Saint Paul, Minnesota

Back in the late 1960’s or early 1970’s I bought a St. Paul, MN Deutscher Krieger Verein 25 Year membership medal from a friend in Milwaukee. The medal has a silver finish and is suspended by two chains and the German tri-color ribbon from a fancy silver finish brooch. The center of the medal has the legend “Deutscher Kriegerverein, St. Paul 25jahrige Mitgliedschaft” (German combat veterans association of St. Paul 25 years membership). In the center is an iron cross shape inscribed “D. KRIEGERBUND N A” (German combat veterans association of North America) indicating that the St. Paul Verein was part of the North American Bund. This medal was my introduction to German veterans groups in America. Then in the early 2000’s some thirty years later I purchased a group photo of the St. Paul German group most of whom were wearing their German medals in Stillwater, MN. Recently an un-attributed photo of a German Veteran wearing the German 1897 Centennial medal, an 1870-1871 Combatant’s medal and what looks like a St. Paul 25 year membership medal was posted on the U.S. Militaria Forum site by “eastern eagle” who kindly offered it to me. A close look at the group photo confirmed that the German Veteran posed with his family was also in the group photo.

Here is the photo of the medal being worn:

Fred

 

Great looking medal.

 

Thanks for posting the history behinde these little known badges and veterans organization

and finally here is part of the group photo with our man in it, second from the left.

Beautiful medal and great pictures, thanks for sharing. Having visited my second generation German great-aunts and uncles on Selby Ave. in St. Paul as a kid 50 years ago, a couple of whom were WWI vets like my grampa, I like that medal a lot.

Thanks aerialbridge. I had a few WWI German vets in the family too. They were Bavarians and they had some amazing anti-Prussian stories including actually shooting at Prussians who they thought were retreating too soon!

Thanks aerialbridge. I had a few WWI German vets in the family too. They were Bavarians and they had some amazing anti-Prussian stories including actually shooting at Prussians who they thought were retreating too soon!

 

Fred, great story- mine were Bavarian, too. One of my great uncles who's buried at Ft. Snelling along with WWI Navy-vet grampa, per his headstone was a PFC, K Co, 23 Infantry, and awarded a WIA- Purple Heart. Hope it didn't end up in a landfill since he and his wife had no kids. Know anything about that outfit?

The 23rd was part of the 2nd Inf. Division in WWI. They saw a lot of action with 6 battle credits. I can't find any mention of a k company though. What was his name? Maybe I can find him in the General orders index.