Medal Research by Wartime Collectables
I receive daily requests to do research on U.S. medals. It has gotten to the point that I cannot answer these
as efficiently as I would like so I have created this page. Below you will
find a list of what types of research I can do. I do this research for the
enjoyment and of course hoping that you might sell me some medals as well!
So while I have to charge for my time it is a minor fee. The fee for this research
is a flat $5.00 per medal (cash, stamps, or check) and a long
(legal size) SASE with all inquiries...no
SASE, no reply. Sometimes I can
provide a lot of info and many times basic info that will lead you to other
sources. If I cannot find anything, I'll return
your $5.00 in the SASE.
ALL INQUIRIES
MUST BE SUBMITTED IN THE MAIL...NO EMAIL RESEARCH REQUESTS PLEASE!
Mail to:
Wartime Collectables (research)
P.O. Box 165
Camden,
SC 29020-0165
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RESEARCH AVAILABLE:
CIVIL WAR We can provide info on most CW Union officer's & enlisted men to include unit, service time, etc. We have info on perhaps 1/2 of the Confederate veterans. We cannot provide National Archives documents. We have the medal rolls for No. prefix numbered Army Civil War Campaign medals (M.No. & plain numbers are not traceable) and the rolls for the Navy & USMC Civil War Campaign medals (these will be plain numbered). We also have the index to MOLLUS medal recipients by medal number so we can look up your MOLLUS (Member medals only, not companion) and then send some bio info on the recipient as well. We can also research traceable range UDC Cross of Military Service medals for WWI (WWI only).
U.S. ARMY OFFICERS We have the Army Registers from the pre-Civil War period through Vietnam and can copy the service info of most all Regular Army and career officers and a small number of National Guard officers. We also have West Point bios. We have limited info on reserve or NG officers but do have some material available.
U.S. NAVY / MARINE OFFICERS I am limited here. I have bios of Navy Admirals, and awards listings for decorations (gallantry) to USN/MC recipients from the Civil War through Korea. I can provide WWI DSC gallantry citations.
KIA's We can provide basic info on WWI, WWII, Korean War, and Vietnam KIA's. On most we can give unit but not always. Service numbers are generally available with which you can write to the Feds. If you have a named medal you want researched you must send a good photocopy or quality scan of the engraved area as it will assist in dating the time period of the medal. Photocopies & scans are actually alot better than real photos.
CAMPAIGN MEDALS Many numbered rim U.S. Army Campaign medals are traceable. The prefix pattern of the number on the rim is important. I.E.: Plain number, "M.No." prefix, or "No." prefix. M.No. prefix numbers are NOT traceable and plain unprefixed numbers are only traceable on the USN/MC Civil War, Army Mexican Border Service Medal, the Army Spanish War Service Medal. Below is a list of the number ranges we can trace...
ARMY
CIVIL WAR No. 1-554 (also Navy Civil War)
INDIAN WARS No.
1-1927
CHINA RELIEF EXPEDITION No. 1-1228 & 1501-1634
SPANISH CAMPAIGN
No. 1-7800 & 8001-8140
PHILIPPINE CAMPAIGN No. 1-23250 & 24001-25000
PHILIPPINE
CONGRESSIONAL No. 1-6179
CUBAN PACIFICATION No.1-6339
CUBAN OCCUPATION
No.1-4102
PORTO RICAN OCCUPATION 1-200 & No.201-320
MEXICAN SERVICE
MEDAL No.1-10000, & 100001-12529
SPANISH WAR SERVICE 1-16650
MEXICAN
BORDER SERVICE 1-34012
State issue medals such as the New York WWI Service
Medal are not traceable by the number, nor are the United Spanish War Veterans
Medals.
GALLANTRY MEDALS I can provide some info on the
recipients of American Gallantry awards such at the Medal of Honor from all
eras; the Army Distinguished Service Cross & Distinguished Service
Medal, Navy Cross, & Navy DSM from pre-WWI awards through Vietnam. I
have partial rolls for the Silver Star for WWII & Korea as well as early
WWII Aviation Awards.
CERTIFICATE OF MERIT Number rolls No. 1-368 as well as some
citations.
DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS Most of medals numbered 1-8000 are
traceable to the recipient. I have the citations for the WWI & earlier
awards and the General Orders references & recipient lists for WWII, Korea,
& Vietnam.
DISTINGUISHED SERVICE MEDAL Most of the medals numbered
1-2184 are traceable to the recipient. I have the citations for the WWI & earlier
awards and the General Orders references & recipient lists for WWII, Korea,
& Vietnam.
NAVY CROSS & DISTINGUISHED SERVICE MEDAL I have
most of the USN Citations for Navy Cross & Navy DSM for WWI as well as
recipient lists for WWII, Korea, & Vietnam.
Numbered Purple Hearts, Air Medals, Legion of Merits, DFC's, & Silver Stars are NOT traceable, nor are DSC's & DSM's in the WWII number range. Nor do I have access to WWI records for the Silver Star or Purple Heart.
USMC Numbered rim USMC Good Conducts are NOT traceable. Marine gallantry and posthumous (KIA) awards are, as are higher level USMC Shooting Medals. I have listings of most Marines decorated with Silver Star, DSM, DSC, & MoH up to 1955. A select few Navy & Marine campaigns are attributable but not many. It's probably worth risking the stamp to find out though.
MEXICAN WAR OF 1847 I have the pension list of Mexican War Veterans which notes unit and state. Often this seemingly simple starting point to research a Mex. War veteran is difficult to obtain and of invaluable assistance.
SAMPSON & DEWEY MEDALS I can provide copies of verification of medal qualification from the crew lists. Generally research on individuals is not available except on select officers.