KASTAUFFER Posted October 18, 2008 Share #1 Posted October 18, 2008 This has been a good week ! Last week a seller on Ebay had what I thought was a WWI Purple Heart , it was cancelled by Ebay , and then I bought it. A few days later the same seller starts listing Spanish American War/ Philippine Insurrection medals. One of them was the medal awarded by the state of Washington to the 1st Washington Volunteers. I live in Washington and own the 1st Washington unit history. BINGO!!! He was in the book and he was confirned to have been wounded. I then knew I had a RARE Purple Heart awarded for service in the Spanish American War / Philippine Insurrection. I sniped and won the other campaign medals on Ebay today. This Purple Heart is also rare because it is from the 1937 ( NOT 1932 ) BBB Purple Heart contract . Only a few thousand were made. Pvt William C. Everett enlisted June 25, 1898 in Spokane Wa and served with Company A , 1st Washingon Volunteers until his discharge Nov 1, 1899 . He was wounded February 5, 1899 in the Philippines. He must have been awarded his federal medals in the 1930's . All of them are 1930's contracts and the Philippine Congressional number is correct for one awarded in the 1930's. The only medal missing is his Philippine Campaign, but I did get the box. Only @ 125 men from the 1st WA were WIA. Only 75,000 PH's were issued before WWII. How any of these were for service prior to WWI? Not many. My guess is maybe 5% . If that is correct there are only 3000-4000 out there for service prior to WWI. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KASTAUFFER Posted October 18, 2008 Author Share #2 Posted October 18, 2008 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KASTAUFFER Posted October 18, 2008 Author Share #3 Posted October 18, 2008 United Spanish War Veterans Badges Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KASTAUFFER Posted October 18, 2008 Author Share #4 Posted October 18, 2008 His Philippine Congressional Campaign in the original US MINT box. NO 7382 . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KASTAUFFER Posted October 18, 2008 Author Share #5 Posted October 18, 2008 Medal awarded by the State of Washington to the 1st WA VOL INF. Included is his original hat badge . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KASTAUFFER Posted October 18, 2008 Author Share #6 Posted October 18, 2008 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KASTAUFFER Posted October 18, 2008 Author Share #7 Posted October 18, 2008 And this is the last one... just sniped on Ebay 3 minutes ago I already have the Purple Heart in my possession. I cant wait for the rest to show up ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KASTAUFFER Posted October 18, 2008 Author Share #8 Posted October 18, 2008 Looks like he had brief WWI service too. This is his pension card from the archives . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KASTAUFFER Posted October 18, 2008 Author Share #9 Posted October 18, 2008 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KASTAUFFER Posted October 19, 2008 Author Share #10 Posted October 19, 2008 Good job in doing the work necessary to keep the group together. Do you know for sure how many PH's were made in that second contract? I thought 1500 was only an estimate. 1500 is an estimate based on other PH numbers from other contracts that surround this one. I dont know the exact contract number range but I know it is very small! I have only ever owned 2 from this contract in 20 years. Kurt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KASTAUFFER Posted October 26, 2008 Author Share #11 Posted October 26, 2008 The medals are all here !! Here they are all together in one picture. I also have the original boxes for all the medals. Its nice to see them in one pic instead of broken into multiple lots on Ebay ! I also took some close up shots of the hat badge. Its a nice early lead filled brass one. Kurt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KASTAUFFER Posted October 26, 2008 Author Share #12 Posted October 26, 2008 Just one word from one Kurt to another: WOW Kurt Barickman Thanks ! I do know where a 13th Minnesota Vol. PH group is . The guy wont sell it though . I am also glad you spell your name correctly. None of this " Curt " stuff . Kurt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kurt Barickman Posted October 27, 2008 Share #13 Posted October 27, 2008 Indeed my Germanic spelling friend. Yes the 13th MN Volunteers based out of Stillwater MN, just west of St. Paul on the scenic St. Croix River which is the border between MN and WI. I had a great KIA 501st PIR 101st Airborne group whose wife was from Stillwater. Doing research on this group, I found the family graves to include the 501 officer and this guy's father in law was on of the 13th MN guys who saw active service in the PI. The Washington County Historical Society has quite a bit of material on this unit in their museum. The 13th also had a very active "Last Man" Clulb in Stillwater until obviously the last man. Again, congrats on a fantastic find Kurt "Spelled the Right Way" Barickman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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