United States. A Purple Heart Group to Machine Gunner George Surlas, c.1918

Item #W5132

$545

United States. A Purple Heart Group to Machine Gunner George Surlas, c.1918

Purple Heart (in bronze gilt with purple, red, white and green enamels, number impressed "59865" on the edge, engraved "GEORGE SURLAS" on the reverse, measuring 34.5 mm (w) x 43.5 mm (h), original ribbon with brooch pinback, with 35.5 mm (w) x 9 mm (h), intact enamels); World War I Victory Medal, 5 Clasps - DEFENSIVE SECTOR, MEUSE-ARGONNE, ST. MIHIEL, AISNE-MARNE, AISNE (in bronze, measuring 36 mm, original ribbon with brooch pinback, with 37 mm (w) x 9.5 mm (h) ribbon bar); and France: Medal for St. Mihiel 1918 (in bronze, engraver marked (F. FRAISSE" on the obverse, measuring 31.5 mm, original ribbon with dual prong pinback). Extremely fine. Accompanied by a United States Army Machine Gun Lapel Badge (in silvered and blackened bronze, measuring 26.8 mm (w) x 14 mm (h), horizontal pinback); a Veterans of Foreign Wars Membership Badge (in bronze, maker marked "MEDALLIC ART CO. NEW YORK" on the reverse, measuring 19.2 mm (w) x 19 mm (h), buttonhole attachment); and a French Cross of Lorraine Pendant (in silvered bronze with blue enamels, measuring 13 mm (w) x 21 mm (h), chipping evident in the blue enamels).

 
Footnote: The Medal for St. Mihiel was created by the Conseil Municipal of the town of Saint Mihiel on February 15, 1936, to honor the American soldiers of the 1st American Army under General Pershing who, on September 12 and 13, 1918, successfully attacked the Saint Mihiel salient which was impeding communications between Paris and Nancy and helped pave the way to victory on the Western Front.