Thanks for the confirmation ref my assumption concerning the total number of Army-awarded Bronze Stars during WW II. In this regard, it's also important to remember that a BS can be awarded for service/achievement in addition to valor. Your theory concerning the lack of visibility over the Bronze Star numbers to Red Army/other foreign military personnel seems very sound given these facts.
Thus far, my research indicates that the authority for awarding the DSC, DSM and SS to Red Army personnel resided exclusively at the War Department (WD) or Military Mission Moscow (MMM) level. Given that these three awards represent the "Top Three" (after the Medal of Honor), and that two of the three are for valor, this makes sense. The authority to award the LOM to Red Army personnel, however, resided at those levels as well as at the Army, Major Command (MACOM) e.g., Alaska Department (think lend lease activity), Corps and Division levels.
Ed, unfortunately my data is only for Army awards.
Some additional developments - with especially good news for Munroe! I currently have archival access to original copies of U.S. War Department General Orders for World War II. Working off the WD GO number for Munroe's LOM (which I developed through a separate research source), I screened that GO as well as original WD GOs in the general number range. I hit paydirt! I came across three WD GOs which, when taken together, contain the names of 40 Red Army officers/soldiers who were awarded the Bronze Star by the U.S. Army. Munroe, your man is among them!
Before getting to that, however, here's the extract from the GO that awarded him his LOM:
WD GO 51/46 "VII_ _ LEGION OF MERIT. - 3. By direction of the President, under the provisions of the act of Congress approved 20 July 1942 (sec. III, WD Bul. 40, 1942) and Executive Order 9260, 29 October 1942 (sec. I, WD Bul 54, 1942), the Legion of Merit, in the Degree of Legionnaire, for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services during the periods indicated was awarded by the War Department to the following-named officers:
Lieutenant Colonel Matvei Krievich Halperin, Red Army. As Assistant Division Commander of the 297th Red Banner, 1st Degree Order of Bogdan Chmelintsky Slave-Kirovograd Rifle Division."
I then found the authorization for his Bronze Star in WD GO 53/46.
WD GO 53/46 "VIII_ _BRONZE STAR MEDAL. - 1. By direction of the President, under the provisions of Executive Order 9419, 4 February 1944 (sec. II, WD Bul. 3, 1944), a Bronze Star Medal for meritorious services in connection with military operations against an enemy of the United States during the periods indicated was awarded by the War Department to the following-named officers, enlisted men, and individuals:
Lieutenant Colonel Matvei Krievich Halperin, Red Army."
A few notes ref the above: 1) There were no dates/periods of service cited for either of Halperin's awards although there were dates/periods of service for some of the other Red Army personnel cited in the same GO. 2) The correct translation of his name into English should have been Galperin - the Russian language doen't have a purely "H" sound. That's why in Russian, Hitler was known as "Gitler", a Russian "G" was substituted in those instances when an "H" sound was encountered in a foreign language. The translator who turned his name into English was evidently confused about this rule since Galperin is a Russian/Jewish name and not a foreign one. 3) Note the misspelling of Khmelnitskiy - not to be unexpected.
Ed, I still agree with your basic premise that we will likely never have a very accurate count of the actual number of Bronze Stars awarded to Red Army personnel by the U.S. Army in WW II. The fact that many were probably awarded at the Corps and Division level makes tracking this much tougher. I was lucky to come across those that I did.
I intend to review all the WD G.O.s for the 1942-1946 period looking for Silver Star and Bronze Star awards to Red Army personnel. F.Y.I. These WD GOs also list awards of the DFC and Soldier's Medal. I do not intend to review these entries as I need to draw the line somewhere. More to follow...
Regards,
slava1stclass
Thus far, my research indicates that the authority for awarding the DSC, DSM and SS to Red Army personnel resided exclusively at the War Department (WD) or Military Mission Moscow (MMM) level. Given that these three awards represent the "Top Three" (after the Medal of Honor), and that two of the three are for valor, this makes sense. The authority to award the LOM to Red Army personnel, however, resided at those levels as well as at the Army, Major Command (MACOM) e.g., Alaska Department (think lend lease activity), Corps and Division levels.
Ed, unfortunately my data is only for Army awards.
Some additional developments - with especially good news for Munroe! I currently have archival access to original copies of U.S. War Department General Orders for World War II. Working off the WD GO number for Munroe's LOM (which I developed through a separate research source), I screened that GO as well as original WD GOs in the general number range. I hit paydirt! I came across three WD GOs which, when taken together, contain the names of 40 Red Army officers/soldiers who were awarded the Bronze Star by the U.S. Army. Munroe, your man is among them!
Before getting to that, however, here's the extract from the GO that awarded him his LOM:
WD GO 51/46 "VII_ _ LEGION OF MERIT. - 3. By direction of the President, under the provisions of the act of Congress approved 20 July 1942 (sec. III, WD Bul. 40, 1942) and Executive Order 9260, 29 October 1942 (sec. I, WD Bul 54, 1942), the Legion of Merit, in the Degree of Legionnaire, for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services during the periods indicated was awarded by the War Department to the following-named officers:
Lieutenant Colonel Matvei Krievich Halperin, Red Army. As Assistant Division Commander of the 297th Red Banner, 1st Degree Order of Bogdan Chmelintsky Slave-Kirovograd Rifle Division."
I then found the authorization for his Bronze Star in WD GO 53/46.
WD GO 53/46 "VIII_ _BRONZE STAR MEDAL. - 1. By direction of the President, under the provisions of Executive Order 9419, 4 February 1944 (sec. II, WD Bul. 3, 1944), a Bronze Star Medal for meritorious services in connection with military operations against an enemy of the United States during the periods indicated was awarded by the War Department to the following-named officers, enlisted men, and individuals:
Lieutenant Colonel Matvei Krievich Halperin, Red Army."
A few notes ref the above: 1) There were no dates/periods of service cited for either of Halperin's awards although there were dates/periods of service for some of the other Red Army personnel cited in the same GO. 2) The correct translation of his name into English should have been Galperin - the Russian language doen't have a purely "H" sound. That's why in Russian, Hitler was known as "Gitler", a Russian "G" was substituted in those instances when an "H" sound was encountered in a foreign language. The translator who turned his name into English was evidently confused about this rule since Galperin is a Russian/Jewish name and not a foreign one. 3) Note the misspelling of Khmelnitskiy - not to be unexpected.
Ed, I still agree with your basic premise that we will likely never have a very accurate count of the actual number of Bronze Stars awarded to Red Army personnel by the U.S. Army in WW II. The fact that many were probably awarded at the Corps and Division level makes tracking this much tougher. I was lucky to come across those that I did.
I intend to review all the WD G.O.s for the 1942-1946 period looking for Silver Star and Bronze Star awards to Red Army personnel. F.Y.I. These WD GOs also list awards of the DFC and Soldier's Medal. I do not intend to review these entries as I need to draw the line somewhere. More to follow...
Regards,
slava1stclass
