Selling Valor

[Tracker]

I recently received this from Vintage Wings in Ottawa, Canada.

"Ladies and Gentlemen Aviators:

The slender thread that connects us with those members of our families who served in the Second World War is the only thing that keeps the memory of many alive. Today however, when the thread is broken, many of the mementos of this service - the log books, decorations, photographs and personal artifacts - end up sold on eBay, the priceless with a price tag, valour for sale. Click here to read more: http://www.vintagewings.ca/en-ca/home.aspx"

I must agree 100%. Here it is against the law to wear war (other) medals that were not earned by the owner. Why than should it be OK to sell these historic icons of bravery to others who would melt them down for their base metals or for others to hoard them away (unless a family member); they should be made available for the world to see and appreciate.

PLEASE do not destroy these artifacts!!

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

I have no problem with them being sold. I am a collector of WW2 Military artifacts. If they can't be sold, how do I get them?

 

[pbehn]

The medals are the owners to keep or sell, a collector like Lord Ashcroft has my respect. He has the largest collection of Victoria crosses, they are on public display with information about the serviceman who was given the award. Also a BC veteran of the Dambusters raid sold his medals to finance the upkeep of the BC memorial, From the look of the guy and his history I would guess he could afford the cash himself but as I read it I was a way to respect his pals.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

I too have no problem with them being bought and sold, as long as they are not worn or exploited.

 

[pbehn]

We have our plonkers too, he was prosecuted under the military act 1955. What some plonker does in his own home is up to him, this idiot wore them at a rememberance service.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

And this guy is the Elvis of military posers...

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

The best is the stolen valor website. They expose these losers every damn day.

 

[pbehn]

One happy ending

Lord Ashcroft donates £75k to Bomber Command memorial | Daily Mail Online

 

[Airframes]

That's great news !

 

[fubar57]

Canada also doesn't fakers...Man arrested for unlawfully wearing uniform at Remembrance Day events | CTV Kitchener News

Geo

 

[pbehn]

That's great news !

It is very easy to dislike a billionaire businessman and politician who has the title of Lord Ashcroft, however not even all billionaires are toss pots, I understand millions of pounds (dollars) are loose change to people like him but it would be nice if a few more of the very and mega wealthy did their bit. Mr Ashcroft donated £1 million to the original cost of the bomber command memorial and has now donated £75,000 to its upkeep by arranging for . After getting together the largest collection of VCs he donated £5 million to the Imperial War Museum so that his collection of 162 Victoria crosses could be displayed with the 50 already held or displayed by the museum in a dedicated gallery. He has also financed the prosection of idiots who stole VCs in New Zealand.

A heroes medals are theirs to sell, I see no reason why a brave man should live his old age out in poverty for someone else's principle, and sadly some veterans do fall on hard times. For the people who ponce about wearing others medals I have nothing but contempt but let us not forget the £100s of millions raised by organisations such as Help for Heroes and the Royal British Legion, in UK and I am sure all other Allied countries have similar organisations.

 

[nuuumannn]

Ashcroft should be applauded for his efforts; at least he recognises the significance of the medals he collects, which is why he does what he does. Les Munro, the last surviving Dambusters pilot is selling his medals at auction to raise money for the Bomber Command Memorial in London. This man is a saint.

Last Dambusters pilot Les Munro sells medals for £75,000 - BBC News

Medal no issue for last raid pilot - Bay of Plenty Times - Bay of Plenty Times News

Govt can't block Dambuster's medal auction - National - NZ Herald News

 

[Rogi]

I collect orders and medals and research the recipients, often unlocking hidden history behind these brave men and women. Although there are people that dont appreciate collectors keeping this hsitory alive, it is fully within their rights to think so. Although if it werent for us collectors a lot of this history would have been lost (thrown in the garbage, disposed of for precious metals etc.)

I dont think anyone should be able to wear orders and medals and represent themselves as the rightful recipient if they havnt earned them, giving themselves an order or medal is distorting history and disrespecting all veterans.

 

[mikewint]

The other side of the coin: I brought back "souvenirs" from Vietnam. Getting to that point when one foot is on a banana peel and the other on a slope I thought the same, i.e. preserve these remembrances of a long. long, time ago in a galaxy far, far, away. Contacted a war memorial museum and asked if they would like a donation? Reply: "Well we really have lots of donations but if you really need to send it we'll take it". Two weeks later they opened their doors to an public auction.
So when they stand me on tip-toes and drive me into the ground with a mallet everything goes on Ebay.
As to "Stolen Valor", as I have posted before, I simply do not care. Military awards are given out for so many reasons which have nothing to do with the perceived meaning of that award. Officers, especially career-types hand each other awards at the drop of a hat while special forces units acting alone and under cover often cannot supply the required documentation for an award so the award is either not given or is down-graded.

 

[Rogi]

The other side of the coin: I brought back "souvenirs" from Vietnam. Getting to that point when one foot is on a banana peel and the other on a slope I thought the same, i.e. preserve these remembrances of a long. long, time ago in a galaxy far, far, away. Contacted a war memorial museum and asked if they would like a donation? Reply: "Well we really have lots of donations but if you really need to send it we'll take it". Two weeks later they opened their doors to an public auction.
So when they stand me on tip-toes and drive me into the ground with a mallet everything goes on Ebay.
As to "Stolen Valor", as I have posted before, I simply do not care. Military awards are given out for so many reasons which have nothing to do with the perceived meaning of that award. Officers, especially career-types hand each other awards at the drop of a hat while special forces units acting alone and under cover often cannot supply the required documentation for an award so the award is either not given or is down-graded.

Yes, I forgot to mention that too, in some parts museums do that, even with a signing of documents etc, that they won't sell it off etc, most have very fine print in their policies that state they can sell off whatever, whenever, however they want. That's why most of us in collecting call museums "the biggest collector of them all" , they've taken it to a point (at least in my town) that they won't accept people volunteering if you collect militaria. It is very sad, but somehow museums feel too commercialized.

I wouldn't mind if they did something like this, ie. if they have Korean war items donated, and primarily the museum collects Renaissance Era weaponry, then they sent the Korean war donations to a museum that deals with the Korean War, but holding auctions or selling things just isn't right, especially since most people that donate want these items to remain in their communities and museums associated with it, or else they would have posted it for sale themselves. You come for one thing and end up having another unfortunately