Looking for Members of the 106th Infantry Division

[kaben3]

So glad to see you were able to post. YEAH!

 

In regards to the three bronze stars on the ribbon. Those are battle campaign stars. Not to be confused with the OTHER bronze star.

Thanks. Yes, these are different bronze stars. Any guess for the ribbon on the far bottom right?

[kaben3]

Ok last one for a bit. This one is neat with the Jeep, Army truck, etc.

[Walt's Daughter]

That is a great photo. It's cool to see all the vehicles.

 

This is odd, but the last medal on the bottom right, looks like a WWI Army Occupation Medal. Strange.

[kaben3]

That is a great photo. It's cool to see all the vehicles.

 

This is odd, but the last medal on the bottom right, looks like a WWI Army Occupation Medal. Strange.

 

Well since I have started this endeavor nothing seems to fit for him That's what I thought too (WWI), but wanted to make sure I wasn't confusing it with something else. It is strange too, all I can locate for pictures is basic training and towards the end of his service, nothing in the middle (which would be the 106th). I emailed his sister's son who has all of her pictures, he said he would take a look as well to see what she may have had. Too bad in that 1st picture (with the 5 guys) I can't see the patches on his other arm.

[SonofaMP]

The ribbon on the bottom right is an Occupation of Germany WWI Medal.

http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/Awards/occupation_germany.aspx

The medal was established by Public Law 322, 77th Congress on 21 November 1941, and announced in War Department Bulletin 34, dated 10 December 1941, and War Department Circular 176 dated 6 June 1942.

 

I find nothing that says this ribbon was officially issued for WWII occupation duty.

 

The WWII Army of Occupation Medal was established by War Department Circular 102, dated 5 April 1946 and was first issued in April 1947.

 

http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/Awards/order_of_precedence.aspx

[SonofaMP]

Ribbons from left: Good Conduct Medal; European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, with 3 campaign participation bronze stars; World War II Victory Medal; American Campaign Medal; Occupation of Germany WWI.

 

European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal

A bronze star is worn on the ribbon to indicate participation in designated campaigns. The designated campaigns for the European-African-Middle Eastern Theater are:

 

•Egypt-Libya 11 Jun 42 - 12 Feb 43

•Air Offensive, Europe 4 Jul 42 - 5 Jun 44

•Algeria-French Morocco 8-11 Nov 42

•Tunisia 12 Nov 42 - 13 May 43

•Sicily 14 May 43 - 17 Aug 43

•Naples-Foggia 18 Aug 43 - 21 Jan 44

•Anzio 22 Jan 44 - 24 May 44

•Rome-Arno 22 Jan 44 - 9 Sep 44

•Normandy 6 Jun 44 - 24 Jul 44

•Northern France 25 Jul 44 - 14 Sep 44

•Southern France 15 Aug 44 - 14 Sep 44

•Northern Apennines 10 Sep 44 - 4 Apr 45

•Rhineland 15 Sep 44 - 21 Mar 45

•Ardennes-Alsace 16 Dec 44 - 25 Jan 45

•Central Europe 22 Mar 45 - 11 May 45

•Po Valley 5 Apr 45 - 8 May 45

•* Antisubmarine 7 Dec 41 - 2 Sep 45

•* Ground Combat 7 Dec 41 - 2 Sep 45

•* Air Combat: 7 Dec 41 - 2 Sep 45

 

 

* These campaigns are not displayed as streamers on the Army flag.

 

A bronze arrowhead is worn on the ribbon to indicate participation in a combat parachute jump, combat glider landing, or amphibious assault landing within the EAME Theater.

[SonofaMP]

And before anyone questions Mark Clark commanding Seventh Army, he did, on paper anyway as Acting CG for 3 months during reactivation of Seventh Army for the Invasion of Southern France.

 

US Seventh Army WWII

Commanding General (CG)

10.July.1943 - 31.December.1943 Lt.-Gen. George S. Patton Jr. - Sicily Campaign

01.January.1944 - 01.March.1944 Lt.-Gen. Mark W. Clark (acting)

02.March.1944 - 00.July.1945 Lt.-Gen. Alexander M. Patch - Southern France, through Occupation of Germany

[kaben3]

Ribbons from left: Good Conduct Medal; European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, with 3 campaign participation bronze stars; World War II Victory Medal; American Campaign Medal; Occupation of Germany WWI.

 

European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal

A bronze star is worn on the ribbon to indicate participation in designated campaigns. The designated campaigns for the European-African-Middle Eastern Theater are:

 

•Egypt-Libya 11 Jun 42 - 12 Feb 43

•Air Offensive, Europe 4 Jul 42 - 5 Jun 44

•Algeria-French Morocco 8-11 Nov 42

•Tunisia 12 Nov 42 - 13 May 43

•Sicily 14 May 43 - 17 Aug 43

•Naples-Foggia 18 Aug 43 - 21 Jan 44

•Anzio 22 Jan 44 - 24 May 44

•Rome-Arno 22 Jan 44 - 9 Sep 44

•Normandy 6 Jun 44 - 24 Jul 44

•Northern France 25 Jul 44 - 14 Sep 44

•Southern France 15 Aug 44 - 14 Sep 44

•Northern Apennines 10 Sep 44 - 4 Apr 45

•Rhineland 15 Sep 44 - 21 Mar 45

•Ardennes-Alsace 16 Dec 44 - 25 Jan 45

•Central Europe 22 Mar 45 - 11 May 45

•Po Valley 5 Apr 45 - 8 May 45

•* Antisubmarine 7 Dec 41 - 2 Sep 45

•* Ground Combat 7 Dec 41 - 2 Sep 45

•* Air Combat: 7 Dec 41 - 2 Sep 45

 

 

* These campaigns are not displayed as streamers on the Army flag.

 

A bronze arrowhead is worn on the ribbon to indicate participation in a combat parachute jump, combat glider landing, or amphibious assault landing within the EAME Theater.

 

 

Hi Larry, Thanks again for all of your imput and provided links. I am not familiar with these bronze battle stars, would they have been recieved by someone just in the infantry, or anyone in a Division/Regiment/etc.? I would assume that he received this with the 106th/424th, and not with the Engineer Combat Bn listed on his d/c papers? Finally seeing his medals and patches, which almost for the 1st time and new to me since all I ever remember seeing is the 106th patch, his dogtags, and the CIB. I am still not sure why he has a WWI ribbon, that doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Also, the American Campaign medal, would that be something that he would have been eligible for? Any imput would be appreciated as always

[Walt's Daughter]

I am not familiar with these bronze battle stars, would they have been recieved by someone just in the infantry, or anyone in a Division/Regiment/etc.?

 

It doesn't matter if they were part of a division or unit such as an independent engineer regiment or battalion. If you participated, then you received a bronze star.

 

Also, the American Campaign medal, would that be something that he would have been eligible for? Any imput would be appreciated as always

 

Description

 

The Bronze medal is 1 ¼ inches in width. On the obverse is a Navy cruiser under full steam with a B-24 airplane flying overhead with a sinking enemy submarine in the foreground on three wave symbols, in the background a few buildings representing the arsenal of democracy, above the scene the words "AMERICAN CAMPAIGN". On the reverse an American bald eagle close between the dates "1941 - 1945" and the words "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA".

Ribbon

 

The ribbon is 1 3/8 inches wide and consists of the following stripes: 3/16 inch Oriental Blue 67172; 1/16 inch White 67101; 1/16 inch Black 67138; 1/16 inch Scarlet 67111; 1/16 inch White; 3/16 inch Oriental Blue; center 1/8 triparted Old Glory Blue 67178, White and Scarlet; 3/16 inch Oriental Blue; 1/16 inch White; 1/16 inch Scarlet; 1/16 inch Black; 1/16 inch White; and 3/16 inch Oriental Blue.

Criteria

 

See Army Regulation 600-8-22, Military Awards.

Components

 

The following are authorized components:

 

Medal (regular size): MIL-DTL-3943/227. Medal set with full size medal and ribbon bar. NSN 8455-00-269-5760.

 

Medal (miniature size): MIL-DTL-3943/227. Available commercially.

 

Ribbon: MIL-DTL-11589/9. NSN 8455-00-257-0517. Available commercially.

 

Streamer: The American Campaign ribbon is used as a streamer. The Army displays only one streamer on the Army flag, that of the Antisubmarine Campaign, because there were no Army units that received campaign participation credit for the other two designated campaigns.

Background

 

The American Campaign Medal was established per Executive Order 9265, dated 6 November 1942, by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and announced in War Department Bulletin 56, 1942. The criteria was initially announced in Department of the Army (DA) Circular 1, dated 1 January 1943, so that the ribbon could be authorized prior to design of the medal. The criteria for the medal was announced in DA Circular 84, dated 25 March 1948 and subsequently published in Army Regulation 600-65, dated 22 September 1948.

 

The ribbon design was approved by the Secretary of War on 24 November 1942. The blue color represents the Americas; the central blue, white and red stripes (taken from the American Defense Service Medal ribbon) refers to the continuance of American defense after Pearl Harbor. The white and black stripes refer to the German part of the conflict on the Atlantic Coast, while the red and white stripes are for the Japanese colors and refer to that part of the conflict on the Pacific Coast.

 

The medal was designed by Mr. Thomas Hudson Jones. The reverse side was designed by Mr. A. A. Weinman and is the same design as used on the reverse of the European-African-Middle Eastern and Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medals. The first medal was presented to General of the Army George C. Marshall on 17 December 1947.

 

One bronze service star is authorized for wear on the American Campaign Medal to denote participation in the antisubmarine campaign. The individual must have been assigned or attached to, and present for duty with, a unit credited with the campaign.

[kaben3]

Hello, back now after school is done for the semester! Thanks again for all of your input and assistance with the search of my grandfather service so far Somewhat big news, in between finishing up my class I had emailed my grandfathers discharge and separation paper to a few folks. I never picked up on, but his separation paper lists the MOS codes. The 3 codes listed are as follows - 4 months PVT Infantry Basic (521), 10 months PFC Rifleman (745), and 10 months TEC 5 Truck Driver, Light (345). The biggest key is it lists that he served with the 424th Infantry Regiment, 106th Infantry Division, this is the only official paperwork I have been able to locate in his things that does. I went back to the local veterans rep who submitted this paperwork to possibly change his discharge paper to list his CIB, we'll see. So it is becoming clearer that he served initially with the 106th until they went back to the states, and since he didn't have enough points, was then reassigned to what is listed on his discharge papers in the 16th Engineer Combat Bn, Company C. I have also just recently located a member of the 106th/424th who was in a different company, but has been very insightful as to what the regiment was involved in, did, and witnessed. It has been great speaking with him and the chance to ask questions. As always any input to what I have just listed is always appreciated Thanks again for all of your patience and assistance so far