Let me first start off with the back story.
My grandfather is 92, in good health but is getting older.
He is one of the last WWII veterans in our area.
My dad lost all of my grandfathers metals and ribbons in the '70s.
Any way to get them back? Someone told me the military will provide them free of charge.
I want to get him back some of them, So I saw some old metals in a local
antique store, so I bought them all in hopes a couple might look familiar to him.
Any help Id'ing the era and what they are exactly would be greatly appreciated.
Thank all of you from the bottom of my heart, from my family to your, all soldiers past present and future, for your service.
Semper Fi
I have also attached some pictures of my Grandpa for nostalgia.

 

I don't know whether the government will provide replacement awards and decorations, what they will do is offer a copy of his military records, his DD-214. Or maybe he has a copy along with other important papers in a safe deposit box or, check with your county recorder. Usually a copy was placed there. This will list just about everything assiciated with his military service including awards and decorations. Then you don't have to guess, or try and depend on failing memories.

From this information you can also put together a shadow box or something like that. To get his DD-224 from the St. Louis records division you'd need his service # and branch of service, dates of service etc. This can be done online now, maybe it's quicker these days. Can also sometimes get help in these matters from your local congressional representative through their constituent services. There was a fire there at the records warehouse in the 70s and a lot of the records were lost. Your best bet is hopefully to find a copy of his DD-214 at the county recorder probably. Good luck and let us know how you make out.

 

Start at the following link.......


https://www.va.gov/opa/publications/...its_chap15.asp


The county clerk or recorder will only have a record of the discharge papers if he had them recorded himself when he got out and came back home.


Check with your local American Legion - Vets Club and VFW. Just about all of them have a Veterans Assistance Officer who would be more than happy to help you with gramps military history and veterans benefits.

 

https://www.va.gov/opa/publications/...its_chap15.asp

Yes, the government will replace Grandpa's ribbons and medals at no cost.

What you bought has nothing to do with his Marine Corps service. They are Army stuff.

Grandpa wears the rifle expert badge, the American theatre ribbon, the Pacific theatre ribbon with one battle star and the WW2 Victory medal.

Chase down the above link. Get all the information that you can pertaining to his service and send it in. They are good about this stuff. It will take awhile. Just when you forgot all about it the items will come in the mail.

You can also buy those medals commercially, about fifty bucks for the lot. See Medals of America.

If you hit a wall, come on back in. I will help you out.

Semper Fi

 

Thank you guys very much for the information. I will be looking into Metals of America so I can get them sooner for Grandpa's 92nd Birthday coming up.

 

It took some digging around the vet groups, but we have identified grandpa's unit from the piece of patch that shows in his picture. He was with the 3rd Amphibious Corps and from the photo, he was in a 155mm gun battery on Okinawa near the end of the war. That is his battle star.

http://usacac.army.mil/cac2/cgsc/car...er/945pdaa.pdf

We also ran across Operation in Beleager which the unit participated in China after WW2, around 1946-48.

Again, check his DD214 for awards and citations that were issued to him after his postwar picture - which was taken on Broadway in San Diego.

Semper Fi

 

If you dig around you might be able to find his unit or brigade (or whatever they call it) history online. I was able to find out all kinds of stuff about the submarine my dad served on, and printed off about 25 pages of stuff. He really got a kick out of that. It ended up being sold to Argentina or somebody and eventually scrapped. I always thought a fully stocked diesel boat would be perfect. They have a several thousand mile range, can power a small city, anybody gives you ****, just close the hatch and dive. **** you *******.