Friendship Decoration.

[Rick Research]

Here as an illustration is the TYPE of Friendship Decoration awarded between 1960 and 1977.

Edward J. Emering estimates in his "Orders, Decorations and Badges of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam" (1997) that about 20,000 were bestowed. This is number 9568:

Unfortunately, the medal which matches both of the documents below was accidentally separated out from them-- it is--or was--somewhere here in the United States.

But in many many years of watching, not only have I never seen IT turn up---

I have NEVER seen ANY other award documentation for this award!

Comrade Viktor Mikhailovich Kasperov received Friendship Decoration serial number 1,400 at Hanoi, 1 November 1966:

Not ONLY did Comr. Kasperov recieve the North Vietnamese award document-- on rather heavier paper than their norm, though as shoddily printed, and with watermarks a scan cannot show-- but he ALSO got a matching Russian translation certificate.

The Soviet version once bore a red printed version of the medal and ribbon in the center which has sweated away to a faintly seen reddish blur, now:

If anybody has ever seen any other award documents for this award I'd like to know what the serial numbers and dates are...

because out of that estimated 20,000 awarded, my "data base" for matching a serial number with an award date is


this ONE.

[desantnik]

If anybody has ever seen any other award documents for this award I'd like to know what the serial numbers and dates are...

because out of that estimated 20,000 awarded, my "data base" for matching a serial number with an award date is


this ONE.

Here's mine. The medal s/n is 0159 and above the s/n is V.N.D.C.C.H. in Latin characters. The document is dated 9.12.67 and references a "book of honor" #934 - I don't know if the s/n's should coincide, but I bought them together.

I don't really collect VN medals if someone is interested in a trade/purchase...

[Rick Research]

Well, that's TWO then. I guess we're "it." Since yours is a much lower number a year later, I guess they didn't hand them out in numerical order!

Closeup of the reverse:

[Taz]

Additional images. #9743

[desantnik]

Another one, presumably #1741 though traces of older (original?) numbers such as "00" are visible preceding the number and under the initial "1".

Ribbon is obviously replaced. Anyone know what this ribbon is?

[medals73]

Another one, presumably #1741 though traces of older (original?) numbers such as "00" are visible preceding the number and under the initial "1".

Ribbon is obviously replaced. Anyone know what this ribbon is?

Ribbon is for the PDRA border guards medal.

[desantnik]

Thanks, it looked familiar.

From a JAN-FEB 11 article I learned both of these decorations are Vietnamese Friendship Decorations. According to the article the left medal is a "possible earlier" version and has the Vietnamese for "Solidarity Against American Aggression." Ed Haynes earlier ID'd the right medal as having the incorrect ribbon from an Afghan medal.

Compared to the article photo, my posted earlier medal is missing red enamel on the flag and the lettering and has dark, patinated "bronze" vice the shiny brass, or gold-plating.

Does anyone have any more information on this supposed "early" medal pictured on the left and its approximate value?

Thanks in advance!

[Taz]

Seems strange that it is classed as an earlier version of the Friendship decoration which was instituted on June 20th, 1960, concidering that the first American troops entered the war in 1965 and the Medal has the inscription DOAN KET CHIEN THANG GIAC MY (Solidarity against American Aggression) already on it. Unless it includes US advisors which were there from 1950.
Maybe a Viet Minh or NVA award?
The ''later'' version is an offical decoration.

Sorry no real help just more questions :(

Regards Eddie

[desantnik]

I don't know if this is official Vietnamese issue or an (official?) Russian translation of the accompanying Vietnamese document.

Regardless, a beautifully and painstaking written Russian language award document bestowing the Friendship Medal to Petr Sarkisov in Hanoi, 10 JUN 1961, a "Soviet specialist working in Vietnam" given the medal as a "sign of gratitude for fraternal, sincere assistance in the cause of building socialism in the Democratic Republic of Vietnam."

[CtahhR]

Another nice find!

This award is inscribed "Huy Chương Hữu Nghị" which translates to "Friendship Decoration".

Here is #2202.


As for US intervention, they "entered" the war long before 1965 as even when Kennedy was in the white house there were over 16,000 US Troops on the ground (I have a group to an "advisor" that was there in 1963 and the first MOH's action was 6th July 1964 - 12 of his awards are in the collection too).