Can you sell military medals?

[scottmandue]

Had a rough holiday... Dec. 22 1:30AM wife gets the call "dad is in ICU, not expected to make it."

Long story short, he was 92, heart not in the best shape, intestinal blockage, couldn't operate, he didn't make it.

So we cancel vacation/holiday plans and book last minute airline tickets.

Good news is he had a living trust so the will thing was very fair and easy.

However going through his personal belongings come to find out the man was a war hero, among his most precious things was a collection of medals, a double purple heart and a bronze star plus others.

This guy had a heart as big as an elephant, raised two kids then after his children had grown up and moved on they adopted three more ... and never mentioned his war stories...

He worked for decades as a unassuming postman in Ashland, OR. and finished his days in a retirement center in Medford.

At the end of our visit there was some fuss about who gets the medals (he did not specify where they should go in the will)

All we want to do is make sure they (the medals) are well taken care of...

Another long story short, one family member is a flake or lives with flakes and there is concern the medals may fall into the wrong hands.

I know nothing but I proposed that it is illegal to sell such medals... am I right?

[Hard-Deck]

In the US, only the Congressional Medal of Honor is illegal to buy/sell.

[Tobra]

Fairly certain you can sell medals. I encourage you to prevent someone who might sell them from being in a position where they could.

Real hero does not speak of their heroic deeds. Had a patient that talked more about beating the heck out of the jarheads when he was in the Army during the Korean War than what he did. I went to his house and he had Silver Star with clusters and 3 Purple heart citations. Guy had a letter from Ike hanging on the wall for crying out loud and he was more interested in talking about by VW convertible

[Seahawk]

First of all, my condolences. He sounds like a fine man.

Your question actually never occurred to me so I did a swing by ebay and was surprised. Lots of medals for sale:

military medals in Militaria | eBay

Offer to buy them at the prices listed. There only real value is the story behind them, of the man who earned them.

Best of luck.

This is my fav: Very RARE Eagle World War 2 WWII Military Badge Medal | eBay

I have a whole bunch of those

[72doug2,2S]

Isn't John Kerry in the market for military medals?

[herr_oberst]

Originally Posted by 72doug2,2S

Isn't John Kerry in the market for military medals?

really?


Scott, my condolences for your loss. Your father sounds like he was one of the finest.

[flatbutt]

My condolences. But who would buy them? My Dad's medals are pinned to his funeral flag which is with my older brother as he is the only one of my siblings who served in a combat area.

[cstreit]

Well if that particular person is as I suspect, I bet a little cash to cover fair market value would help soften their attachment. Be careful though, if you're wrong, you'll REALLY piss 'em off.

[Joe Ricard]

Might I suggest a shadow box to display them along with the flag which covered his coffin. I have made a few of them for my uncles and one for my dad.

Hang on the wall of sit on a bookshelf etc.

[azasadny]

Originally Posted by Seahawk

First of all, my condolences. He sounds like a fine man.

Your question actually never occurred to me so I did a swing by ebay and was surprised. Lots of medals for sale:

military medals in Militaria | eBay

Offer to buy them at the prices listed. There only real value is the story behind them, of the man who earned them.

Best of luck.

This is my fav: Very RARE Eagle World War 2 WWII Military Badge Medal | eBay

I have a whole bunch of those

This^^^^^^^

[kimlangley7]

Condolances first off... the greatest generation [WW-II + ] vets are passing on faster and faster. As previously noted - only the Medal of Honor [MOH] is "protected.. Bronze stars and purple hearts are widely available at any gun show...

Just a sugestion - get ahold of your Father In Law DD-214 - that lists his service > what wartime campaigns he served in - or better yet the medal citations - and build a "Shadow Box" displaying these symbols of valor/service.. and pass them down in your family..

the USA should not turn into a disposable society - where we just cast aside the valor of our parents - who fought and shed their blood > so we could enjoy our 911's... they literally laid it on the line .. not so much for America > but for the GI next to them...

kgl just waxing

[scottmandue]

Don't want to get too deep into the family dynamics...

I have only had the privilege of knowing the gentleman since I married his daughter three years ago... and then only on holidays and monthly visits because we live so far away.

However he was smart enough to put his very level headed and pragmatic daughter the executer of his will (not my wife... she married me for heavens sake... but I digress).

She will keep the medals (with our blessings), have them professionally mounted in a shadow box and on display at their home.

Edit to add: He also had a war journal that is very exciting to read, it will be copied and shared with all the children, the BIL is going to see if he can get it published.

Also a bunch of clippings from the local newspaper... in a small town a local family adopting Korean orphans was news back then.

[kimlangley7]

Can I ask what Theater he served? Europe... Pacific... what Service > just curious...

[scottmandue]

Pacific, he was infantry, first up the beach (thus the double purple heart)...

I think someone mentioned Okinawa but I would not swear to that, when the transcripts/copies come through I will be able to post more accurate info...

I did not get a chance to look at all the paperwork... it was an emotional roller-coaster and very surreal at the time... all I could do was be there to support my wife at the time.

[kimlangley7]

Just to continue... I remember once when I was a young ROTC cadet - was in the mess hall at Ft Lewis, WA [1972] doing summer camp - and had some slack time - sat down next to a couple of civilian mess hall workers and started chatting them up..

turns out one of the guys was a waist gunner on a B-24 that did the Polesti raid on the oil refineries.... holy cow!!!!!.. I was chatting it up with a card-carrying aircrew member that pulled off one of the hairest raids / missions in air-warfare history...

but there he was > in the mess hall at Lewis....

[azasadny]

I met a Medal of Honor recipient while I was stationed at Camp Pendleton in the late '80's and early '90's. He was MGSGT Pittman. He managed the golf course on base!

[kimlangley7]

My Dad was Infantry - 24 INF DIV WW-II - did New Guinea, Phillippines... 5 beachheads...[amphibious landings]... he stayed in and did WW-Korea and Vietnam... He's 93 now..

I'm very fortunate to still have him around - although he and Mom [age 91] are in Colo Sps and I'm in N Va.. still great to chat them up on the phone..

again condolances... it's never easy

[scottmandue]

From the service,



There are a bunch of other pictures from other family members but I don't have access to them right now, this was the only one my wife got... she was pretty upset...

His hearing was so bad he could hardly talk on the phone so she preferred to write... there was one letter sitting on her desk at our home waiting to be mailed... one was sitting on his desk at the retirement center waiting to be opened.

If you have elderly loved ones... don't delay...

[crustychief]

Scott, I am sorry to hear of the passing of your Father-in-law.
Regards,
Sandy

[72doug2,2S]

Originally Posted by herr_oberst

really?

.

I'm here all week, tips welcomed.