Ribbon Bar to James Castle, need help with 2 ribbons.

[rrobertscv]

I got this grouping yesterday and am still going thru it. I will post more pics later. He received the Navy Marine Corp medal for heroics at the Roosevelt Hotel fire in Jacksonville, FL, 1963. I think I have all the ribbons identified, but I am going to post my list here for you experts to double check. Having trouble with the two I have circled. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Left to right

Top Row, Navy Cross, Distinguished Flying Cross, Navy & Marine Corp Medal

2nd Row, Air Medal, Purple Heart, POW

3rd Row, Good Conduct, ???????????,American Theater Campaign

4th Row, European/African Campaign, Asia Pacific Medal, WWII Victory Medal

5th Row, Navy Occupation Medal, National Defense Medal, Vietnam Service Medal

6th Row, Korea Service Medal, ?????????, Korean Presidential Unit Citation

7th Row, United Nations Service Medal Korea, United Nations Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal

 

[Bruce Linz]

Air Force Good Conduct Medal

Army Presidential Unit Citation with four oak leaf clusters

[Phantomf4]

Top on is the American area campaign medal.

[Steve B.]

The top one circled is the American Campaign Medal. The light blue one to its left I s the Air Force Good Conduct Medal.

 

As stated, the dark blue one with the gold frame is the Presidential Unit Citation.

 

This is a rather unusual ribbon rack. It shows service from both theaters of WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. It also shows service as an enlisted man in the Air Force, plus service as an enlisted man in the Navy, plus time as a POW.

All the Oak Leaf Clusters are upside down.

This guy must have had a hell of a career. Hopefully this rack is not embellished.

[rrobertscv]

I know it is a strange ribbon. It was in a old glass box frame. I still have stuff to go thru, hoping to make sense of all of it. It came out of a storage shed and was in a deep suitcase, with an old Grey Hound tag, full of bugs and shavings.

[rrobertscv]

Just found these papers

[FFZFlyer]

Personally, I’d be very suspicious of this. While a James E. Castle did earn a NMCM, there is no record of him receiving a NC let alone a DFC or AM, PH. Or POW. Born in 1927 he would have been 17 in 1944 and there were many like him. Whether he served in five designated campaigns would require more detailed records. Five army PUCs for a guy with navy and Air Force service is also suspicious. His NMCM indicates he was an air controller.

[rrobertscv]

I'm still going thru papers. Just wondering if the actual ribbons maybe belonged to 2 family members and they framed them like this?

[USMCR79]

The following is the obituary for James "Jim" Elliott Castle as it appeared in The Pontotoc Progress, Pontotoc, MS on 18 June, 1997 and in the Oliver Reunion Association Newsletter, Vol 4 Issue 2, July, 1997, page 6:

Jim Castle Retired U.S. Navy Master Chief

James "Jim" Elliott Castle, age 70, died Tuesday, June 10, 1997, at his home after a short illness.

He was born April 19, 1927, in Indianola, MS. He was a member of the First Baptist Church in Pontotoc, MS.

He served in the Navy during World War II. He then went into the Air Force Reserves where he served his country in the Korean War. He spent nine months in North Korea as a P.O.W. After the Korean War, he went back into the Navy where he did service in the Vietnam War. He sailed on many ships, including the U.S.S. Saratoga and flew many planes including Mig 15s and F19s. He was twice decorated in the White House by two different presidents and decorated once by a foreign dignitary. His 38 years of service earned him many medals which include the Navy Cross, two Distinguished Flying Cross Medals, the Navy Marine Corps Medal, an Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters, the Purple Heart with five oak leaf clusters, a P.O.W. Medal, several Special Flight Medals, and five Presidential Unit Citation Medals, Korean Presidential Unit Citation Medal, a Navy Good Conduct Medal, an Army Good Conduct Medal, an American Theater of War Medal, an Asiatic Pacific Theater of War Medal, World War II Victory Medal, two National Defense Medals, several Korean Service Medals, a Korean U.N. Medal, a Japan Occupation Service Medal, a Republic of Vietnam Service Medal, and a Tet Offense Medal. He had earned his Navy Pilot Wings and his Air Force Senior Pilot Wings. Overall, he served in as many as eighteen battles in three wars, retiring as Command Master Chief of the U.S. Navy. The most important medal he had earned is an Alcohol Service Medal where he claimed he saved more lives in the last nine years than he did in any war fought on this earth.

After retiring, he sold insurance and served as a deputy sheriff in Aberdeen. Services were Friday, June 13, in the Jefferson Street Chapel of W.E. Pegues and burial with full military honors followed in Gray Cemetery in Nettleton. Rev. Jeff Flinn officiated and Rev. Ron Richardson assisted.

Survivors include his wife, Frankie (Oliver) Castle, a step-daughter, Judy Strickland and her son Daniel; a step-son, Frank Wayne Utz, all of Tupelo; his daughter, Jima Sneed and her husband, Tommy, and their three children, Angie, Jamie and Robby, all of Germantown, Tenn.; his daughter, Lisa Wilson and her husband Sam, and their children, Britt, Crystal, and Callie, all of Pontotoc; three sons, Rick Castle of Tupelo, James A. Castle and his wife Rebecca and their daughter Tiffany, all of Houston, Miss; and Johnny Castle of Hatley, Miss; three aunts, Inez Castle of Houston, Miss, and Millie Castle of Kilmichael, Miss., and Eunice Mitchell of Batesville, Miss.; two brothers, James L. Castle and Terry Castle, both of Louisville, KY..

Pallbearers were Steve Staples, Steve Maxey, Paul Robinson, Rodney Fowler, Don Loftis, Craig Kuykendall, and the military honor guard. Honoray pallbearers were all of his A. A. family. Memorials may be made to the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

[rrobertscv]

Thanks for the obituary.

[Allan H.]

Navy and Marine Corps Medal

 

Service: Navy

 

Rank: Boilerman Second Class

 

GENERAL ORDERS:

 

All Hands (July 1964)

 

CITATION:

 

The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy and Marine Corps Medal to Air Controlman Second Class James E. Castle, United States Navy, for heroic conduct on 29 December 1963 while serving with the Shore Patrol, NAS, Downtown Division, Jacksonville, Florida. When a disastrous fire engulfed a hotel in Jacksonville during the early morning hours, Air Controlman Second Class Castle, a shore patrolman residing in the hotel, immediately evacuated the building and assisted firemen in unrolling fire hoses and in donning oxygen masks. He then re-entered the blazing structure and made numerous trips through the smoke-filled hallways, assisting people to the nearest exits. Obtaining a master key in order to check rooms in an attempt to find casualties unable to make their way to safety, Air Controlman Second Class Castle found one guest overcome by smoke and administered mouth-to-mouth resuscitation for a period of approximately 30 minutes until relieved by firemen.

[joeclown]

Curious to see how this pans out.

[FFZFlyer]

That obituary is even more suspicious. Rank is given as master chief yet he is credited with flying many planes including a Mig15 and F19. Not likely as an enlisted man. Twice decorated at the White House by two different presidents - for a Navy Cross or DFC? Again, not likely, even if the awards were valid. He's also claiming 6 Purple Hearts? An Alcohol Service Medal? I'll take one of those since I consumed a lot of alcohol while in the service. I'm eminently qualified, for sure. And he has navy pilot wings and air force senior pilot wings - as an enlisted man? Definitely unlikely. But someone was very good at creative writing - 18 battles in 3 wars? - but the devil is in the details like 5 PUC from the army and a Tet Offense Medal? I'd say extremely suspicious but very creative.

[rrobertscv]

In the papers I have found, including his two different divorce papers and suspended drivers license, I can see why he was in AA. He also was accused of getting a little punchy with his wife. I did find these pics. This was when he was getting the award for the Navy Marine medal because of the fire, so this was 1964.

[Skysoldier80]

So in this photo, he shows the following:

Top row (L-R) Navy Good Conduct, ??? American Campaign

Middle (L-R) WWII V, Army or Navy Occupation Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign

Bottom (L-R) NDSM, Korea Service Medal, UN Service-Korea

 

Obviously currently pinned with the N-MC Medal

 

So where did all of the rest of this come from? What does DD214 or equivalent state. If he has the Navy Cross, there is record of that.

 

On your rack; he sure does have a lot of Army/Air Force awards due to the Oak Leaf Clusters. USN/USMC wears Gold or silver stars on their personal decorations. The DFC and PH would have appropriate devices if in the USAF

 

This looks embellished

 

In the papers I have found, including his two different divorce papers and suspended drivers license, I can see why he was in AA. He also was accused of getting a little punchy with his wife. I did find these pics. This was when he was getting the award for the Navy Marine medal because of the fire, so this was 1964.

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resized_IMG_8154.JPG

[Skysoldier80]

The USAF wears their Unit citations on their ribbon rack like this ribbon, not on the right side like the Army. This would be appropriate for his USAF service.

 

Air Force Good Conduct Medal

Army Presidential Unit Citation with four oak leaf clusters

[decwriter]

This is definitely a put together ribbon rack. I could see some variations that could be explained, but this one is too much of a stretch.

[USMCR79]

So in this photo, he shows the following:

Top row (L-R) Navy Good Conduct, ??? American Campaign

Middle (L-R) WWII V, Army or Navy Occupation Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign

Bottom (L-R) NDSM, Korea Service Medal, UN Service-Korea

 

Obviously currently pinned with the N-MC Medal

 

So where did all of the rest of this come from? What does DD214 or equivalent state. If he has the Navy Cross, there is record of that.

 

On your rack; he sure does have a lot of Army/Air Force awards due to the Oak Leaf Clusters. USN/USMC wears Gold or silver stars on their personal decorations. The DFC and PH would have appropriate devices if in the USAF

 

This looks embellished

 

 

Top row (L-R) Navy Good Conduct, ??? American Campaign

 

??? - Army Good Conduct (USAF Used the Army GCM until 1963 or 64)

 

Bill

[Skysoldier80]

I thought so and had that before I edited, but there seems to be a thick dark stripe in the middle; could just be a weird angle of reflection on photo

 

 

Top row (L-R) Navy Good Conduct, ??? American Campaign

 

??? - Army Good Conduct (USAF Used the Army GCM until 1963 or 64)

 

Bill

[jweitkamp]

The only thing left out of the obituary was “he was fond of spinning tales from whole cloth”.

[rrobertscv]

I have gone thru every piece of paper and I see nothing about the Navy Cross or POW. He was the leader of the local VFW, maybe it was something they put together for the hall?

[TheMariner]

Without a doubt either he humped up his service or his family humped up his service! Many many red flags from that ribbon bar. I would throw it all in a pile and just keep it as is a (put together or humped up set). Navy and Marine Corps Medal recipients items are tough to find its a shame someone or the veteran felt he needed more decorations than he earned.

[rrobertscv]

I was really surprised at the obituary matching the ribbons, that took some effort. I wonder if the little taste of fame with the fire was something he was hoping to capture again?

[US82Bravo]

The following information regarding the military service for James Elliott Castle is documented:

 

Based on the service number shown on the Statement of Personal History for the World War 2 period (722 42 96) Muster Rolls show James Elliott Castle received by the USS Perkins (DD-877) upon her commissioning 5 April 1945. His rates were S2c and S1c. Change of Rate to Seaman 1^st Class was 1 November 1945. He is shown transferred from the Perkins to PSC Memphis on 22 May 1946.

 

The USS Perkins did not receive any campaign stars for World War 2 service according to its DANSF History

 

(http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/destroy/dd877txt.htm)

 

The era campaign ribbons on the bar do not reflect the service indicated for this person during the period 3 Aug 1944 to 31 May 1946. Those in the photo appear to be correct (no campaign stars).

 

Additionally, the roster of Korean War POW’s from the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (https://www.dpaa.mil/Our-Missing/Korean-War/Korean-War-POW-MIA-List/) and on ancestry do not show this individual listed as a POW.

 

I did not do any further research.

 

Larry

[joeclown]

Glad I waited to see how it panned out as I had my doubts from the get go but did not feel like I may have insulted the person.