Small lot of US Medals, Pins, Ribbons

Stopped in a new for me antique shop today and found a small lot of US medals, pins, etc. Price was $3 and 40% off so with tax it came to $1.91 so I figured I couldn't go wrong. What caught my attention was what looked like an early USN over eagle pin issued to enlisted Navy personnel. Turns out the other stuff wasn't too shabby either.

Item 2 turned out to be a Gold Star lapel pin and it's engraved with the initials so it's the real deal. Kind of gave me the creeps when I found this out.

Item 3 is a set of three. Good Conduct medal of the WWII type, ribbon and mini metal ribbon

Item 4 isn't military issue but is a necklace pendant of the US Army crest in sterling silver.

No idea on the Gold Star pin date. It is not a clasp pin but the push pin type found on today's ribbons and pins but I can't find any dates on the transition. Suspect it is post WWII as they were still using the clasp pins into the 1950's. Possibly Vietnam. Based on the initials, I found a possibility with a Vietnam vet from Delaware County. But with no idea of the date, conflict, actual person, it's a guess at best. This fellow was a Marine PFC and was killed in 1966. If anyone can date it by the type of fastener, please let me know. Looks like it's a possibility that the push pins were also in use in WWII but still nothing definitive on it. Just someone claiming one was WWII. And I now found a Vietnam era clasp pin. Not helpful. Initials are E.C.A.
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../b7xTrOr-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../IMYDcnf-1.jpg

Lovely. Do you display these type of items, medals, pins, badges, buttons, etc, in cabinets in your home?

Not really. I have mine but that's about all. I have a small display for my father in law also.

I don't really collect them, these are basically the first I picked up aside from the jacket I got a week or so ago.

Gold star pin: 1947 is when they were established. As to when they started using the push pin with the frog backer, all I know of for sure was it was prior to 1987, which is when I joined up and saw them.

Based on what you have there, odds are that the PFC that you found may be the person.

The 3 pieces for the good conduct ribbon is how they used to be issued. From there they went to just the ribbon and medal, and as I recall, I believe it is now just the medal, but despite the awards I earned while in, I was only ever actually given one medal in an awards ceremony, and would have to dig through my career boxes to find it, once I get home.

The USN pin, I'm expecting probably measures approximately 1 1/4" in height, but my memory is probably off on that. It would be for either a male or female enlisted garrison cap, depending upon the height, and for E-3 and below, as E-4 and above would wear their rank insignia on there instead.

The Gold Star pins were given out to a lot of family members. Spouse, parents, children and siblings so one soldier could be responsible for several pins. And they were retroactive to WWI. So even with an authorization date of 1947, they would be given to WWII survivors.

Ribbons are still given out with medals. You don't wear medals on class A uniforms, just ribbons. Exception being the Medal of Honor which is worn around the neck.

I'm thinking the odds are in favor of being the individual I found but can't ever know for sure.

The USN pin I'm going to put in my father in laws grouping. We don't have his originals. No idea what happened to them. We aren't even sure what he had. He served onboard the USS Piedmont during the Korean War and was in "theater" but not in combat. Only served the minimum tour also so not likely to have advanced very far in rank. So it's a small display. Korean Campaign, a Piedmont patch and a 50th anniversary patch. Made my wife happy when I told her. He passed away about 4 years ago and it's still tough on her. We actually made this for him and gave it to him for Christmas a few years before he passed away and it's one of the few things we were able to retrieve from his wife after he died. She isn't her mother and none of us are close to her. Long story. About the only story she knows about his service is seeing the Geisha girls in Japan. I guess he used to tease them about it or something. I have his overcoat which we saved from the trash heap his second wife was accumulating.

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Originally Posted by Aragorn243

The Gold Star pins were given out to a lot of family members. Spouse, parents, children and siblings so one soldier could be responsible for several pins. And they were retroactive to WWI. So even with an authorization date of 1947, they would be given to WWII survivors.

Ribbons are still given out with medals. You don't wear medals on class A uniforms, just ribbons. Exception being the Medal of Honor which is worn around the neck.

I'm thinking the odds are in favor of being the individual I found but can't ever know for sure.

The USN pin I'm going to put in my father in laws grouping. We don't have his originals. No idea what happened to them. We aren't even sure what he had. He served onboard the USS Piedmont during the Korean War and was in "theater" but not in combat. Only served the minimum tour also so not likely to have advanced very far in rank. So it's a small display. Korean Campaign, a Piedmont patch and a 50th anniversary patch. Made my wife happy when I told her. He passed away about 4 years ago and it's still tough on her. We actually made this for him and gave it to him for Christmas a few years before he passed away and it's one of the few things we were able to retrieve from his wife after he died. She isn't her mother and none of us are close to her. Long story. About the only story she knows about his service is seeing the Geisha girls in Japan. I guess he used to tease them about it or something. I have his overcoat which we saved from the trash heap his second wife was accumulating.

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That's a good thought. My wife is still has some rough days from her father's passing in 1999. Don't forget that you might be able to request his DD-214. If you're able to, feel free to reach out. I may not be near a Navy base, but I do have an Air Force base about 10 minutes away that has a uniform shop, and I'd be happy to help, if there's more you need. Just pm me, and I'll do what I can.

You've made a nice purchase

Sent a request to the National Archives NPRC. Probably take months to get a reply but at least it's started. I did find his service dates in his obituary, September 1951 to September 1955. He would have one, possibly two campaigns during Korea but the second one was after the date of the armistice. It's also possible he would have a potential third if he completed his basic early enough and shipped out to Japan to meet the ship but won't know that until we get the records. The first was 9 September 1952 to 9 March 1953 on the USS Piedmont (AD-17) which was a Dixie class destroyer tender. The ship received four battle stars during the Korean War. Fairly extensive list in WWII but that's before his time. Tenders were responsible for repairing and supplying Destroyers and would have a small fleet of them assigned to it.