The Journal of the Orders and Medals Society of America

Identifications and Inquiries Department

Conducted by S.G. "Yash" Yasinitsky OMSA No. 1

Identification requests and inquiries may be submitted by OMSA members free of charge directly to me. Include all available information about the subject of the request or inquiry, such as size, metallic content, ribbon and enamel colors, and the obverse and reverse inscriptions. Also include, if possible, the best illustration of the subject; but do not bend illustrations, especially photographs. Forward the description and illustration to me at P.O. Box 777, Millbrae, CA, 94030, together with a stamped, self-addressed envelope. Nonmembers are requested to include a $5.00 check made payable to OMSA. I look forward to your inquiries, but please be patient.

Identification requests are given a designation for future reference that consists of the Journal year and Journal number in which it appears and its sequence in the issue. Thus "IDENTIFICATION REQUEST 99/1/1" appeared in the 1999, Number 1 issue of the Journal, and it was the first of the requests listed. The same method is used to designate inquiries except that its sequence in the issue is indicated by a capital letter instead of a number.

IDENTIFICATION REQUEST 99/2/1 from Bill 5,057 awarded), 1,439 DSMs, and 73,651 Silver Stars Wilson. (see Gleim Medal Letters, Extract El-p.97); but my production tally sheets presently shows 23,262 DSCs, 11,285 DSMs, and 118,889 Silver Stars. There is still considerable mystery about what happened to all this excessive production, which does not include the large quantities of unnumbered DSCs, DSMs, and Silver Stars also contracted late during WWII.

What has appeared in the collectors’ market are boxed DSCs and Silver Stars with mismatched box and decoration numbers. It has been assumed that sometime Wing - Badge. A beautifully designed bronze wing or during 1960-1980, the leftover stocks of these WWII badge that is 44mm in width. The center has the letters decorations, and perhaps other awards as well, were "OUO’" intertwined around a vertical post or "I" (don’t refurbished by a private contractor for the Defense anyone suggest that it’s an IOU badge!). The reverse is Logistics Agency. The main characteristic of the re- plain except for two loops like the loops found on some packaged decorations is that they were heat-sealed into British badges. The wing or badge is apparently attached plastic bags for storage. Less obvious indicators of a to clothing by placing the loops through a hole in the repackaged decoration are the mixed use of slot and fabric and then securing the loops with a cotter pin. Any wrap-type brooches, mixed contract boxes, and guesses? mismatched box and decoration numbers. It appears that the contractor stripped the deteriorated ribbons, piled up INQUIRY 98/V/A (September-October 1998) Num- the planchets and brooches, stacked up the boxes, and bered U.S. Silver Stars with mismatched and relabeled then remounted and reassembled the decorations with Robbins’ boxes. only random regard for matching the original parts together. Response from Thomas J. Nier: The Philadelphia Quartermaster stock number of"71 D- I’ve been conducting a market and collection survey over 405" on the box label for the two Silver Stars mentioned the past few years and have discovered that the Army in the inquiry has three elements. The prefix "71" greatly overestimated its anticipated need for at least indicates an award, "D" is a decoration, and "405" is a three senior decorations, the Distinguished Service Cross Silver Star. By the time of the 1960-1980 refurbishment, (DSC), Distinguished Service Medal (DSM), and the the supply bureaucracy had decided to replace the simple Silver Star. According to a June 1947 War Department stock designation for awards with a full eleven-digit stock report, the total number of these decorations awarded number; and now "8455-246-3834" is needed to indicate during WWlI was 4,334 DSCs (now known to be at least a Silver Star.

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Additional response from William C. McLeod II: detractors suggest that unfavorable connotations can be drawn from the sounds. Partly to overcome this The eleven-digit number pasted over the box label is the objection, the term "premiology," which is the study of Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) stock number. The awards, has been offered as an alternative to decorations in question are unissued and spent about 50 "phaleristics’; although I find "premiology" to be no years sitting on a shelf somewhere in the Department of more melodious than "phaleristics." Defense (DOD) supply system before being sold as surplus. At some point, these decorations were removed Objecting to a term because of its sound is, I believe, a from their original boxes, refurbished with new ribbons, trifling argument. Because English is a hybrid language, and shrink-wrapped. No effort was made to match the its some one million word vocabulary is replete with decorations with their original containers when they were awkward sounding words. For example, who could not reboxed, so the decorations rarely match the number on put a negative spin on "vexillophilist," "philologist," or their box. "philatelist"? One might even object to "premiology" because it sounds too much like "phrenology," which is A number of these Robbins’ Contract Silver Stars was the study of character based upon the conformations of apparently sold as surplus within the past few years. On the skull! Of course, how I "hear" a word will be several specimens that I have seen, the DLA stock different from how others receive the same word, which number on the box has been carefully removed and leads to the question of who exactly will decide for all replaced with a new number in an attempt to match the speakers which words are foul sounding and which words box with the decoration inside. I suspect this renumber- are pleasant sounding? ing was accomplished after the medals were sold by the DOD. However, the basic problem with "premiology" is the same as with "numismatics"; both terms are simply too broad to separate orders, decorations, and medals from related collectibles. When lumped under "premiology," Opinion ODMs become indistinguishable from all other forms of awards, including trophies, wall plaques, and rodeo belt buckles. A Case for "Phaleristics" PhalOristique, the French language equivalent of the he term "phaleristics," which is defined as that English "phaleristics" and the German Phaleristik, has T branch of numismatics devoted to the science, study, been widely adopted by French speakers. A good and collecting of the insignia of orders, decorations, and example is found in the name of our sister society in medals (ODMs), was created about 1937 by the Czech Switzerland, which calls itself the SociOtO Suisse de collector Oldrich Pilz. It is derived from the Latin PhalOristique. Acceptance has been much slower in phalera, a small embossed disk of bronze or silver worn English-speaking countries, although the term is on breast armor that was used by the Romans as a appearing more frequently in English literature. On the military decoration. other hand, I have never seen "premiology" used. At present, "phaleristics" is not included in the twenty- "Phaleristics" is encompassed by the broader term volume Oxford English Dictionary (OED); but as usage "numismatics." As defined by the American Numismatic increases, it’s just a matter of time before the covers of Association, numismatics is "The science, study or the OED and other English-language dictionaries are collecting of coins, tokens, medals, paper money, orders, opened to the term. "Phaleristics," it would seem, is here decorations and similar objects" (my italics). It’s my to stay. guess that Pilz saw a need for a term that more accurately described his interests, just as the term "scripophily" was Editor devised for collectors of paper money. Bibliography

A significant number of collectors however, dislike American Numismatic Association, The Dictionary of Numismatic "phaleristics" and "phalerists" mainly because to their Terms, 2nd Ed., Colorado Springs, 1970. Purves, Alec A., "Phaleristies? Ugh!," Journal of the Orders and ears these words have an unpleasant sound; and some Medals Research Society, Vol. 15, No. 1 (Spring 1976), p. 6.

36 The Journal of the Orders and Medals Society of America

In the News

Marine Banana War Hero, "Ironman" Lee, Dies tenant "Chesty" Puller, who gave Lee his "Ironman" nickname. On 20 September 1932, Puller, Lee, and about 40 Guardsmen set out from Jinotega to patrol the surrounding area. Six days later, the patrol was ambushed while crossing a mountain stream by rebels firing machine guns and Browning automatic rifles. Although wounded in the head and right arm, Lee pinned the rebels down with light machine gun fire until Puller and the Guardsmen could position themselves to return fire on the rebels. When the firefight ended, the patrol had killed 16 rebels and suffered two dead and three wounded.

Concerned about his wounded, Puller headed back to Jinotega, some 75 miles away; but the patrol had to fight through two more ambushes before safely returning on the 30th. Besides the third Navy Cross awarded to Lee for his actions during this patrol, Puller received the second of his eventual five Navy Crosses.

"Ironman" Lee, second from right, and "Chesty" Puller Submitted by Gene Christian, OMSA No. 3537 flanked by a Nicaraguan Guardsman (DoD photograph)

On 27 December 1998, Colonel William A. "Ironman" Lee, one of the U.S. Marines’ legendary figures, died at WWII Moll Winner, Robert S. Scott, Dies the age of 98 in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Lee enlisted in the Marines as a teenager in 1918 and served in France Robert S. Scott, Medal of Honor winner, died at his home near the end of World War I. At the outbreak of WWII, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on 5 February 1999. He was Lee was stationed with a small Marine detachment in 85. In 1966, Scott retired from the Army as a Colonel. China. In late 1941, his detachment was ordered to surrender; and he spent the next 44 months as a prisoner In the first week of July 1943, 2nd Lt. Scott landed on the of war. Lee retired in 1950 as a Colonel after 32 years of island of New Georgia in the central Solomon Islands active duty. with the 43rd Division. The 43rd was one of three Army divisions sent to New Georgia to capture the island Lee is best remembered for his extraordinary heroism and its Munda Point airfield. The field was needed for with the Marines in Nicaragua in the early 1930s, which Marine fighters that would escort heavy bombers on earned him no less than three Navy Crosses. In 1926, the missions to the Japanese stronghold of Rabaul. Marines were dispatched to Nicaragua to protect U.S. property and citizens being threatened by a leftist On 29 July, Scott and his platoon had fought half-way up revolution led by Augusto Cdsar Sandino; and soon a hill that overlooked the airfield when the Japanese Marine officers and NCOs were leading Nicaraguan emerged from their bunkers on the top and launched a National Guard units in pursuit of the rebels. By now a furious counterattack. Scott suddenly found himself Gurmery Sergeant, Lee was awarded his first Navy Cross alone on the hill with only a tree stunap for cover. From for actions with the Guard from 20 March to 19 August behind the stump, Scott singlehandedly repulsed the 1930 and a second Navy Cross for similar actions in Japanese counterattack and then hurled grenade after December 1930. grenade at the Japanese bunkers until the enemy fled leaving behind 28 dead. Lee was awarded a third Navy Cross while serving as second-in-command of a Guard company led by Lieu- Submitted by Gene Christian, OMSA No. 3537

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