September 6, 201312 yr #1 Hi, Continuing to post a few of my PHs. Here is a rare PH, there were 574 Coast Guardsman killed during WWII. On 9 Mar 44, while south of Iceland, the USS Leopold reported radar contact. Assisted by the USS Joyce she was ordered to intercept. While engaging this submarine she was torpedoed by another that had been lying in wait. All of the Leopold's 13 officers and 158 of 186 of the Enlisted men were lost. There were only 28 survivors. Gary B
September 6, 201312 yr #3 Very scarce Purple Heart. We remember our hero and his shipmates. Regards, W
September 7, 201312 yr #4 Wow, Now that is one rare heart, Are you going to get his file?. Should be real interesting. Looking forward to see more research on this group. Thanks for sharing. Nick
September 7, 201312 yr #6 Thank you Gary for showing this very rare Purple Heart. Because of your post we will remember and honor a man who gave his life for his Country. Dick
September 7, 201312 yr Author #7 Thanks for the comments, as I get more information on him I will post it. Gary B
September 8, 201312 yr #9 Beautiful medal and definitely a rare bird, as Pete has stated...I have only seen 2 of these (tops!). Philip
September 9, 201312 yr #10 To put a human face to the loss of the Leopold, here's a news clipping and family photo of one of Graham's shipmates who died with him. (I suspect Kerr's PH is still with his family.)
September 9, 201312 yr #11 Makes everything sadder when you see pictures with the family such as this one with a wife and child
September 9, 201312 yr Author #12 Hi Adam, Thanks for posting this article. As Joe sort of indicated, it is these small things like letters, photos, telegrams that really bring these medals to "life". I think too often we forget that there were men/women behind these medals who had lives, interests and dreams all of which were taken away - all too soon. Gary B
April 26Apr 26 #13 I’m very late to this post, but I have the named Good Conduct medal to Augustus S. Kerr. I was thinking of moving it on. I thought I would first look for the current owner of his Purple Heart here. The GCM was sold by a dealer before 2011, I think and has changed hands a couple times. I saw a photo of Kerr’s Purple Heart on the forum several years ago. Thanks Rob
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