A Veteran's "treasure"

[W. C. Stump]

After all these years an old U. S. army Veteran who lives in my home town visited me the other day and was amazed at all the "war junk", as he called it, in my office. Today he came back and gave me the only "war junk" that survived all these year since his return home from Europe in 1946. It isn't rate, but was his last reminder of his moment of glory in the Great War and wanted me to have it.

[W. C. Stump]

THE TREASUER

Vet's "treasure".

[ERIC S.]

OLD SAYING

To coin a phrase: " one mans junk is another mans treasure"
ERIC

[Dez H]

Hello Mr Stump

I bet your vet friend had some great stories to share as well over a few beers.


Regards

Dez

[W. C. Stump]

WON'T TALK MUCH

My friend is an ordained minister, so the beer is out. However he has talked a bit about the war, but hesitates going into detail about the combat he participated in. He talked about how the war changed him from a "coal camp "Tuff" to a caring and religious man.

[Mark S.]

The lowly Luftshutz medal...

My very first peice of German militaria ever, way back around 1975 or so , was a Luftshutz medal.

[don]

Were the Luftshutz medals marked? Great story Bill
don

[ERIC S.]

yes!

I have a Luftschutz 2nd Class marked "10" on the suspension ring- this was the # of Foerster & Barth.
ERIC

[James Clark]

There's probably some interesting psychology behind what vets picked up to bring back.

My guess would be that your average Joe went for an Iron Cross (any class - they all look the same) as these would have been recognised by most soldiers as a symbol of the enemy.

But what would you have gone for next? The medal with the biggest swastika on it (like the Luftschutzmedaille)? Or the biggest/shiniest medal?

I bet any Lifesaving medals lying around didn't get a second look - small, with a scrawny eagle and a bearly discernible swastika!

Or were our lads more sophisticated than that?!

James