Seeking identification of medals & ribbons and unit records

Deborah,

I believe the three ribbons on the metal frame are, from left to right: the American Campaign Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, and the Philippine Liberation Medal.  The white stripes on these awards look pretty yellowed.  The ribbon are mounted in the correct precedence order.

The American Campaign Medal was awarded to those who served outside the continental United States in the American Theater for 30 days or in the continental United States for one year.  The Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal was awarded to those who served in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater for 30 days or received a combat award in that theater.  The Philippine Liberation Medal was awarded to those who served in the liberation of the Philippines between 17 October 1944 and 3 September 1945.

The enamel pin appears to be the Army Good Conduct Medal.  This medal was awarded to those soldiers displaying exemplary conduct, efficiency, and fidelity during three years of active enlisted service with the U. S. Army (one year during wartime).  The Army Good Conduct Medal has a higher precedence compared to the three other medals, so its ribbon would be mounted before the other three ribbons.

I can’t identify the metal eagle device—it does not appear to be U. S. Army issue.

I hope you find this information useful.

A. J.

Dear Ms. Cutler-Ortiz,

Thank you for posting your request on History Hub!

The above ribbons are indicative of service in the American and Pacific theaters. Although some of the colors are faded, the ribbons are as follows from left to right: American Campaign Ribbon, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Ribbon, and the Philippine Liberation Ribbon. The lapel pin appears to be an Army Good Conduct ribbon.

We searched the National Archives Catalog and located the World War II Operations Reports, 1940-1948 in the Records of the Adjutant General's Office, 1917-1981 (Record Group 407) that may include records on the 173rd Quartermaster Salvage Collecting Company during WWII. For access to these records, please contact the National Archives at College Park - Textual Reference (RDT2) via email at archives2reference@nara.gov.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and pursuant to guidance received from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), NARA has adjusted its normal operations to balance the need of completing its mission-critical work while also adhering to the recommended social distancing for the safety of NARA staff. As a result of this re-prioritization of activities, you may experience a delay in receiving an initial acknowledgement as well as a substantive response to your reference request from RDT2. We apologize for this inconvenience and appreciate your understanding and patience.

You also may locate information from the U.S. Army Center for Military History on the Quartermaster Corps during World War II. The Quartermaster Corps, Quartermaster Lineage and Honors Information, and The Quartermaster Corps: Operations in the War Against Japan provide information on various quartermaster companies and operations in the Pacific during WWII.

We hope this is helpful. Best of luck with your research!