United States. A "Battle of the Bulge" Bronze Star & Purple Heart Group, 94th Infantry Division

Includes: 

1. Bronze Star Medal with Ribbon Bar: engraved "TRUMAN G. GUTHERZ" on the reverse. 

2. Purple Heart: engraved "TRUMAN G. GUTHERZ" on the reverse. 

3. Army Good Conduct Medal with Ribbon Bar.  

4. American Campaign Medal with Ribbon Bar. 

5. European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal and Ribbon Bar with three Bronze Campaign Stars. 

6. World War II Victory Medal with Ribbon Bar. 

7. Army of Occupation Medal with GERMANY Clasp. 

All seven medals with an original ribbon and brooch pinback. 

Also included are: 

8. Bronze Star Medal Lapel Badge. 

9. Purple Heart Lapel Badge. 

10. Army Good Conduct Medal Lapel Badge. 

11. 94th Infantry Division Lapel Badge: in bronze gilt with gray, black and white enamels, unmarked, measuring 23.8 mm in diameter, horizontal pinback. 

12. 94th Infantry Division Patch: in gray, black and olive green embroidery, measuring 60 mm in diameter. 

Accompanied by research papers.

Near extremely fine.

Footnote: Truman G. Gutherz was born on August 20, 1902 in Big Mound, Lee County, Iowa, the son of John D. Gutherz (1870-1911) and Bertha Dorthy Hauptmann Gutherz (1879-1971). He had one sister, Ilene Fern Gutherz Morgan (1909-1979). He was a resident of Nauvoo, Illinois when he enlisted with the United States Army as a Private (37-399-964) on November 23, 1942, at the age of 40 and was placed into active service on November 30th. Gutherz was promoted to Corporal on April 1, 1943 and then to Sergeant on June 1, 1943. His military occupational specialty was as a Reconnaissance Car Crewman and he qualified for the Army Rifle Marksmanship Badge on April 10, 1943, earning the Carbine Clasp (M1 Carbine: a standard firearm for the U.S. military during World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War) on July 24, 1943. During his training while in the United States and overseas, he would attend a series of courses and complete a number of operational tests. He departed for the European Theater of Operations on August 6, 1944, arriving five days later on the 11th. Sergeant Gutherz (later promoted to Staff Sergeant on December 16, 1944) served with the 94th Reconnaissance Troop (Mechanized), 94th Infantry Division and is credited with having participated in the Northern France and Germany Campaigns, including the Battle of the Bulge (AKA  the Ardennes Offensive), the last major German offensive campaign on the Western Front during the Second World War. The offensive was carried out from December 16, 1944 to January 25, 1945, towards the end of the war in Europe and launched through the densely forested Ardennes region between Belgium and Luxembourg. Staff Sergeant was wounded in action on February 20, 1945 and was subsequently hospitalized at 61st General Hospital as of March 14, 1945 in the United Kingdom. He did not return to duty until after VE Day and was honorably discharged from service on July 18, 1945 at Jefferson Barracks in Missouri. Truman G. Gutherz died on March 31, 1982, at the age of 79 in Nauvoo, Hancock County, Illinois and is buried in Nauvoo Cemetery. Staff Sergeant Gutherz was awarded two Bronze Stars for the Northern France and Germany Campaigns per ETOUSA and awarded the Purple Heart for being wounded in action. In addition, he was awarded the Army Good Conduct Medal. For his Second World War service, he was awarded the American Campaign Medal, the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with three Bronze Campaign Stars, the World War II Victory Medal and the Army of Occupation Medal with Germany Clasp.