This is the back of the Purple Heart. This is the original and when I asked why the was no engraved name, I was told that there were so many KIA at the time many medals were shipped without engraving. I do not know if that is accurate, but it's what I was told. I know that there was never a replacement ordered and thus medal is very old.

Congratulations to you, those look like some special items.    Scott

If only it was ID'd....  

I wanted to update everyone because this had caused so much drama in the past. I had mentioned these items were stolen from us and due to some of my actions and some of the posts I had made, some members questioned my motives. My integrity and reputation were negatively impacted as a result. I am not trying to point fingers. I realized after reviewing all of the content I posted and some of my actions, although unintentional, were the cause of this. The items were recovered and returned to us and we are extremely grateful. 

Great read on Maj. Hodges, Alex.  Well written and documented AND a great item in your collection.  Now, Maj. Hodges and T5 Ted Hoshino can stand together forever.  Great post!

Hey guys, I found this WWII Marine Raider Stiletto listed for sale at $425. I'm not an expert on these things, but it appears original and fairly complete. A couple pieces missing from the sheath, and some cracking on the zinc handle, which I hear is common with these. How much would a stiletto in this condition typically be worth/sell for? Is $425 a steal, or is it just meh?

Thanks!

Also should have noted that the first ribbon on the bar is the US Navy Mexican Service ribbon   Mexican Service Medal - Navy Criteria: Awarded to those U.S. service members having performed military service against Mexican forces between the dates of April 12, 1911, and June 16, 1919. For receipt, a service member was required to perform military duty during the time period of eligibility and in one of the following military engagements: (1) Veracruz Expedition: April 24 to November 26, 1914; (2) Punitive Expedition into Mexico: March 14, 1916 to February 7, 1917; (3) Buena Vista, Mexico: December 1, 1917; (4) San Bernardino Canyon, Mexico: December 26, 1917; (5) LeGrulla, Texas: January 8 - January 9, 1918; (6) Pilares, Chihuahua: March 28, 1918; (7) Nogales, Arizona: November 1 - November 5, 1915, or on August 27, 1918; (8) El Paso, Texas and Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua: June 15 - June 16, 1919. The United States Navy issued the Mexican Service Medal to members of the Navy and Marine Corps who participated in any of the above actions, as well as to service members who served aboard U.S. naval vessels, patrolling Mexican waters, between April 21, 1914, and November 26, 1914, or between March 14, 1916 and February 7, 1917. The Mexican Service Medal was also awarded to any service member who was killed or wounded while participating in action against hostile Mexican forces between April 12, 1911 and February 7, 1917. Although a single decoration, both the Army and Navy issued two different versions of the Mexican Service Medal. The Army Mexican Service Medal displayed an engraving of a yucca plant, while the Navy version depicted a waterfront fortress. Both medals displayed the annotation "1911 - 1917" at the bottom of the medal. The medals now appear identical on the front side with the reverse side of the award annotating a specific reference to either the Army, Navy, or Marine Corps (depending on the service member's branch). For those Army members who had been cited for gallantry in combat, the Citation Star was authorized as a device to the Mexican Service Medal. There were no devices authorized for the Navy's version of the decoration. A similar decoration, known as the Mexican Border Service Medal also exists for those having performed support duty to Mexican combat expeditions from within the United States. The Mexican Service Medal is an award of the United States military, established by a General Order of the United States War Department on December 12, 1917.  In regard to your question about which USN ship this may be, here's the list.  Good hunting!   United States Navy Ships Mexican Service   Focus upon the capstan adjacent to the bullnose on the foredeck when looking at the images you search.    

Thank you for the reminder! Duly noted🙂.

There are only about 53 ships entitled to the Atlantic Fleet Clasp. I went through each ship and a potential similitary of forward deck structure comes from the USS Illinois.