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US WORLD WAR I VICTORY MEDAL- RECENT AWARDS


gijoeonthego
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Hi everyone,

 

I had mentioned this awhile ago. My grandfather's WWIVM was reissued to me in 2016 with 5 campaign bars and the France clasp. Also, they were attached alphabetically instead of battle order. The US Army said the battles took place in France. That is why the France bar is there. I wanted to show my issue along with other award ceremony pictures from less than 2 years ago that show the same type of WWIVM is being issued and clasps for members reference. Thanks for the comments in advance.

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Well, the folks at Army Awards Branch certainly don't know how or why the "FRANCE" country bar is supposed to be awarded. It should not be there.

 

The France bar was for a soldier who served in France, but was not credited for any of the named campaigns or the Defensive Sector bar. There were also Russia, Italy, England. and Siberia bars. Only one country bar could be worn.

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The WWIVM does have push pins. That is true. The medal is now in a shadow box. Sorry. I know all about the regs about Campaign and Service clasps. I spoke to the actual people who assemble them. I just don't get it. I do appreciate the medal the US Army sent to me.

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Some years ago I helped my mother-in-law get her father's WW1 medals- WWI Victory and Purple Heart. The clasps had the long, slim, push-through pins. No France country service clasp was added to the battle clasps, so someone knew what they were doing then. The medals came with a silver lapel victory button. Not too long ago I applied for and received his Missouri WWI Service Medal. They had apparently found an unissued hoard and put out the word of their availability.

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They do get it wrong sometimes.When I applied for my fathers medals from WW2. His EAME ribbon and medal had one silver battle star and an invasion Arrow head.

The battle star was correct but the Arrow head is not. Dad landed D-Day+31 w/the 12th Army Group.He was assigned to the Nurenburg trials and 3rd Army,1st Division,26th Infantry.(a D-Day unit)to build points.They assumed it was his unit prior to VE day.

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ATB...When you received the WWIVM without the France clasp, were the campaign bars put in the proper order or alphabetically in the examples I have shown.

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These push pin type bars have been in use by the Army since at least 1946. The photo shows a 1946 box of Foreign Service clasps for the American Defense medal.

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You can tell the difference between the older, 1946 to 1970s made bars from the much newer made bars. The older Siberia bar on the top in the photo is thicker and the pins are shorter and made of brass. The newer made bar is much thinner and the pins are longer and made of white metal.

 

The thinner newer type is the type being used on replacement medals issued today. But, it's not unheard of the see some of the older ones mixed in occasionally.

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ATB...When you received the WWIVM without the France clasp, were the campaign bars put in the proper order or alphabetically in the examples I have shown.

I'll pull the medal out this weekend and see.

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That is interesting about the bars. I used to see some with the pins like that for sale, but haven't seen any in a long time. They were on the thin side I think.

 

I'm glad they still issue them!

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Both my grandfather's original WWIVM and 2016 reissue are the same thin size thickness clasps. The only difference is the original has back straps and the reissue has pins.

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That is interesting, I guess the went to the pin on type because it was easier to assemble?

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ATB...When you received the WWIVM without the France clasp, were the campaign bars put in the proper order or alphabetically in the examples I have shown.

The two bars are St. Mihiel and Defensive Sector with St. Mihiel on top. The brooch on the medal is marked "LI-GI" for Lordship Industries. It is in a small blue box marked on one end-

 

8455-00-270-0400

MEDAL, WWI VICTORY, REG. SIZE

1 EA. A-7-80

DLA100-80-M-U503

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