Questions on a named Purple Heart

[themick]

Here is a damaged Purple Heart which is missing the ribbon and upon which someone attempted to remove an engraved name.  Luckily, it is still possible to read the name.  I'm not up on the styles of engraving, so someone perhaps can tell me the time frame of it, and maybe look up the name?  The name is HAROLD PIETZ.  

 

Now, as Paul Harvey used to say, "The rest of the story."  Years ago I had to evict a couple of people from my rental house for non payment of rent.  They were in their eighties.  When they left the house they left all kinds of stuff behind.  Somewhere in all of that was this Purple Heart on a chain with a USNR lapel button.  The medal is named to someone other than the man I evicted.  The man, a chronic liar, used to brag about his military service in WWII, saying he was twice wounded.  After the eviction his daughter told me he was an aircraft mechanic in the military who never went overseas .  I Suspect he picked up the Purple Heart somewhere and used to carry it in his pocket on the chain to show people and brag.  Rather sad I think.

 

Steve

[tdogchristy90]

Steve, can you post a photo to help better date the medal and its engraving?

[themick]

I just did, above you.  I was in the process of editing the post when you posted.  :)

Steve

[themick]

I found a Harold Pietz from about 20 miles from me who was in WWII.  He died in 1989.  Is the engraving from that era?

 

Steve

[Kadet]

This man was from Lodi, CA and seems to have been a D-Day casualty. The engraving is definitely more modern. 1989 might be about right...

[themick]

That's great Kadet!!  Lodi is only around 100 miles from me.  I wonder if it's the same one I found who was in Oroville when he died?  Oroville is about 15 miles from me.  maybe he moved.  The head marker on the one near me has him as a Major in the Army.  Maybe your guy stayed in after the war and made Major?  

Now, I still need to learn if that style of engraving was used in WWII.

Again Kadet, thanks for those newspaper clippings.

 

Steve

[CMT04]

That’s so sad that someone’s hard earned medal was ruined by someone trying to steal his valor. Glad it’s with a better owner now.

[themick]

On 4/15/2023 at 11:08 PM, CMT04 said:

That’s so sad that someone’s hard earned medal was ruined by someone trying to steal his valor. Glad it’s with a better owner now.

Yes, it's very sad.  So, thanks to this thread and Dave's book Sacrifice Remembered I was able to match the engraving style as a late war engraving done with the Army's pantograph machine in use from about August 1944 to August 1945.  Time frame fits perfectly with the above posted newspaper article.

If you have the book, look at page 527, lower right medal, and engraving seems to match the one on my medal.

Steve

 

[Dave]

Steve-

This appears to be a medal engraved in the 60s. Chances are, it's a replacement for one originally lost. Hope that helps!

Dave

[Jas240z]

Hello, my name is Jason Pietz. Im not sure if this message went through the other day as I am new to this forum. I believe this is one of 2 Purple Hearts of my grandfathers stolen during his final years. My father Thomas Harold Pietz, son of Harold Juniton Johannes Pietz born 9/6/1918. I see this post is from 2023 and I am curious as to if you are still in possession of the medal?