Eastern People's Ribbon found in US Division Grouping

[mwliles]

Yesterday I got a small group of items from a US Soldier that was with the 91st Infantry Division in Italy.

[mwliles]

Inside the sewing kit with the Soldier's other U.S. ribbons I found what I believed to be Ribbon for the Eastern People's Medal Second Class in Gold and a US style mount bearing the same ribbon. The loose ribbon is the same width as the US mount.

[mwliles]

So what is up with this? Original German Eastern People Ribbon? Is it a US decoration that I am unfamiliar with and if so why would a WWII Infantry Soldier have this ribbon? Is it something made up by some enterprising Italian vendor that found some abandoned German ribbon and then concocted a story that this was the new ribbon all US Soldiers would receive from the Italian Government for liberating their land? It is interesting that two of the US ribbons bars have Italian made stars on them.

[mwliles]

As you can see these have been together for a long time. Your thoughts on what is going here?
Marion

[NickG]

Very Cool find! Many Ost truppen Cossacks served in the Italian theatre!

[byterock]

Or the it could be the Italian Order of Military Merit judging from the other medals ribbons that are present.

[Tom Yanacek]

Hi Bill,

It certainly looks like the ribbon for the Gold Eastern Peoples Decoration Second Class. Possibly it is the ribbon for the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic.

Best regards,
Tom