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When does the US Government award US medal to foreigners ?


usaaf93
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Hello

 

Here is my question :

 

When does the US Government award US medals to foreign soldier ?

I found a death card from a French Captain from the 2nd regiment de Spahis (2nd North African Cavalry regiment) killed in 1945 in Germany when his jeep was hit by a Panzerfaust shell.

 

The death card says he was awarded the Silver Star. I was wondering how could this happen ?

 

Thanks

 

For the translation it says he got 4 times army citation and was awarded the legion of honor.

The moto means : He loved life but he was not afraid of death

 

20191051.jpg

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My wife's great-aunt received a medal from the French for her work running a US hospital treating all sorts of allied troops in WWI, so I guess we owe the French some medals in exchange :)

 

This article has some details on non-US recipients of gallantry awards: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-U.S._recipients_of_U.S._gallantry_awards

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Our government has awarded US medals to Foreigners for Valor in a majority of Wars we fought in with allied countries.

 

Here is a list from Wikipedia of Foreigners that have won US valor awards: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-U.S._recipients_of_U.S._gallantry_awards

 

Example, Keith Payne (Awarded the Victoria Cross in Vietnam) was also awarded the US Army Distinguished Service Cross and the Silver Star.

Here's link to a photo of his medals: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-11-16/keith-payne-medals/9155076

You can see the DSC and the Silver Star on his very impressive rack!

 

Also, another example, Trần Văn Bảy, a soldier of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam was awarded the US Navy cross: Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tr%E1%BA%A7n_V%C4%83n_B%E1%BA%A3y

 

 

 

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Thanks for your answers.

 

The medal has to be given by someone in the US army so does this mean he was noticed when fighting with US troops ?

Can we find records of this in US archives ?

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easterneagle87

This such a cool thread! We've seen examples/groupings/etc of US personnel who have received foreign awards. I think it's awesome we recognize the efforts and sacrifices of our allies who serve along side our own troops. They can be politically motivated as well, as I have seen photos at the end of WW2 with Russian officers receiving and wearing the Bronze Star.

 

Show us MORE!

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Thanks Easterneagle87. I do not have much more to share.

 

Here is a PUC for a soldier of the french 2nd armored. See how it is written both in English and French. It belonged to a soldier of the 2nd picture. It was taken in Alsace in the winter 1944.

 

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Awesome thread!

 

Question:

Would it be correct to assume that the US medals would be worn below/after their "Native" awards, much like US service men & women would?

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I do not know. I see very few foreign medals on ww2 french soldiers. Here is the medals of general Salan. He was the most decorated soldier. Started as a young officer in 1917 and he "retired" in 1960. (Ww1, colonial wars, ww2, indochina, Algeria). See the position of his DSC.. 20191054.jpg

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Salvage Sailor

Wing Commander Vance Drummond, a New Zealander who served in the Royal Australian Air Force, was awarded an US Air Medal in the Korean War (and should have gotten more during the Vietnam War) He was shot down by a Russian flown Mig and became a POW in North Korea, receiving the Air Medal after his repatriation in 1953.

 

Photo: Drummond with "Snoopy", the USAF Cessna Bird Dog he flew as a forward air controller in Vietnam, August 1966

Vance Drummond

Vance_Drummond_1966_(AWM_VN66003702).jpg

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Over on the GMIC (Gentlemen's Military Interest Club) forum, there's been a multi-year long-running thread on US awards to Soviet officers (with photos) if anyone is interested in those.

 

From what I know and have researched, the vast majority of the awards were reciprocal ones...the Soviet personnel were decorated by the Soviet government, then the US offered awards to the government of the USSR who then decorated their personnel with the awards. The same thing was done with awards coming from the Soviets to the US...the USSR said they wanted to award "X" amount of "X" awards for certain things, and then US personnel who earned US valor awards for those things were then also awarded decorations from the USSR.

 

I actually wrote a book about this... :D :D

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Salvage Sailor

Our government has awarded US medals to Foreigners for Valor in a majority of Wars we fought in with allied countries.

 

Here is a list from Wikipedia of Foreigners that have won US valor awards: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-U.S._recipients_of_U.S._gallantry_awards

 

Example, Keith Payne (Awarded the Victoria Cross in Vietnam) was also awarded the US Army Distinguished Service Cross and the Silver Star.

Here's link to a photo of his medals: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-11-16/keith-payne-medals/9155076

You can see the DSC and the Silver Star on his very impressive rack!

 

Also, another example, Trần Văn Bảy, a soldier of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam was awarded the US Navy cross: Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tr%E1%BA%A7n_V%C4%83n_B%E1%BA%A3y

 

 

 

 

 

This list is missing an important name - Sergeant Major (Constabulary) Jacob Vouza, (Sir Jacob Charles Vouza, KBE, GM, c. 1892 – 15 March 1984)

 

Native Policeman, Coastwatcher & chief scout to the 2nd Raider Battalion, USMC on Guadalcanal
The Silver Star was presented to him personally by Major General Alexander A. Vandegrift, commanding general of the 1st Marine Division, for refusing to give information under Japanese torture. He also was awarded the Legion of Merit for outstanding service with the 2nd Raider Battalion during November and December 1942, and was made an honorary Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps. From the British government, he received the George Medal for gallant conduct and exceptional devotion to duty and the Police Long Service Medal and, in 1957, was appointed an MBE for public services in the British Solomon Islands Protectorate.[6] In 1979, he was elevated to the KBE for outstanding services to his country and local community.

 

Silver Star
AWARDED FOR ACTIONS DURING World War II
Service: Foreign
Division: 1st Marine Division (Attached)
CITATION:
The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star (Marine Corps Award) to Sergeant Major Jacob C. Vouza, British Solomon Islands Constabulary, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity during efforts in behalf of United States Armed Forces while serving with U.S. Marine Corps Forces in the British Solomon Islands. On 7 August 1942 Sergeant Major Vouza effected a daring rescue and delivered into friendly hands an officer of the United States Navy who had been shot down in Japanese territory during an aerial engagement. Again, on August 27, while proceeding on an authorized mission for the United States Marine Corps to locate suspected enemy lookout stations, he was seized by hostile troops and lashed to a tree, where, rather than break his faith or betray his trust, he submitted to brutal and fiendish torture. Severely bayoneted about the chest and throat and left for dead, Sergeant Major Vouza, with great strength and almost superhuman endurance, extricated himself from his bonds and made his way back to our lines with valuable information concerning the enemy Japanese.

 

Legion of Merit
AWARDED FOR ACTIONS DURING World War II
Service: Foreign
Battalion: 2d Marine Raider Battalion
GENERAL ORDERS: Bureau of Naval Personnel Information Bulletin No. 342 (September 1945)
CITATION:
The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Legion of Merit, in the Degree of Legionnaire to Sergeant Major Jacob C. Vouza, a native of Guadalcanal, for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services to the Government of the United States in the help he gave the Second Marine Raider Battalion as head of the Binu District of native police during operations against the Japanese on that island. Sergeant Major Vouza assumed responsibility of procuring and directing natives employed as guides and carriers. From 9 November to 4 December 1942 he voluntarily performed this task, obtaining both information and carriers, and by his coolness under fire and devotion to duty inspired both natives and Marines.

Jacob Vouza 001.jpg

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The Legion of Merit pretty much came about so that we'd have an award to present foreign commanders...hence why it also is the only US medal with different grades, and those grades are reflective of European award traditions (neck awards, pocket awards, etc)

 

I have seen Navy and Marine Corps Achievement medals awarded to Afghanis, for actions during joint actions, often for actions that resulted in the saving of American personnel's lives. Afghanistan doesn't have a particularly robust award system, so when we awarded one of them a medal, it was fairly common for them to never take it off when in uniform...it was kind of amusing to see them on patrol, a medal dangling off their cammies pocket.

 

We presented the chief instructor of the Royal Marine Commando unit (a sergeant) who trained us in the arctic with a Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, as well. In this day and age, it is fairly rare a foreign enlistedman receives an American award outside of combat.

 

I always thought this medal bar to a German was interesting because it has a GCM...I assume the man immigrated to Germany after leaving the Army...who knows, maybe he was stationed there and married a local girl?

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Here's a partial list of Norwegians who earned American awards I put together last year...
Silver Star
-Eriksen, Marius
Legion of Merit
-Askim, Per (Commander Grade)
-Bauman, Axel (Officer Grade)
-Berg, Ole (Office Grade)
-Bergersen, Thorbjørn
-Børresen, Paul
-Bruun-Hansen, Haakon (Commander Grade)
-Bull-Hansen, Fredrik Vilhelm (Commander Grade)
-Danielsen, Edvard Christian
-Gunderson, Ragnar (Officer Grade)
-Heglund, Svein
-Herlofson, Charles Oluf (Officer Grade)
-Holm, Tor
-Holte, Nils Johan
-Klingenberg, Oscar (Officer Grade)
-Lung, A. Roscher (Officer Grade)
-Martens, Kaj (x3)
-Mohr, Wilhelm (Commander Grade)
-Munthe-Kaas, Otto H. (Officer Grade)
-Nagell, Finn (Officer Grade)
-Nissen, Peter Lynge
-Oen, Bjørne (Officer Grade)
-Olav V, Crown Prince (Chief Commander Grade)
-Opedal, Per Sverre
-Ramstad, Herman
-Riiser-Larsen, Hjalmer (Commander Grade)
-Saunes, Lars
-Storheill, Skule Valentin (Officer Grade)
-Zeiner-Gundersen, Herman Fredrik
Distinguished Flying Cross
-Eaker, Ira C.
-Mehre, Helge Olrik
Bronze Star
-Christie, Johan Koren
-Riiser-Larsen, Hjalmer
-Ruge, Otto
Meritorious Service Medal
-Fauske, Ole-Asbjørn
-Juvik, Trond
-Karlsen, Roger Helmers
-Gillebo, Geir
-Opedal, Per Sverre
-Tronstad, Håkon Tronstad
Air Medal
-Johnsen, Thorveld

Army Commendation Medal

-Halvorsen, Sven Harald

-2 undisclosed Navy SOF soldiers

 

Air Force Commendation Medal

-At least 1 recipient

 

Joint Service Achievement Medal

-Aarbogh, Einar

-Johansen, Tommy

Army Achievement Medal
-de Wit, Kristian
-Mjelle, Øystein
-Svendsen, Knut Øivind
-1 undisclosed Navy SOF soldier
-At least 2 additional awarded for the war in Afghanistan
Medal of Freedom
-Berggrav, Eivind (with Silver Palm)
-Eidsheim, Ingvald
-Haukelid, Knut (with Silver Palm)
-Holthe, Alf (with Bronze Palm)
-Idland, Kasper (with Bronze Palm)
-Kayser, Fredrik Thorbjørn (with Bronze Palm)
-Kyllingmark, Håkon Olai
-Larsen, Leif
-Manus, Max (with Silver Palm)
-Poulsson, Jens-Anton (with Bronze Palm)
-Rønneberg, Joachim Holmboe (with Silver Palm)
-Sand, Lauritz Andreas (with Gold Palm)
-Sønsteby, Gunnar Fridtjof Thurmann (with Silver Palm)
-Sørli, Odd
-Storhaug, Hans (with Bronze Palm)
-Tronstad, Leif Hans (with Bronze Palm)
US Special Operations Command Medal
(50 awarded, only 5 to non-Americans)
-Sønsteby, Gunnar Fridtjof Thurmann
Presidential Unit Citation
28 Navy/50 Army Recipients as part of Task Force K-Bar from the following units:
-Forsvarets Spesialkommando (Task Force K-Bar)
-Kristoffersen, Eirik (Task Force K-Bar)
-Hærens Jegerkommando (Task Force K-Bar)
-Marinejegerkommandoen (Task Force K-Bar)
Armed Forces Service Medal
-At least one recipient
Afghanistan Campaign Medal
-Gråtrud, Torgeir
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  • 2 years later...

Great groups, Herman!

The current DNW catalog has a nice selection of US medal groups and one to a South African with US medals. Also, there's one on Jeff Floyd's website. I guess when it rains, it pours!

Dave

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