Bronze Star Advice?

[CINDERS]

#11 not trying to fuel a debate nor get into a slanging match but medals were not a random thing it was given by a grateful nation to a person who was willing to put their life on the line for the freedom of all. Yes some ex servicemen did not wish or desire them and left them to waste in a draw due to bad memories with that I can understand as for a wreck being more important I disagree. My father was one of those that after WWII never went to the RSL, never talked about the war in N.G and other islands he went to nor did he go to ANZAC Day parades maybe he did not want to remember. Now I have his medals that get worn and paraded when I and others march (something CINDERS has not forgotten) every ANZAC Day and my 17 y/o son I am grooming to take over when I am too old and frail or deceased.

It is a sad thing to see every ANZAC Day the numbers dwindling of our WWII vets no more WWI soon the Korean, Malayan and Vietnam veterans will also answer the final call but one thing in my household whilst I am alive I will never let it be forgotten what all service men and women from all the countries keeping freedom alive will not be forgotten and I mean all soldiers getting to grips with those that feed on terror and oppression.
Post # 7 says it better than I ever could.

[Paul S.]

I will add a thought here.

I have momentos of a long deceased family friend who served as a RAAF Wireless Air Gunner with an RAF Coastal Command squadron. I have them because none of his family kept in contact with Gordon who spent his last days as a patient at Concord Repatriation Hospital. I have them because I honour Gordon, his service, his sacrifice and his memory. I also have a few momentos of my own from my time in Vietnam as well as some of my dad's things from WWII. I know that when I'm gone they will go to my sons who may or may not care enough to keep them and honour our - Gordon's, my dad's and my own, sacrifices, service and memory. That said, I know that if these things would end up in a box on a dusty shelf and left unwanted, unappreciated and unseen if they were given to a museum as are the mementos of millions of other men and women. For that reason, I genuinely see the value of these things eventually going into a private collection of someone who wants them and recognizes them for what they mean.

[henry r]

for those servicemen here with momentos of thiere own to me it would make sense to write down something about why each object was kept, what was happening at the time, who it reminds you of etc, to show the relevance of these items to those who don't understand why these things have been kept.
even if the items do end up finding the end of the line with family the written notes would make then 100 times more interesting to a museum as they put them in context and give them a human link.

i would say keep looking for relatives, you might find none or ones that just don't care, but you might also find ones that are incredibly grateful to have it back. a guy i used to work with is still won't speak to his aunt after she sold his greatgrandfathers ww1 uniform, kit and momento's at a garage sale 15 years ago... no it didn't go to a collector, the woman who bought it used some choice bits to make a decorative hall stand and binned the rest... he was almost quivering with fury when he told me the story.

[browningautorifle]

For those of us here that have mementos...we can't control what happens after our death. My kids are aware that if I have something there's value in it, but they don't want it. So the writing's on the wall. Stand by, you guys will be able to buy my stuff one day.

[CINDERS]

Much rather have your company BAR....

[browningautorifle]

OK then, I'll stick around a bit...

[HOOKED ON HISTORY]

Great discussion. Thanks for the valued input.

[Flying10uk]

I have a "still in the box" U.S. Vietnam service medal which I don't think has ever been presented to anyone. Do Vietnam veterans generally wear such medals at appropriate occasions nowadays in the States? It would be understandable that they wouldn't have done so in the past because of the "anti Vietnam War public opinion".

[HOOKED ON HISTORY]

Another photo. Apparently from San Jose (California I suppose).

[Aragorn243]

I don't ever recall wearing my medals on anything or to anything. I only wore dress blues twice and I think I opted for ribbons as most everyone seems to do. I have a chocolate chip top with class A colored patches sewn on it that is the closest I get to wearing anything unless I'm marching in a parade.