PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Dear Fellow OMSA August 2015 have been recognized for their heroism. Members: All three men were on vacation and were travelling on a OMSA Website. If you high-speed train on its way to when they subdued missed it, go back to a Moroccan-born gunman who planned to open fire on the September-October the crowded train. Specialist Alek Skarlatos, a member JOMSA and read the article of the Oregon , was awarded the by Director John Allgood Soldier’s Medal. This is the highest award that may go to on accessing back-issues of a soldier for non-combat valor. Airman 1st Class Spencer the Journal on www.omsa. Stone was awarded both the Airman’s Medal (the Air org. Having more than 60 Force equivalent of the Soldier’s Medal) and a Purple years of JOMSA available Heart; Stone’s thumb was almost severed by a razor-sharp in an electronic format is box-cutter wielded by the terrorist. , their a great member benefit, civilian friend, was awarded the Department of Defense and John explains in practical terms how to search these Medal for Valor. This is a new award. Created in the issues on our website. aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks, it has been sparingly awarded. It is the highest civilian medal that Future of the OMSA Convention. This year’s gathering may be awarded to a government employee or private in Atlanta was a big success, but we can and must do citizen, and requires an act of heroism, with voluntary better in the future when it comes to attendance from our risk to personal safety in the face of danger. All three members and the public. Consequently, I am asking all men were also awarded ’s highest decoration, the of you to give your Board of Directors ideas on how we Legion of Honor, in a ceremony hosted by the French can improve attendance at our conventions. For example, president in Paris. Truly a unique award episode. one way to increase attendance might be to open the bourse to the public on Friday afternoon. The result: the OMSA Awards to OMRS Members. Your Board bourse would be “members-only” on Thursday and Friday of Directors unanimously voted to award the OMSA morning but open to one-and-all on Friday afternoon Commendation Medal to Air Commodore Graham and all day Saturday. Is this a good idea? Should we Pitchfork, the President of the Orders and Medals try it in Pittsburgh? What else might we do to increase Research Society (OMRS) and to Mr. Peter Helmore, the attendance? Should we spend money on advertising in former OMRS General Secretary. From May 29 to June militaria-collector magazines, like Military Trader? I 1, 2015, the OMRS hosted the 9th European Conference welcome your comments at [email protected] of Phaleristic Societies in London. The conference, which was attended by several OMSA members, included visits JOMSA articles. As you begin to think about “New to the Imperial War Museum, the Tower of London (to see Year’s resolutions” for 2016, put down “I will write a the Crown Jewels and The Fusilier Museum), Windsor short article for JOMSA.” Of course, you are welcome to Castle, a gala dinner, and a number of talks on orders, write a feature article, too. The Journal strives to publish decorations and medals. Peter Helmore was the lead a balance of , British and foreign articles, organizer of the event with Graham Pitchfork and other but the editor can only publish articles that are submitted. OMRS members providing much appreciated support. In recent years, these international medal conferences have Interview in The Military Trader. Long time OMSA been held in Portugal, Denmark, Belgium, France and the member and dealer Robert Wilson recently had a lengthy . The 2016 conference will be in . interview in The Military Trader. Robert was asked a Given that these events do so much to promote our hobby variety of questions about medals and medal collecting, and bring other medal collecting societies together, but his answers focused on collecting Purple Hearts. Take the work done by Air Commodore Pitchfork and Peter the time to read this great interview with one of our Helmore was very much deserving of recognition. Joe members; the interview may be accessed on-line if you Hardman, your Ribbon Manager, presented President are not a Military Trader subscriber. Pitchfork’s award to him at the recent OMRS Convention in London. Since Peter Helmore was absent, President Latest Military Award News. For those of you who Pitchfork also accepted his award, which will be missed it, the three Americans who thwarted what would presented at a later date. likely have been a very bloody terrorist attack in late Happy Holidays to all, Fred

2 JOMSA MEET THE AUTHORS Dragos Baldescu lives in Bucharest, Romania and works in Aberystwyth, Wales, educated at Christ College, Brecon, as a freelance journalist. He has written many articles about and read theology at Worcester College, Oxford. He was history and numismatics that have been published in Romanian subsequently commissioned into the Royal Welch Fusiliers. magazines. He has co-authored with Charles Pankey several Since leaving the British Army he has pursued a career in JOMSA articles on Romanian orders and medals, earning an insurance and has lived in the Middle East since 1989. In his OMSA Literary Medal in 2007. He is a former member of spare time he pursues his interest in the awards of the Arab OMSA and the Romanian Numismatics Society world. He is a regular contributor to Journal of the Orders and Medals Research Society and JOMSA and has been awarded Tim Bartholow is OMSA’s Treasurer, has hosted three seven Literary Medals. Through long involvement with the conventions (2005, 2011, 2015) and was Chief Judge from Association of Round Tables Arabian Gulf he has been made 2009-2012. He has won 26 OMSA competitive exhibit awards an Honorary Life Member of that Association. and six from ASMIC. His Society awards include an MSM and four OMSA table medals. He retired from a career as an arts Joseph T. N. Suarez serves as an Executive Advisor to the administrator and now volunteers as AAMUC’s Adjutant. Tim global consulting and technology firm, Booz Allen Hamilton. has exhibited at OMSA, ASMIC, and CoMH and has written He previously served as a Director with the Smithsonian’s articles for the journals of all those groups. Tim was trained National Air and Space Museum where he directed the Capital as a musician and has performed with the Boston and Chicago Campaign for the new Udvar-Hazy Center in Dulles, Virginia. Symphonies. His military service was as a percussionist in the A historian and collector for over 45 years, Joe’s research United States Military Academy Band. has centered on the Philippine Campaign prior to the fall of Corregidor, early Philippine aviation and the Philippine Ed Emering is an award-winning Chicago-based author Constabulary. Two of his recent works include the “Philippine of historical books and articles and a photographer. He has Air Service 1920-21” in Skyways and “The Adventures of contributed over 50 articles to JOMSA and has authored Capt’n Crockett” in Military History. Joe is the recipient of The numerous books, including four OMSA monographs (the last Smithsonian Institution Robert Mills Medal, The American Red of which was published in December 2012). Ed also maintains Cross Tiffany Award, and the Order of Malta in recognition of “The Medal Hound” (www.themedalhound.com), an ever- his work for the American Red Cross’ disaster relief efforts. expanding free research service for medal collectors with interests in those areas covered by the site. Henri Veyrader was born in 1952 in Aubenas in the Ardech, south-eastern France. He has a degree in history from the Kristopher Grahame is a resident of New England who has University of Grenoble and teaches this subject in various only recently entered into exonumia, but has long studied Soviet academic institutions. He lives in Valéas, the capital of the and Russian intelligence organizations. Enclave des Papes, part of the ancient Comtat Venaissin (papal lands), near Avignon. He is a member of many cultural Robert P. Keough, a Professor Emeritus at Rochester Institute associations concerned with history and heritage and with of Technology, enjoyed a long career in education. Sometimes the Archaeological Museum in Le Pegue. Specialising in called a pioneer in the field of computer graphics education, phaleristics (the study of medals), he is the author of many he was instrumental in creating the first graduate-level design publications on this theme. In collaboration with Daniel degree programs in the country. Before teaching Keough was Werba, he recently published a book on the awards given by a naval officer and diver serving in Vietnam. As a designer he the French Dioceses, which has received an award from the has long been interested in medals and decorations, particularly Académie Francaise (Prix Comte de Saint-Priest d’Urgel). in their meaning and design. He remains active in the field of Henri Veyradier is a rector of one of the last brotherhoods of design and has lectured internationally. Recently he was named Penitents in France, a knight of the Palmes Académiques, the Dean of Studies for the Augustan Society. Mérite Agricole, the l’Ordre du Mérite, and the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. Charles Pankey received his BA in journalism and history and was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the Army. While in Barry Weaver is a long time member of OMSA with early Korea he was a forward observer, executive officer, and battery database research interests in the Purple Heart and the Sampson commander of a field artillery battery. He obtained his JD Medal, and Imperial Chinese traditional awards. He has written degree and continues a 41-year career as a business transaction a number of articles for JOMSA, co-authored and co-edited attorney. He also has served as a municipal judge for over 35 several books on orders, medals, and decorations, and served on years. He has authored or co-authored 13 articles to JOMSA the OMSA Board for seven years. After practicing dentistry and and has been awarded two Literary Medals by OMSA. His providing healthcare related real estate services from Atlanta, collecting focus has been Royal and Socialist Romanian orders Georgia, Barry retired to the South Carolina low country in and medals and the history associated with them. 2005. He was a partner in FJP Auctions, Inc. and continues to collect American veteran society medals and Boxer rebellion Owain Raw-Rees, MA (Oxon), is currently the manager of medals and memorabilia. the AXA Insurance office in Riyadh. Owain was born in 1959

Vol. 66, No. 6 (November-December 2015) 3 THE FIRST ROMANIAN AWARDS AND PROJECTS

DRAGOŞ BĂLDESCU AND CHARLES PANKEY

The creation of the Romanian system of orders and The first Romanian medal medals was a long process due to opposition of the Ottoman Empire. This article covers the first medal The first attempt to establish a Romanian award dates project from the reign of the Wallachian prince Barbu from the reign of Barbu Dimitrie Stirbei (1799-1869), Dimitrie Ştirbei and the attempts of Alexandru Ioan Cuza prince of Wallachia between 1849-1853 and 1854-1856. to establish a national order and several medals. These Appointed by the sultan after the Wallachian Revolution projects form the core of the modern national awards of 1848, Stirbei began his ruleunder very difficult system still in use today. conditions. Treated with contempt by the officers of the Russian and Ottoman armies that occupied his country The tradition of orders and medals has its origin during (after the suppression the 1848 Revolution), the new the time of the crusades. The first military orders were prince was even held at the border on his arrival from established at that time. Their tradition was continued Constantinople by the commander of the port of Braila, by the royal orders founded by sovereigns to reward nominally his subject. In his first years, Stirbei was bravery or loyal service (for example the Order of the considered no more than a local governor whose main Garter, founded by Edward III of England in 1344 and task was to support the foreign armies in the principality. still prestigious today). The first Romanian included in one of these orders is Wallachian Prince Vlad II, the The prince instituted much needed reforms right away, Dragon (father of Vlad III the Impaler of Dracula fame), without waiting for the end of the occupation. The local whose name is commemorated by the Order of the Dragon army was expanded from 1200 to 6000 troops (by 1853), instituted by the King of Hungary and future Holy Roman schools were reopened and new ones were established Emperor, Sigismund of Luxembourg, in 1433. (including the first military school), the infrastructure was improved as was the life of the local peasants. He The empires around Romania established similar orders was unable to complete more ambitious projects like the much later than the Western countries. In Russia, Peter the construction of the first railway in the country and the Great founded the Order of St. Andrew in 1698 (followed founding of a national bank with German support. by other imperial orders), while in the Ottoman Empire the Order Nisam-i-Iftihar was first awarded in 1831. After the withdrawal of the Russian armies in 1851, During the wars between Russian, Austrian and Ottoman Stirbei asserted his independence by minting coins and armies on Romanian territory in the early 19th Century founding a national award. The award of Barbu Stirbei some of the locals become knights of these orders (for (for skill and perseverance) is a round silver medal with example Tudor Vladimirescu was awarded the 3rd Class a diameter of 35mm and a weight of 17.5g. The obverse of the Russian Order of St. Vladimir). (Figure 1) contains the arms of Stirbei surrounded by the circular Cyrillic text: BARBU DIMITRIE ЩTIRBEI The rulers of the Romanian principalities also had a KU MILA LUI DUMNEZEU (Barbu Dimitrie Stirbei by system of rewards for valor or distinguished service. Until the 19th Century these rewardswere of a feudal nature and consisted of titles of nobility, grants of land, exemptions from taxes, or other special rights. Later, the princes began awarding gifts like small jewelry and other luxury items such as medallions or cigarette cases (this custom continued during the reign of Alexandru Ioan Cuza). After 1848 the princes of Wallachia and Moldova asked the sultan to award Ottoman Orders for special deeds and Cuza and Carol I also made such requests until the total independence of Romania in 1877.

Figure 1: Obverse of the first Romanian medal.

4 JOMSA