What was your Gateway TR Award?

[Matthieu]

This was my 1st purchase ever ... heavily worn unmarked Souval EK2. I still keep it for sentimental reasons .

[AndyC]

Well my first was a classic EK 2
I bought it in 1974 and then i was 11 years old
Still have it, couldnt sell it
Know i know that its a W&L but back then it was just a Iron cross for me


Andy

[Hans Kondor]

It was an unmarked KVKII with swords to me.

[ErichS]

Mine was an OST Front medal given to me by my Uncle when I was 10yrs old back in 1968, and I still have it to this day.

[John Allen]

first medal

In 1967, when I was 15, I bought a very nice black wound badge maker mark "4" and an SS officers wire sleeve eagle for the ungodly sum of $3.00 for both. The sleeve eagle is long gone [somebody made me an offer that I could not refuse] but I still have the wound badge even though I no longer collect badges and medals. I will probably never get rid of it.

[Jody]

My Gateway Award

Hello,
I was luckier than most, my gateway awards came from a realtive (great-uncle) and they were a Luftwaffe GAB by M.u.K.5, a silver tank destruction strip and a DK in gold.

Here are the two medals that got me started and I was around 8 years old at the time. Yes, I still have them.

Regards,
Jody

[John F.]

Hello,
I was luckier than most, my gateway awards...were a Luftwaffe GAB by M.u.K.5, a silver tank destruction strip and a DK in gold.

Jody,

"Luckier than most", that's an understament. Nice awards!

[SMFlagg]

It was an unmarked KVKII with swords to me.

Same! And still have her!

[Engelfeuer]

Like the majority, my first bought item was an EK2

[Randy Flieger]

My first items

My first items were given to me by my father-in-law who served under Gen. Patton. He received these items from a German Officer that he later became friends with. AH statue (with silver) and unmarked EK2.

Thanks, Randy

[Andy B.]

Dad was a collector growing up. The first item I bought was a kvk/ost medal ribbon bar in Metz France back in '76 when I was 10.
Andy

[dylan]

10 years ago i visited a Russian market in Warsaw. Some dude was selling "Third reich" items.

Back then, i was totally oblivious of any military WW2 items.

I purchased this idiotic fantasy piece.
yes, i believed it was real.



Whatever it was, since then i got totally fascinated. Some time after, my first genuine item was this KVK. Also bought in Poland.
I thought it was ok to use copper polish on it. I regret now.

[101combatvet]

Mine was a GAB from the grandfather of a childhood friend. He was an NCO with the engineers on the Russian Front.

[Douglas 5]

Mine was this L59 EK1 and S&L EK2 from the same person .
More importantly I got to meet the - Oberst - these came from ! A hardened 'Regim Member' of the past era and still in the 70's would great you with - " Heil Hitler " !

Douglas

[John F.]

...More importantly I got to meet the - Oberst - these came from ! A hardened 'Regim Member' of the past era and still in the 70's would great you with - " Heil Hitler " !

Yikes! . I bet that didn't go over too well with a lot of people.