Need help identifying my father's ribbons

I am the daughter of a WWII vet. My father was a Staff Sergent in the 5th Armored Division (I believe the 34th Tank Battalion). He was wounded around August 1944 and spent 2 years in VA hospitals. I know he landed in Europe early in 1944. I have this photo of his ribbons when he and my mom were married - wondering if someone can help identify them. I do believe there are 3 battle stars on the middle one on top row, and the 1st on top row is purple heart, 1st on 2nd row is bronze star. Sorry the quality isn't better. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks. View attachment 17875

 

Welcome to the forum!

We have a good number of vets here so I'm sure they can give you a hand here. As its currently late Sunday night it may take a day ot two, so have faith.

 

I see the France and Germany ribbon for a start and I believe another one is the Victory commemorative one.

 

Starting from the top inside :
ETO, Good Conduct.
Bronze Star, American Campaign Ribbon, European Occupation Ribbon

That may not be the Bronze Star though as it would be out of precedence

 

Jug you're the best (and don't put this in your signature, because I will deny having said it )

 

Gotta agree, tried to figure them out myself, but the colors kept jumping around on me!

 

Is it possible he was wounded and evacuated later than August? The ETO ribbon has three stars, which in the 5th Armored Division campaigns would be Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland. Rhineland began September 15th.

 

thanks

 

Yes, I believe you are right. I was just reading over the history of the 5th and see that the 3rd campaign was in September. I do not have the exact date of the battle in which he was wounded, but it would have been around then. His records were among those that were destroyed in the VA Archives fire in St. Louis - so all I could find was his service number and I also have his induction notice and the letters he wrote home to his mother. As a child I remember him talking about Luxembourg and Belgium - so he must have been there.

 

Thanks to all of you who replied to my question. My father's records were destroyed in the VA Archives fire in St. Louis, so I have to guess at a lot of this. I do have the letters he wrote home to his mother, which would help me identify closer to the date he was wounded, but I believe it may have been mid-September. I just have to locate his letters. I am trying to put it all together for my genealogy so that I can put together a family book. I also want make a copy for my parent's hometown Library in Kansas. Thanks again. And a special thanks to all you vets and families of vets out there for your service.

 

Here's my parents' wedding photo. My dad was in the VA hospital at the time, recovering from over 20 surgeries to save his right arm, which they did. However, his elbow was forever bent at a right angle where they fused the bone. He used to tell us kids that our mother bit him when we'd ask what happened to his arm.

View attachment 17888

 

I've been down the same path you are starting now. Even though most records were lost in St. Louis, you can still get copies of his separation papers and a few other things. Those documents will have notes about his awards, the dates of wounds, campaigns, and so on. With those documents you can go further and get his medals replaced to make a shadow box for his descendents, if nothing else.

This link is to the 5th Armored Association, and within that site are other links that will detail how to apply for the various documents. It would be a good place to start.

5AD Online!

 

Was that picture colorized? and would it be possible to see the full image?