Wearing Awards During Combat.

[Jeffrey Meffert]

When I retired from the Air Force, I was encouraged to wear my earned medals at "appropriate" occasions. I have worn the mini-medal mount from my mess dress on a civilian tux at a couple of mostly military affairs and a 4th of July thing. Kind of fun but would look odd at work because we aren't used to such.

[Simon]

Originally Posted by ade stevenson

Thanks Simon. That lends some credence to what I had heard.

Cheers, Ade.

Originally Posted by Commissar

I'm not surprised to hear this, in many pictures of life in modern day Russia and former Soviet countries I can always spot some older man or woman with a medal pinned to their otherwise plain and business-like attire.

[deValcourt]

Originally Posted by Commissar

I'm not surprised to hear this, in many pictures of life in modern day Russia and former Soviet countries I can always spot some older man or woman with a medal pinned to their otherwise plain and business-like attire.

It is very interesting. I will never forget seeing older men walking around with at least a ribbon bar and without question on any holiday, they were sporting any and all medals and orders on their best suits. At the same time, I was both taking classes and giving a few short lectures (post, post-grad) for fun at MSU and was presented with a recent (1980s) graduation pin by one of the psychology faculty as a gesture of thanks and because he knew I was becoming fascinated with soviet things (oh, psych isn't my background - the lectures are another story entirely). The point of this little story was that I stuck the badge through my blue jean jacket and went off back home via the Metro. As I got closer to my station and the crowd was thinning, I noticed an older gent (I was in my 20s then but could still pass for 19 ) looking at me and smiling contentedly. I loooked both ways and since it was just me on the bench with the door next to me, I did what everybody does and pointed at myself questioningly. He in turn nodded and pointed to his chest. I looked down realizing I forgot about the badge and when I looked up he had his thumb up and then used the universal "OK" sign. I'm assuming that first, since I wasn't trying to blend in I looked very much like an American, and second, that he assumed I had gone to MSU and graduated and was quite pleased with me. Seconds later, the "warning" came over the speaker for my stop. The man just tipped his hat and waved. Granted, this happened in 1993 and it was possible for me to have earned a soviet version, I suppose.
The point is, though I joked about the "bling" earlier, Russians (at least in Moscow at the time) read the medals and badges on a person and draw conclusions based on them the way we jump to conclusions about people by ... I don't know - their tattoos, for lack of a good simile or analogy. We didn't have to say anything. He sized me up and was happy with what he saw. I was not going to open my mouth and burst his bubble. I later experimented with different badges I had already acquired and got various responses based on what they were, but that older gentleman will always be in my memory.

Phillip

[ibaya]

There have been instances in WW2 where deceased soldiers were identified by their serial-numbered awards.

[dav1941]

Originally Posted by Bob

Where did the Mongolia story come from? Thanks

Back in '07 Some diggers in the Baltic area found a German soldier, SS I believe, with the order still in his wallet with some other identification. Word got around about the find. From the pics it looked a bit damaged though. I guess it could have been honestly bought from an Estonian or Latvian defector during the war but for some reason I doubt it.

[Henry Sakaida]

Originally Posted by Stahanov

I was wondering exactly the same about the kill markings!

Soviet pilots did not DEFACE their aircraft with Swastikas. It was a very hated symbol. It's that simple!

[slava1stclass]

Gents,

Interesting backstory here. In the fall of 2011, Russian militaria buffs were exploring the former Kollinskiy anti-tank barrier in the southwest reaches of St. Petersburg. Among the items they discovered (located together near the surface) were a screwback ORB (s/n 699) and a RFSSR Supreme Soviet Deputy's pin.

Archival research confirmed the items were those of S. I. Veryasov who was a Border Guard and later Red Army private. He was awarded his ORB on April 2nd, 1936 for bravery in defending the USSR's borders in the Far East. He was also a Deputy to the RFSSR Supreme Soviet from the Kubyshevskaya Oblast.

He was reported KIA in January 1942 while serving with the 191st ORB Rifle Division.

Regards,

slava1stclass

[GabrielMk3]

Pretty interesting...

Thanks for sharing!

I think it's weird that the enamel has just "dissolved"... After all it's glass...

[desantnik]

Neat find!

[shotgun01]

very interesting.

i hope those items stay as relics and dont get repaired