French ribbon bar with U.S. Bronze Star

[Daniel Krause]

Hi,

I have this French NCO´s ribbon bar in my collection.
second last position looks like the U.S. Bronze Star.

Does somebody know more about that? Was it common even for NCO´s in the Corean war to get awards from the allies?

Best regards

Daniel

[mott5ranch]

Daniel, Your photo didn't post.

[Daniel Krause]

I can see it, but will try again.

Best regards

Daniel

[mott5ranch]

Very nice! I can see both posts now. I don't know why I couldn't before?

Nice ribbon set. Yes, that is a bronze star ribbon indeed. I am not familiar with the French ribbons. I see the UN medal for Korea, the US bronze star and the last one is the Korean Service medal from Korea. I wonder if the stars on the other ribbons are the same as stars in the US, battle stars. It appears to me this Frenchman fought along side some US troops at some point and earned this medal from the US. Another reminder of history that we can only speculate on the true events.

Thanks for sharing this, Daniel.

[Daniel Krause]

The French stars are more thin and fragile than the American ones.
I have some more French bars, but this is the only one with an American decoration.

Best regards

Daniel

[JensF.]

Hallo Daniel,

yes, it is the Bronze Star. It was very rare for a frenchman to get it in Korea but not impossible. Look at this article about a Luxembourg soldier who got his Bronze Star 50 years after Korea:

http://www.nat-military-museum.lu/pa.../lastnews.html

Second article!


Greetings

Jens

[Daniel Krause]

Hallo Jens,

thank You very much, quite interesting article!

Beste Grüße

Daniel

[Dave Danner]

For those who don't know, the medals are as follows:

First row
- Médaille Militaire (Military Medal)
- Croix de Guerre T.O.E. (War Cross for Foreign Operations, w/2 bronze stars)
- Croix de la Valeur Militaire (Cross of Military Valor, w/1 bronze star)

Second row
- Croix du Combattant (Combatant's Cross)
- Médaille Coloniale avec agrafe "Extreme Orient" (Colonial Medal w/"Far East" bar)*
- Médaille des Opérations de l'ONU en Corée (French Korea Service Medal)

Third row
- Médaille de la Campagne d'Indochine (Indochina Medal)
- Médaille commémorative des Opérations de Sécurité et de Maintien de l'Ordre (given for service in Algeria (and Tunisia, too, I think))
- Médaille de Service de l'ONU (UN Korea Medal)

Fourth row
- US Bronze Star
- ROK Korea Service Medal

* after 1962, this became the Overseas Medal (Médaille d'outre-mer )

The stars on the Croix de Guerre (CdG) and Croix de la Valeur Militaire (CVM) are citation stars. The various stars (gold, silver, bronze) and palms indicate the level of the citation. The UK analog would be a mention in despatches device. The US Silver Star actually originated as the silver citation star worn on the WWI Victory Medal and became a separate medal in 1932(?). The Bronze Star was established in WW2 as the next level down. In effect, the US Bronze Star would correspond to a CdG or CVM with bronze citation star.

So this soldier entered after WW2 and served in Korea, Indochina and Algeria, and was cited three times by the French and once by the Americans, as well as receiving the Military Medal. A very nice group, and especially nice with the foreign decoration.

Dave

[Daniel Krause]

Hi Dave,

thank You very much for Your reply.

I have some more French ones with plenty of citation stars and palms, even with the rarer wound stars.

Want to see?

Best regards

Daniel