Gen. John J. Pershing Special Service medal

[TxTim]

I found this today at an old school north of Houston
The front says Special Service & Gen. John J Pershing. The back says Presented for Special Service by Chicago American. I did some internet research and can't find anything about it. I hooked the bar to the medal on the only remaining chain loop for the picture.
Any information would be appreciated.

Thanks for looking!

 

[SoreKneesDayton]

Wow very special find. Very Nice!

SKD

 

[kimsdad]

You probably already know this, but the Chicago American was an old daily newspaper in Chicago, IL. "Blackjack" Pershing was an American Hero Army officer, and that medal is one sweet find!!!!

I wish I had more info for you on the specific medal, almost as much as I wish I had found it! Congrats!!!

 

[tlzkaasen]

I assume you know but Pershing was basically the US allied commander in WWI... The man was a butcher, but all of the Generals at that time were.

nice find!!

 

[mikewaz]

Wow, what a great find ! I've never seen or heard of one of those before so I bet it's pretty rare.
Good Job!
Mike

 

[Mackaydon]

I believe this is your medal--at least it appears as the image on your medal (scroll down):
http://images.google.com/imgres?img...al+General+Pershing&gbv=2&hl=en&sa=G&ie=UTF-8

Elyria Ohio WWI Victory Medal (approx 1.25 inches= 31mm). In commemoration of the home-coming of Elyria Victorious Heroes World War 1917-1918, by Whitehead and Hoag picturing General Pershing.

My guess is that customers contacted Whitehead and Hoag (worldwide distributor of medal, pins, etc.) and contracted for a Pershing medal. W and H used their original Pershing design on the obverse, then customized the reverse to the customer's order--sometime between the end of WW I (1918) and Pershing's death in 1948.

The first edition of Hearst's 'Chicago American' was on July 4, 1900. The paper merged with another one in 1939 and was then called the Chicago Harold-American. Another related paper, also called the Chicago American, was the product of the merger or acquisition of 14 predecessor newspapers. It began in 1953 and lasted only three years, being acquired by the Chicago Tribune in 1956.

General Pershing died at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington on July 15, 1948.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago's_American

 

[Dman]

Neat find. I have never seen one of them.
Dman

 

[TxTim]

I believe this is your medal--at least it appears as the image on your medal (scroll down):
http://images.google.com/imgres?img...al+General+Pershing&gbv=2&hl=en&sa=G&ie=UTF-8

Elyria Ohio WWI Victory Medal (approx 1.25 inches= 31mm). In commemoration of the home-coming of Elyria Victorious Heroes World War 1917-1918, by Whitehead and Hoag picturing General Pershing.

My guess is that customers contacted Whitehead and Hoag (worldwide distributor of medal, pins, etc.) and contracted for a Pershing medal. W and H used their original Pershing design on the obverse, then customized the reverse to the customer's order--sometime between the end of WW I (1918) and Pershing's death in 1948.

The first edition of Hearst's 'Chicago American' was on July 4, 1900. The paper merged with another one in 1939 and was then called the Chicago Harold-American. Another related paper, also called the Chicago American, was the product of the merger or acquisition of 14 predecessor newspapers. It began in 1953 and lasted only three years, being acquired by the Chicago Tribune in 1956.

General Pershing died at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington on July 15, 1948.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago's_American

Wow! - I believe that's it! - The Elyria medal.
Thanks, Mack!

Tim
Some food for thought on this since it was found in Houston is that in 1916 Pershing was chasing Villa on the Mexican border at the end of that campaign the troops were brought back to Camp Logan in Houston, many of these were from the ILL. National Guard. It was not unusal for the state and different orginization within the state to give local medals out to their home troops. I found a state isuued medal several years ago at the dump site from Logan.
J-G

Hey J-G- we hunt Logan quite a bit- never found any medals and the dump is good for buttons, buckles and coins. My understanding is that all the Logan troops headed to France. I never knew Pershing went through there. I found the medal in Conroe.

Thanks all!!

 

[Mackaydon]

Amending my earlier post:
The medal was most probably made between the end of WW I (1918) and the end of the (first) 'Chicago American'--in 1939.
Don.........