02-05-2006, 09:32 PM
desantnik Wrote:As to Glory, I thought in a similar vein to you, however during limited conflicts and even secret operations, Red Banners, Red Stars, BM and CSM medals were issued AFTER the appearance of long service medals. So just how did a draftee soldier or junior officer far removed by age from the GPW explain his new, shiny award? For training accomplishments? If so, why a BRAVERY medal?
I can't fully explain the For Valor medal as I've never seen one with a post war non-combat citation, but I think all of the other awards could easily be explained away as being given out for either training related prowess or by random events of bravery. For example, a friend of mine was awarded a For Military Merit medal for protecting a nuclear-weapon laden vehicle from falling off the side of a mountain road in the 1970s as a Junior Lieutenant. I have another Military Merit (awarded to a Captain 3rd Rank) given in the 1970s for techincal advances as a naval engineer (the citation was originally for a "For Heroic Labor" medal) and I have a Red Banner that was given for an increase in the training readiness of conscripts by a Lieutenant Colonel in 1967. I've seen Red Stars likewise awarded for such "non combat" related activities.
However, I've never seen a Bravery medal given for a post-war action (save for one that you told me about for Czechoslovakia) for either labor "valor" or military combat valor. I've researched a few postwar ones, and they've all been for events stemming from WW2 or from the Revolution.
Dave
