Selling a Purple Heart awarded to a marine in The Vietnam War.
Marine carried the M60 in the Jungle of Vietnam. After a 1 year stay in vet hospital he went home with a plaq a couple of his marine brothers made for him. His face is on top and below it says, ye Tho I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. I shall fear no evil because I’m the meanest mother**bleep**er in the Valley.
12 comments
a_c_green
·8 months agoWait a sec here... @st288549, is there actually a Purple Heart medal involved here? What you're describing as a plaque is basically a home-made piece of art, which is not prohibited from sale here AFAIK.
Almost exactly 20 years ago now, I was at an estate sale and found a World War II-era hand-carved plaque representing the 8th Battalion Navy Seabees. It was carved from a single piece of wood, hand painted and bore someone's initials on the back (not those of the deceased homeowner).
This was hugely interesting, clearly one of a kind, and before listing it on eBay, I did some searching on the Internet, and turned up images of some original newsletters that the 8th Battalion had published themselves during their time of service. (The 8th was disbanded after the war.)
The newsletters made a point of giving their own servicemen mentions in text for whatever reason, and I was floored to see one guy's name... the same initials as on the back of the plaque... and the newsletter identified him as a carpenter. I have never had the hair stand up on the back of my neck while just researching an eBay listing before or since, but I remember that moment.
So I put the listing up along with a lengthy description of everything I had learned about it. A relative of mine who is a Vietnam vet also located and contacted the Seabee Foundation (or whatever they were named at the time; I'm not sure if it was the same as the current organization found on-line), and although he did not get a response, the count of watchers on the auction shot up overnight from 1 to 12. Bidding on eBay was pretty brisk and it ended up selling for $91.67. (This being 2006, the winning bidder mailed me a USPS Money Order. 🙂) No doubt it went to a good home.
onefootflipper
·8 months agoEventually these medals will be hundreds of years old and not just decades old and at some point "finding the family" will be impractical anyway. I am sure the attrition rate on them will slow down as time goes on as it isn't like anyone is throwing them away and with each generation past the first it is less likely that someone will choose to be buried with an ancestors purple heart in their suit pocket.
bashort
·8 months agoIf you know the name of the vet how about trying to get the medal in the hands of family.
I once acquired a pow/mia bracelet for someone who never came home. It took me at least 5 years but I finally got it to his sister who was glad to get it.
1786davycrockett
·8 months ago@st288549
That's a violation of Federal law, punishable by up to 1 year in prison -- read the following --
https://www.thefederalcriminalattorneys.com/military-medals-or-decorations
soh.maryl
·8 months agoTo the best of my knowledge, no military medal or commendation is allowed to be sold anywhere per Federal law.
mtgraves7984
·8 months ago^^^ I was today years old when I learned that. Thanks, @soh.maryl!
onefootflipper
·8 months agoThat law was overturned in 2012.
soh.maryl
·8 months agoAre you saying that it's now perfectly OK to sell a military medal?
Why would they change that law? Can you cite the source of that information?
onefootflipper
·8 months agoI am not a lawyer. I just googled it. It seems as if the act that made it illegal in the first place was overturned in 2012.
albertabrightalberta
·8 months agoI just googled also and @onefootflipper is correct. The law was changed although ebay does NOT allow the sale and will remove listings.
@st288549
You'll be wise to check the policies on other sites you may want to sell it on.
meme6253
·8 months agoIt's an excellent item with Great history, However it is not allowed to be sold at least not here.
albertabrightalberta
·8 months agoPurple hearts aren't allowed to be sold.
https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/prohibited-restricted-items/prohibited-restricted-items?id=4207&st=3&pos=1&query=Prohibited%20and%20restricted%20items&intent=purple%20heart&lucenceai=lucenceai&docId=HELP1176