Lets see some US NAVY Good Conduct Medals !!

[J]

Wow, truly appreciate all the amazing responses to my post! I figured it was a nice one, but didn't quite realize it was this special.

 

He seems to have been a ''deckhand'' for a short amount of time on a Swedish ship before going to the US. And then, as aerialbridge pointed out, going back to Sweden after 91' to settle. 

 

    

 

 

On 1/25/2024 at 3:07 AM, aerialbridge said:

IMO if you paid anything less than $2500 US for that medal you got a great deal.   Amazing condition and with the original type ribbon,  super rarely seen.   And I could see it selling for over $3k on ebay US or an auction site easily.

To be honest, I won it for incredibly cheap. That's why I was a bit sceptic before I had done more research, but I suppose that there are very few collectors here that know how valuable these can be. Happy such a rarity could make it into my collection!

 

Jonathan

[Wharfmaster]

I love this medal!  My grandparents came from Vasternorrland.

 

I have a few USN Good Conducts to Vikings in my collection.

 

 

W

[jmar]

Greetings to all,

 

I hope this post finds you well.

 

This is a piece I've debated back and forth about adding here due to the circumstances of this veteran's history. I purchased this nearly a year ago, then I began  researching and found a tragic story. With many Veterans suffering with PTSD  I decided to add his story. Too long have mental health issues been neglected and back in 1944 I image there was little or no help. A beautiful USN GCM to a long serving CQM. I'll let the pics tell the story.

 

My best to you all, thank you for stopping by,

 

Joe

 

Name Fred Osborne E Young
Ship, Station or Activity Olivin
Ship Number or Designation PYC-22 
Muster Date 1 May 1942

Name    Fred Osborne E Young
Ship, Station or Activity    Olivin
Ship Number or Designation    PYC-22
Muster Date    30 Jun 1942

Name    Fred Osborne E Young
Ship, Station or Activity    Olivin
Ship Number or Designation    PYC-22
Muster Date    30 Sep 1942

Name    Fred Osborne E Young
Ship, Station or Activity    Olivin
Ship Number or Designation    PYc-22
Muster Date    31 Mar 1943

Name    Fred Osborne E Young
Ship, Station or Activity    Olivin
Ship Number or Designation    PYC-22
Muster Date    31 May 1943

Fred Osborne E Young
Ship, Station or Activity    Olivin
Ship Number or Designation    PYc-22
Muster Date    30 Jun 1943

Name    Fred Osborne E Young
Ship, Station or Activity    Olivin
Ship Number or Designation    PYC-22
Muster Date    30 Sep 1943

Name    Fred Osborne Everett Young
Ship, Station or Activity    Olivin
Ship Number or Designation    PYC-22
Muster Date    31 Dec 1943

Name    Fred Osborne Everett Young
Ship, Station or Activity    Olivin
Ship Number or Designation    PYC-22
Muster Date    29 Feb 1944

[Sweazy21]

One I just received today belonging to Leonard John Busen

[aerialbridge]

Superb engraving from 1954.  Congrats on snagging that one.

[jmar]

Greetings to everyone,

 

I hope you are all doing well.

 

I believe I found a mule! Was sorting some "relatively new" arrivals and found this little oddity. Nothing rare, just amusing.

 

Best wishes!

 

Joe

 

 

 

 

[skylog6]

Thanks for sharing all these medals and the informative discussion! I’m new to the forum and really enjoying it. I took a break while reading this thread to order "Fidelity, Zeal and Obedience" and hope that will assist me with identification of some of my NGCM from the 1920s, especially the one pictured here.

 

William Albert Marth enlisted 21 Dec 1920 and received his Navy Good Conduct Medal on 20 Dec 1924 (USS Doyen #280).

 

His first pin was earned on 5 Jan 1929 (USS Argonne) and his second pin was earned 23 May 1933 (USS Mahopac). Recommended on discharge 27 Mar 1936 for Good Conduct Medal, but there was no third pin when I acquired this group. Reenlisted 28 Mar 1936 for a period of four years. 28 May 1937 transferred to Fleet Reserve and released from Active Duty. Recalled to active-duty 30 Jul 1940 for duty in connection with conversion of USS Harris and USS Zeilin. Retired 1 Nov 1940. Earned the Yangtze Service Medal while serving on the USS Sicard in October 1926. This group included the Yangtze service medal M.No. 5037.

 

I like this medal because is shows the change in the early 1930s from Ship/Duty Station named pins to discharge year pins. I also like it as it is the most different of the NGCM medals I have. The stamping detail is especially clear on this medal (pictured on the left side by side with a 1920 issued medal).

 

I did see a couple very similar medals on this thread, one issued in 1923 (post #30) and one in 1925 (post #126). Three things I found in common with these medals.

1. 20 large portholes plus a small hawsepipe/cat’s hole

2. The first broken chain link at the 7 o’clock position does not come in contact with the anchor.

3. The “N” in Navy leans slightly to the right.

 

 

[aerialbridge]

Nice medal and great attention to detail, thanks for the side by side comparison. 

[Reforger]

Awarded to a radioman on the USS Blue Dolphin.

 

[Kaigun Shosa]

I haven't posted in a while so here's a nice one I have in my collection, its names to a Japanese American that was a Wardroom Attendant onboard the USS Texas back in the late 1890's. I couldn't find much on him, but I did find a picture of his tombstone, he's  buried in Brooklyn NY. He died 2 years after he was awarded his good conduct medal. I managed to find a crew photo that was taken in the late 1890's during the time he was onboard the Texas and there is one sailor that appears to be him since he is dressed as a steward or attendant. 

[aerialbridge]

That is a nice one.  I don't think I've ever seen a pre 1930 GCM engraved with ship and CSC (much less a Span Am era one) to one of the many Japanese, Chinese or Filipino Mess Attendants that served in the Navy for decades.   Great medal and sleuthing to find IMO a very probable ship's crew photo of him.   Having lived in Pacific Rim LA for 45 years,  I'm pretty good at differentiating physical appearance  between the three Asian countries where most of the MA hailed from,  and agree that the man you circled is Japanese, apart from the MA uniform.    Thanks for sharing.