Some help with Army medals please

[Gliderman8]

While looking for some items today I came across a box with my dad's Army medals from WWII.
The only one that I can identify easily is the Purple Heart that he received.
The first pic shows the Purple Heart and there is a small medal at the bottom of the box... What is that medal for?
The second pic shows two medals; A small rectangular medal with an arrowhead and three stars and a larger blue medal with a rifle on it (I remember my dad mentioning that he carried a BAR)
Can anybody tell me what the three medals are?
Thanks for any help you can provide.

 

[NutmegCT]

Elliot - the horizontal purple is the 'Purple Heart Service Ribbon'.

 

[Gliderman8]

Elliot - the horizontal purple is the 'Purple Heart Service Ribbon'.

Thanks Tom... now just two more to identify.

 

[waltesefalcon]

The blue one with the rifle is the "Combat Infantry" badge the striped one is the "Europe/Africa/Middle East" service ribbon, the stars on it are battle stars. I believe, that the arrowhead denotes Operation Overlord, meaning that your dad was there at D-Day.

 

[NutmegCT]

The "multi color" ribbon is the European Theater Campaign ribbon, with one arrowhead and three bronze stars. Note the colors grouped in three: Italy, France, and (I think) Occupied Germany.

 

[Gliderman8]

The blue one with the rifle is the "Combat Infantry" badge the striped one is the "Europe/Africa/Middle East" service ribbon, the stars on it are battle stars. I believe, that the arrowhead denotes Operation Overlord, meaning that your dad was there at D-Day.

Thanks Walt... yes, my dad was there on D-Day. In fact, when I was 15 years old he took me back to southern France to show me where he came up on the beach.

 

[Gliderman8]

BONUS... I just found his dog tag!

 

[DrEntropy]

That stuff tells a hellofa story. Much respect, Elliot.

Some of the tales I heard from my dad after I'd come home from "our" war (he didn't talk much about it before then), were interesting. He ran into a cousin on D-Day, never saw him again until they both got home.

 

[Gliderman8]

That stuff tells a hellofa story. Much respect, Elliot.

Some of the tales I heard from my dad after I'd come home from "our" war (he didn't talk much about it before then), were interesting. He ran into a cousin on D-Day, never saw him again until they both got home.

Doc- I have a negative from a newspaper with a photo of my dad and his brother meeting in France on VE Day. It was totally unplanned but somehow they managed to meet up. A couple of years ago I took the neg into my darkroom and made a print and had it framed.

Edit.... THANKS for the kind words Doc. BOTH of our dads were members of the Greatest Generation!

 

[NutmegCT]

One of my all-time favorite photos from that Generation:

Ike knew there was a *high* probability that the Invasion would fail. Here he's talking with paratroops before they left for Normandy.

 

[DrEntropy]

THANKS for the kind words Doc. BOTH of our dads were members of the Greatest Generation!

Welcome. And certainly true.

 

[Mert]

The blue bar in the bottom of the Purple Heart case, is the Presidential Unit Citation award given to a military unit for combat recognition and/or service. The purple ribbon above the medal is for uniform display.