Hungarian Medal for Meritorious Military Service

[John F.]

Here is an interesting medal from the Cold War that I picked up in Budapest on a four-day pass from Bosnia back in 2000. I forgot all about this piece until it resurfaced again when I was going through my boxes of stuff.

It is a cased Hungarian Medal for Meritorious Military Service with ribbon bar and orders. It was awarded almost 37 years ago to a Beck Jozsef on 15 Feb 1967. The medal is a three piece construction and bares the Soviet style wreath around the Hungarian national colors with two crossed PPSH 41 sub-machine guns all mounted on a light blue enameled center. The medal appears to be made out of silver.

John

[John F.]

The Orders are on a card that is a bit smaller then a 3"x5" (7.62 x 12.7cm) recipe card. My Hungarian is a bit rusty, can anyone translate this?

[John F.]

Close-up of front & back

[John F.]

The ribbon bar...

I like that center device. However, I don't know if it goes with this particular medal. If you notice the wreath around the medal is silver whereas the wreath on the ribbon is bronze. Anyone know if this this medal came in different classes?

[Robert P.]

John,

No, I can't read Hungarian. But the detailing of this medal is very nice indeed. Nice find.

Respects,
Robert

[Elnar]

The Orders are on a card that is a bit smaller then a 3"x5" (7.62 x 12.7cm) recipe card. My Hungarian is a bit rusty, can anyone translate this?

State Cheifment of the Workers Guard


VERIFICATION

I verify that
Beck József
is, after 10 years service by workers guard,
"SERVICE MEDAL"
award owner
This verification is valid, until revocation.

Budapest, 1967. February 15

[eindecker2]

The medal and the document do not belong together. This is the medal for meritorious service, but after 1963 this was no longer used for long service as they intorduced a whilse series of 10,15,20,25,30,35,and finally 40 year service medals.

[John F.]

This verification is valid, until revocation.

Gents,

Wow, old thread new life. Thanks for the translation and clarification on this award. I like that last part on the card "until revocation". I take that to mean you screw-up we take it back.

[eindecker2]

All of the ODM's of Hungary during the People's Republic could be revoked at the discression of the Party...
Many of the awards came with certain "benefits" (none of the long service though) and the idea was having teh ability to strip you of your pension, education for your children, etc.... if you did not follwo the Party Line...