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1973 US AID Meritorious Honor Award Medal Named to Earl J. Young


dpast32
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Did anyone here happen to see this particular Item which recently Closed on eBay ? I just happened across it this morning, & apparently had someone's interest as it Sold for $357, with 33 Bids. To me, it seems like a difficult one to actually put a price on ? Here's the eBay Item # if anyone's interested enough to look it up. ( Re:  # 234720245097 )

 

           Best,     Dom P.

 

©>>> Up for auction is a 1973 US AID Meritorious Honor Award Medal Named to Earl J. Young For efficient and expeditious relocation and resettlement of over 45,000 refugees in the three areas during the period March 1970 to the present time (1973). Signed by Director, USAID/ Laos Charles Mann. 

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  • 3 months later...

This is likely from the Earl Young I was acquainted with. Met him a few times. A museum I'm associated with has a few VN era photos he gave us. It is interesting that this has surfaced, actually glad it survived the "story" we were told. First off, the Earl Young I knew, now deceased) lived in the east central Indiana area, maybe Yorktown/Muncie area. He was former Army, possibly retired Lt. Colonel or Colonel. Post military career, he worked for USAID. But he was CIA. One of the things he told us about was him carrying tens of thousands of dollars to pay irregular troops in Vietnam, I think he went to Special Forces camps. He drove an International Scout, wore civilian cloths and had an M-16 rifle, likely had a pistol, but never really mentioned it.  Most of these payment trips he went alone as I recall from what he said. Another interesting story he told was when he was doing some photographing on the East German or Soviet border, I don't recall what country he was in, but he was discovered by an armed military patrol. He was able to extract himself from the situation by giving them a case of chocolate bars he "just happened" to have in the trunk of the car. He said they were all just drafted kids, and they really enjoyed the candy.

A few years ago, we hadn't heard from him for a while and wasn't able to contact him, so my buddy drove by his house, it was vacant and he asked a neighbor about him. He was told he had passed away and apparently had no local relatives. He was not "elderly" and had seemingly been in good health. A nephew in California apparently inherited the property, contracted with a real estate agent for the sale of the house and the neighbor said a dumpster arrived and it looked like the contents of the home were just deposited into the dumpster. This is particular disturbing as he did collect military medal groups and apparently had some very nice ones. I never saw any of the them so couldn't say if any "hit the market". Is this a case of dumpster diving? Might be, but I'm glad it has survived.

BKW 

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If he’s indeed the individual I’m thinking of, he appeared to have been both an U.S Military Patriot & an exemplary person !! If it is the guy I recall, it was the DDR / East Germany where he was attempting to photograph some particularly interesting, ‘items of interest’ to our Government. But, you stated above he was apprehended while doing so by either the DDR’s Border Guards, & or STASI when at that particular point in time kept their Border’s perimeter under extremely close surveillance. ( And for that matter, they always kept their Border under intense surveillance, irrespective of the period in question !! ) I never knew the overall details of his subsequent release, but your above scenario sounds eminently plausible to me !! 
 

      Best,   Dom P.

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Sounds like we are talking about the same Earl Young! I almost didn't relate the Eastern Europe story, because it didn't relate to the medal, but decided to add it anyway, glad I did. So, did you know him?

BKW

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No, I unfortunately didn’t, although I would have been proud to have !! I just recall both reading about, & subsequently following up on the story, or at least what limited amount of reporting there was about it. At that particular point in time, the DDR was very heavily involved in clandestine operations all over the World & especially so in certain African Republics along with the Cubans.

( Naturally all at the behest of Moscow ) During that time I was very interested in covert intelligence operations & the overall role of the CCCP’s influence In both running & of course funding them. Not all that many years prior to the mentioned DDR incident, the individuals known as ‘Carlos’ had been, & was still then very active in the ever growing Terrorism business which I to an extent following. Ever since going over to Italy in 1974 with my High School Class & observing Italian Carabinerei toting Beretta M-12 SMG’s throughout the Rome Airport, I began interested in the phenomenon of Terrorism. So no, sadly I never knew him as I never had an opportunity to.

 

      Dom P.

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