United States. Legion of Merit, Legionnaire Grade in bronze gilt with red, white, blue and green enamels, engraved "PER F. SCHOLANDER" on the reverse, measuring 48 mm (w) x 46 mm (h), original ribbon with brooch pinback, ribbon very worn, small chip in red enamel of 7 o’clock arm, otherwise very fine condition, accompanied by it’s enamel ribbon bar with button hole backing, measuring 12mm (w) x 3mm (h), slight contact marks, very fine condition, by it’s hardshell case of issue, stamped LEGION OF MERIT LEGIONNAIRE on lid, medalbed worn around lapel pin, still very fine condition and by it’s framed certificate in wood and glass, dated March 31 1964, measures 320mm (w) x 266mm (h), wire string attached to reverse, backing damaged along top of reverse, slight contact wear along edges of frame, very fine condition; Soldier’s Medal, bronze, engraved “PER F. SCHOLANDER” on reverse, measures 35mm (w) x 39mm (h-inclusive of integral suspension), on original ribbon with brooch pinback, accompanied by it’s enamel ribbon bar with button hole backing, measuring 12mm (w) x 3mm (h), enamels intact, very fine condition, by it’s hardshell case of issue, stamped SOLDIER’S MEDAL on lid, measures 85mm (w) x 165mm (l) x 25mm (d), medalbed worn around lapel pin, still very fine condition and by it’s framed certificate in wood and glass, dated December 3 1963, measures 320mm (w) x 266mm (h), wire string attached to reverse, backing damaged along top right corner of reverse, slight contact wear along edges of frame, very fine condition.
Accompanied by two small loose soldier’s medals ribbons, letters sent to Lt. Col Irving by Major Sutton and Sir Hubert Wilkins, photocopies of citations for Scholander and Irving, and a framed photograph of Scholander shaking hands with an army personnel while wearing the Legion of Merit award.
Footnote: Per Fredrik Scholander was born on November 29, 1905 in Orebro, Sweden. He attended the University of Oslo and completed a medical degree in 1932. However, it was philosophy (specifically botany) that peaked his interest and he completed his doctorate of philosophy two years later. As a research fellow at the University of Oslo, he studied the physiology of deep-water diving animals (mainly seals), and is largely credited for the discovery of hemoglobin’s ability to transfer oxygen in the blood. Due to his discoveries, Swarthmore college arranged for a Rockefeller Fellowship in the United States. Scholander left Norway for the US, to begin studying with Laurence Irving, another researcher of diving physiology. However, when the United States joined the war Scholander followed Irving to the Air Force.
They both became involved in testing military equipment and survival gear. Scholander studied the conditions in which field stoves could result in carbon monoxide poisoning in tents. He went so far as to personally test sleeping bags in blizzards and life rafts during storms. For his dedication aid to the military, he was awarded a Legion of Merit. The citation reads: “Major Per F. Scholander, 0528370, Air Corps, Army of the United States. As Project Officer, Physiological Section, Army Air Forces Proving Ground Command, during the period from October 1943 to June 1945, Major Scholander rendered exceptionally outstanding service in the design and construction of technical equipment which resulted in marked increases in the availability and combat effectiveness of Army Air Forces Fighter pilots. His persistent application of originality of thought, initiative, and technical skill enabled him to overcome many preliminary failures of design and materials in the development of the hammock-type seat for fighter aircraft.”
In March of 1945, Scholander led an unauthorized rescue mission after learning that an airplane had crashed on the peninsula. Survivors had been seen from the sky, however, rescue teams were unable to reach the site overland due to the rough terrain and deep snow. Scholander, along with a medical officer and a chaplain jumped down to the site -with no prior parachuting experience. For his actions, Scholander was considered a hero and was highly recommended to be decorated or cited. Major George M. Sutton wrote to Lt. Col. Irving that it was “Scholander’s single-purpose determination to get to those injured men which finally turned the trick; which gave the two other men courage and resolve.” He received the Soldier’s Medal on April 23 1945, for which the citation reads: “On 18 March 1945, a C-47 aircraft of the 54th Troop Carrier Squadron crashed approximately thirty miles northeast of Fort Randall, Alaska, while enroute to that station from Fort Richardson, Alaska. Wreckage of the aircraft was soon sighed from the air, and some survivors of the six people who had been aboard the plane were seen moving about on the ground. When word that the missing aircraft has been located was brought to Fort Randall, the three officers mentioned above immediately volunteered to parachute down into the tiny valley were the plane had crashed, though this was considered to be a highly dangerous undertaking. However, due to the rugged nature of the country, it was known that ground rescue parties would require several days to reach this isolated spot. The three officers mentioned were, therefore, flown over the site of the crash, and although two of them had never before made a parachute jump, they all unhesitantly parachuted to the ground. Because of the deep snow, the required from one to two hours to reach the wrecked aircraft; Captain Scholander was the first to arrive. Captain Weston, upon his arrival, administered medical aid to the three survivors, one of whom was in critical condition and might have died if help had not arrived so promptly. Captain Weston was assisted by Chaplain Mullen, while Captain Scholander set up a small kitchen in the undamaged lavatory of the C-17 where he prepared medals for everyone present until all were rescued on 23 March. The unselfish courage displayed by Captain Weston, Chaplain Mullen, and Captain Scholander is in keeping with the finest traditions of the service.”
Following their service in the Air Force, Scholander and Irving established a research laboratory in Point Barrow, Alaska, with support from the Navy. The main focus of the research was on the measurements of the metabolic heat production and insulation necessary for warm-blooded animals to keep warm in the Arctic. In 1951, he married Susan Irving. Scholander later attended Harvard University as a research fellow, and by 1955 he was back at the University of Oslo, working as a professor and director of a new institute of zoophysiology. He became a professor at Scripps Institution of Oceanography in 1958 and later established the Physiological Research Laboratory at Scripps in 1965. He was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1961, and the American Philosophy Society the following year. In 1979, he received the Nansen Award for Polar Research. On June 13, 1980, at the age of seventy-four, Scholander died in his home in California.