Jeff:
Thanks for the info. I e-mailed Brandon. Very nice guy with more info. I have copied his e-mail to me below. He explains the nature of the books and says in a later e-mail that the bronze star is CIB conversion. Of the awards 3 are described as GO but none have a division or regiment associated in the description just GO. He went as far as checking the 11th infantry book and my grandfather is not listed. So the question is who awarded him the medals (1st army or 5th division or other). We have eliminated 3rd army as the awarder and 11th infantry. If you have a 5th division book can you check to see if a Marvin Smith (no middle) is listed? His awards are listed above. If he is there I will buy it right away. These books can get expensive! But, they are very good and worth it.

Thanks again. And thanks for enjoying my grandpa's display. He was my hero!

Tammy

Most of what appears on your relative's spereration report are not decorations: please see the link near the bottom of the following webpage for explinations of service medals, good conduct medals and unit awards. It a matter of definations of Decorations v's Medals v's Awards. There are an actual difference. http://www.ddaymilitaria.com/Frequently%20asked%20questions%202.htm

My books are indecies of the general orders issued by a given command not a listing of all members of a given organization who received decorations. The latter is not partical at this point as different levels of commands have differing authority to award decorations.

Commands above the divisional level are more or less administrative in nature. Technically the Corps is the highest tactical organization. But in reality Corps, Armies, Army Groups and theater level commands are not organized ina fixed nature their componenant organizations change on a daily basis. X division would be relieved from Y Corps, due to high combat losses and reassigned to X corps in a more quite sector to rest and refit. When this was completed it would be reasigned to a hot sedctor once again but not necessarily unit Y corps. Some divisons were moved from the 1st Army area up againist the Britis Forces all the way to the 7th Army's Area on the southern portion of the front to stop German penetrations.

All this said more then 1 or 2 million men served under the 3rd Army during combat operations during WWII, so identifing with an Army is not very describtive and not correct for most soldiers during their time in combat.

All that said there is a Marvin D. Smith in my 11th Infantry Regiment Book



Brandon T. Wiegand