Could someone please tell me what the medals mean?

Question

Hello fellow WikiTreers!

I just had a wonderful visit with some Archer cousins from Texas. We had not met them before. However, we had met their father and his grandmother when they came up to visit in 1979. Well, the one brother brought some wonderful Archer family photos! I now have many wonderful family photos that I had never seen before. This is a photo of my great-great uncle Theodore Archer who served in the Army during WWII and he made the service his career.

What are those medals on his chest and what do they mean?

Thank you!

Missy 

Comments

Thank you Missy for sharing this wonderful photo

Answer 1

They're both U.S. Army marksmanship badges.  The one on the left appears to be for Expert Marksmanship and the one one the right, the higher Sharpshooter badge.  The tabs hanging below them are for the type of weapon.  I can't read what it says, but Rifle would be the most common.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marksmanship_badges_(United_States)#U.S._Army

Incidentally, the patch on his shoulder is for Army Air Corps.

Comments

Thank you, Kerry! I just ordered his records. Do you know if they will have information about his medals earned?

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I believe that the DD-214 will have the info.  If his looks like the current version, it's in Section 13:  "DECORATIONS, MEDALS, BADGES, CITATIONS AND CAMPAIGN RIBBONS AWARDED OR AUTHORIZED."

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Thank you, Kerry! 

Answer 2

Expert is the higher level of marksmanship, Sharpshooter is next and Marksman is third.

Ron Floyd

Comments

Ok, so he was an expert in a weapon we are unsure of yet?

Thank you, Ron! 

Answer 3

You would wear one badge for each type of weapon. it would appear he has one weapon in the Expert classification and a different weapon in the sharpshooter classification.

Ron Floyd

Comments

I do not remember meeting my uncle Dory and since he lived in Oklahoma for most of his life, we did not know much about him. So this is very cool to learn! I am impressed. 

Thank you! 

Answer 4

DO u have any info on DOB /DOD. Where he entered the service? looks like he may have been in the Army Air Force.

Any better picture of his medals or lapel pins?

Comments

Hi Jack,

The only lapel pins or medals I am aware of are in his photo above.

Born: 4 Aug 1912 in Bordentown, Burlington, New Jersey

Died:  22 Aug 1994 in Shawnee, Pottawatomie, Oklahoma

Enlistment Date 1: 13 Jan 1942, Release Date 1: 19 Feb 1947

Enlistment Date 2: 10 Mar 1951, Release Date 2: 11 Apr 1966^[4]

I appreciate anything you can tell me about him.

Thank you!

Missy 

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Missy,

I have some personal information I'd like to share privately with U. Do U have an E-Mail address I can send it to & U can chose to share with others?

Jack

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Hello Jack,

I would love it if you would send me a private message through my profile. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Berryann-1

We should not share our emails on g2g.

Thank you so much!

Answer 5

He was in the US Army Air Corps based on his patch.