oldradiostuff Posted December 30, 2017 Share #1 Posted December 30, 2017 This purple heart just showed up on ebay, the "L" in the first name is formed differently than the "L" in the last name. Has anyone seen this before? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aerialbridge Posted December 30, 2017 Share #2 Posted December 30, 2017 Beautifully and precisely engraved, IMO. He was also awarded the Bronze Star. Hopefully the revived, ebay auction-killer thugs don't find it, so the medal can find a caretaker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schofield1943 Posted December 30, 2017 Share #3 Posted December 30, 2017 Any idea what unit he was attached to with the Counter Intelligence Corps? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aerialbridge Posted December 30, 2017 Share #4 Posted December 30, 2017 Some references online to Infantry Intelligence, and a few indicating that he was a recognized scholar and a prominent and published art archaeologist by the age of 31 when he was killed in Normandy. A young guy that would have made decades of contributions in his chosen field if his life hadn't been cut short. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15436322.1945.10795088?journalCode=rcaj19 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schofield1943 Posted December 30, 2017 Share #5 Posted December 30, 2017 That's fascinating. I wonder what he was doing in Normandy... perhaps one of the Monuments Men? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aerialbridge Posted December 30, 2017 Share #6 Posted December 30, 2017 That's fascinating. I wonder what he was doing in Normandy... perhaps one of the Monuments Men? He certainly had the training for it and you well could be on to something. Being as notable in his field as he apparently was, it stands to reason the Army might have made good use of his knowledge, starting with putting him in CI as they did. Some fascinating history behind this PH. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tarbridge Posted December 30, 2017 Share #7 Posted December 30, 2017 I am sure the background will be interesting I could found no Monument man connection, But the CIC connection is uncommon and would have put him in many unusual job types.The Momument Men fell under..Monument, Fine Arts, and Archives (MFAA). His obituary... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffs1130 Posted December 30, 2017 Share #8 Posted December 30, 2017 Why wasn't he an officer? Sure had the education! Maybe he wanted to be a Cavalryman? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffs1130 Posted December 30, 2017 Share #9 Posted December 30, 2017 ebay auction-killer thugs Nice lol I prefer calling them Stasi, as they sneak around at night and get you! They make your auction disappear! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tarbridge Posted December 30, 2017 Share #10 Posted December 30, 2017 I read that they kept them in the enlisted ranks...they called themselves Agents or Special Agents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted December 30, 2017 Share #11 Posted December 30, 2017 Looks like a beautiful example of a Purple Heart. I saw this yesterday as well...it looks like it's gone today? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schofield1943 Posted December 30, 2017 Share #12 Posted December 30, 2017 So they did a lot of counter intelligence investigations and obtaining of documents and known enemy agents when troops would enter a city - but for the life of me I can't figure out what someone with a fine arts and archaeology background would be doing in Normandy investigating enemy agents... seems like an odd use of their specialty. Though perhaps since he studied at the Sorbonne he was fluent in French... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete-o MSU Posted December 30, 2017 Share #13 Posted December 30, 2017 I would guess he had language skills Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tarbridge Posted December 30, 2017 Share #14 Posted December 30, 2017 Language and Interrogation as a large part... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huntssurplus Posted December 30, 2017 Share #15 Posted December 30, 2017 What an interesting story, is the medal still up on eBay? I might want to bid if it is an auction. Hunt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schofield1943 Posted December 30, 2017 Share #16 Posted December 30, 2017 The language aspect I totally get... it's the archeology part that's a bit confounding. Do archeologists make good interrogators? Or I suppose the value of his language skills outweighed the rest. From the Ivy League to writing about Dionysiac Sarcophagi to interrogating French nazi collaborators. Kind of sounds like Indiana Jones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tarbridge Posted December 30, 2017 Share #17 Posted December 30, 2017 He spent a few years studying abroad and would probably be comfortable with a multi-lingual lifestyle. His obituary shows his time spent in France...so to be in Normandy at that time...makes sense.These CIC guys also worked on the espionage side. I believe this document exposes some of the catalyst that makes up Olsen...the gentlemen giving this remembrance tells about Olsen's concerns of Nazism and Fascism topped off with his Patriotism. There is a second page I could not retrieve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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