I would like to test my findings and determinations against the knowledge and opinion of the forum members. Since SFC Wheat was a career soldier, it appears much of his service record was spared the fire. However, the surviving documentation appears to be incomplete and inaccurate. Below is pictured some of the group, leaving out all the campaign/service medals and mundane items in favor of showing the items that members will likely find more interesting.

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In the above portrait, SFC Wheat's ribbon appears to be as follows...Bronze Star, Purple Heart w/OLC, Army Good Conduct w/5 knots, American Campaign Medal, European African ME Campaign Medal, World War Two Victory Medal, Army of Occupation Medal, Korean Campaign Medal w/ 4 stars, and a UN Service Medal for Korea. The photo was likely taken around 1958-60 when SFC Wheat was on ROTC assignment at the University of Nebraska. My problem is reconciling the ribbon bar in the photo and named medals in the group with the St. Louis record. There is no documentation for a Bronze star in the record, however there is a named Bronze Star in the group with typical post war script official engraving which has to be the post war Bronze Star for his first CIB. He is shown wearing a ribbon for two Purple Heart Medals prior to his Vietnam Service, for which there is documentation for a wound in 1966, which would total three by career's end. Only the 1966 PH is documented in his record.

 

In correspondence with the archivist at the 82nd Airborne Museum, the only information he could glean from the Unit Diary was that Wheat was present for duty with the 325th Glider Infantry in the area of Schmidt, Germany when his unit was shelled within two weeks of his arrival. The unit suffered 18 unspecified casualties. His record shows he was evacuated to England the day after the attack. My question to the forum is as follows- can I assume Wheat was awarded a PH for wounds suffered in WW2, or possibly Korea for that matter, based on the photo evidence and preponderance of the circumstantial evidence in his record despite the lack of original official documents or certificates. Thanks.

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Wondering which war the named PH is from, WW2, KW, or VN, if he was in fact awarded a WW2 or KW PH. One more medal pic...

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mywifesays-ohno-morestuff

Really cool. There's alot of history there. 3 wars and 3 awards of the CIB. That's a super special group you have.

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Mark, quite the outstanding group you have there , cant remember was a uniform found with the group

Nick

 

Other than the beret, no uniforms were found with the group. I wish.

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Still looking for comment/opinion on the engraving style on the PH. Though th heart is on a slotted brooch, the thin lettering looks to me to be an officially engraved post-war replacement.


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  • 2 weeks later...

The script hand engraved BS is from 1946-48, and the machine engraved BS and PH are both from the 50's.

 

The script engraved BS was probably issued based on the CIB award. Purple Heart certificates to soldiers who had been WIA ( not KIA ) became availible in 1947.

 

My guess is that he asked for a PH certificate in the 1950's and the PQMD sent him another entire set of medals ( BS and PH) in addition to the certificates,

 

Kurt

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The script hand engraved BS is from 1946-48, and the machine engraved BS and PH are both from the 50's.

 

The script engraved BS was probably issued based on the CIB award. Purple Heart certificates to soldiers who had been WIA ( not KIA ) became availible in 1947.

 

My guess is that he asked for a PH certificate in the 1950's and the PQMD sent him another entire set of medals ( BS and PH) in addition to the certificates,

 

Kurt

 

So, Kurt,

 

The un-named PH may have been awarded in WW2 since he was not KIA. The script engraved BS authorized shortly after the war as the reciprocal CIB award. He may have asked for the certificates in the 1950's, and got a new officially engraved PH/BS pair. Did I get that right?

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So, Kurt,

 

The un-named PH may have been awarded in WW2 since he was not KIA. The script engraved BS authorized shortly after the war as the reciprocal CIB award. He may have asked for the certificates in the 1950's, and got a new officially engraved PH/BS pair. Did I get that right?

 

Exactly.

 

Kurt

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