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2 place ribbon bar, War Merit Cross 2nd class with swords and Eastern Front ribbons acquired by a US soldier

Object | Accession Number: 2013.453.14

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    Overview

    Brief Narrative
    German bar pin with 2 ribbons: War Merit Cross 2nd class with crossed swords pin [Kleine Ordensschnallen] and an Eastern Front ribbon (Ostmedaille] brought back from the war by Harold Goldberg, an American soldier who served in Europe, circa 1945-1946, during and after World War II. The War Merit Cross 2nd class with swords was awarded after 1939 to military personnel for bravery, though not necessarily in combat. The Eastern or Russian Front medal, introduced on May 26, 1942, was awarded to participants of the first winter campaign of Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union launched in June 1941.
    Date
    found:  approximately 1945-1946
    issue:  after 1941-before 1945
    Geography
    found: Germany
    Credit Line
    United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of the family of Harold Goldberg
    Contributor
    Subject: Harold B. Goldberg
    Biography
    Harold B. Goldberg (1922-2011) was born in Brooklyn, New York to Samuel and Rose Goldberg. Samuel and Rose were born in Russia and immigrated to the United States before the birth of their children. Samuel worked as a presser in a tailor shop. Harold had six siblings and the family spoke Yiddish and English at home. As a young adult Harold worked as a mail carrier and attended City College in New York. On December 7, 1941, Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. The following day the United States declared war on Japan, and on December 11, Germany declared war on the United States. On October 31, 1942 Harold was drafted into the U.S. military. He entered the army on October 31, 1942 as a private, and received serial number 32613738. He served in Europe until the end of the war. Harold then returned home to New York where he married his wife Rita in 1952. The family lived in New York for the rest of their lives.

    Physical Details

    Classification
    Military Insignia
    Category
    Medals
    Object Type
    Medals, German (lcsh)
    Physical Description
    Small, rectangular, silver colored bar pin covered by 2 grosgrain, vertically striped ribbons stitched together along the short ends. The left ribbon has 5 stripes: red, white, wide black, white, red, with a bronze washed, silver colored metal crossed sword pin, hilts down, on the black stripe. The right ribbon has 5 stripes: wide red, narrow white, medium black, narrow white, wide red. Gray wool is adhered to the back and there is a straight pin and C clasp. It is discolored, with signs of wear.
    Dimensions
    overall: Height: 0.750 inches (1.905 cm) | Width: 1.875 inches (4.763 cm) | Depth: 0.250 inches (0.635 cm)
    Materials
    overall : metal, ribbon, wool

    Rights & Restrictions

    Conditions on Access
    No restrictions on access
    Conditions on Use
    No restrictions on use

    Keywords & Subjects

    Administrative Notes

    Provenance
    The ribbon bar was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2013 by the family of Harold Goldberg.
    Funding Note
    The cataloging of this artifact has been supported by a grant from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany.
    Record last modified:
    2024-10-03 13:01:10
    This page:
    https:​/​/collections.ushmm.org​/search​/catalog​/irn84952

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