VMI88 Posted October 2, 2017 Share #1 Posted October 2, 2017 I found a Purple Heart at the flea market this morning. I'm not really a medal collector but it seemed like a good deal so I picked it up. i've tried to educate myself a little on Purple Hearts but I'm always open to information! From what I've read this is a late World War 2 army issue medal, probably to a KIA. The planchet is unnumbered, mounted on a split brooch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VMI88 Posted October 2, 2017 Author Share #2 Posted October 2, 2017 There are 2 soldiers in the NARA database with this name. One was killed in action in France, but since this medal also came with an Asia-Pacific Campaign Medal, it's probably not him. The other possibility is this one: Is there any way to research whether this soldier was killed in action? There's nothing in the World War 2 Memorial database or anyplace else I was able to turn up online. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mes Posted October 2, 2017 Share #3 Posted October 2, 2017 He was Kia on 9-22-44 with the 69th tank Bn and is buried in the American cemetery Lorraine ,France Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tarbridge Posted October 2, 2017 Share #4 Posted October 2, 2017 My father was with them at one time then went to the 44th AIB... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VMI88 Posted October 2, 2017 Author Share #5 Posted October 2, 2017 This Asia-Pacific Campaign Medal came with the Purple Heart: The soldier's wife has written his name on the wrapping paper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VMI88 Posted October 2, 2017 Author Share #6 Posted October 2, 2017 He was Kia on 9-22-44 with the 69th tank Bn and is buried in the American cemetery Lorraine ,France Mark I turned up that name too but since the medal came with an Asia-Pacific Campaign Medal (which I hadn't yet posted at the time of your post), I'm guessing it's not him. There's another soldier of the same name who enlisted in January 1941 but I haven't been able to find any other details. It's definitely a different guy though: different serial number and enlistment details. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VMI88 Posted October 2, 2017 Author Share #7 Posted October 2, 2017 To further add to the mystery, the soldier whose NARA information I posted above was from Monmouth County, NJ. On Find A Grave there is a person with the same name and birth year listed as a WW2 veteran, but he lived until 1978. So neither one of these soldiers can be definitively tied to this medal! It's funny - if it weren't for the campaign medal we'd think we had a 100% positive ID. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted October 2, 2017 Share #8 Posted October 2, 2017 Looks a lot like the same hand that engraved the Purple Hearts often found for New Guinea... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VMI88 Posted October 4, 2017 Author Share #9 Posted October 4, 2017 Looks a lot like the same hand that engraved the Purple Hearts often found for New Guinea... Interesting observation. Is this just because a particular engraver was working at the time of the New Guinea campaign? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MasonK Posted October 4, 2017 Share #10 Posted October 4, 2017 There are 2 soldiers in the NARA database with this name. One was killed in action in France, but since this medal also came with an Asia-Pacific Campaign Medal, it's probably not him. The other possibility is this one: JHM NARA Record.jpg Is there any way to research whether this soldier was killed in action? There's nothing in the World War 2 Memorial database or anyplace else I was able to turn up online. For what it's worth, this is the same vet mentioned earlier from the 69th Tank Btn. Jewish Serviceman's card, showing he was from Long Branch NJ, which is in Monmouth County, same residence County as show in the enlistment info from NARA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VMI88 Posted October 4, 2017 Author Share #11 Posted October 4, 2017 Thanks for posting this! I guess the only way to know for sure whether this is the correct soldier is to request his service file to see if he was ever awarded the Asia Pacific Campaign Medal. He enlisted in January 1941 so I suppose it's possible he was stationed somewhere in that theater before the war started and later transferred. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VMI88 Posted August 11, 2022 Author Share #12 Posted August 11, 2022 This is an older post but I wanted to update the forum on what I've learned. I sent off for the IDPF of the soldier who was in the 69th Armor Battalion (the one Tarbridge mentioned in post #4 above). It turns out the handwriting of his wife on several of the burial forms is a match for the handwriting with the Asia-Pacific Campaign Medal, so it looks like this is our man. Without seeing his personnel file I still can't explain why he has the Pacific medal - I may try to request his file once the archives are open again. But at least the mystery of the Purple Heart is solved! Just for the record, the soldier listed on the National Jewish Welfare Board card in post #10 is not the same man. The NOK, rank, and address are all different. The soldier from the 69th Armor is also listed as a Protestant and his grave was marked with a cross. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manayunkman Posted August 11, 2022 Share #13 Posted August 11, 2022 The wife’s note is sort of ambiguous. Its almost as if she presented it to him? Was she in the service? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan H. Posted August 11, 2022 Share #14 Posted August 11, 2022 45 minutes ago, manayunkman said: The wife’s note is sort of ambiguous. Its almost as if she presented it to him? Was she in the service? To answer the question, you will see at the top of the form that the form is for the disposition of remains for war dead. The soldier's spouse has asked for the remains to be repatriated and for them to be sent to a certain funeral home for them to prepare for the re-internment of the deceased back on American soil. Allan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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