From: mpcgram-owner@mail.papermoneyworld.net on behalf of MPCgram [mpcgram@yahoo.com] Sent: Wednesday, February 28, 2007 12:11 AM To: mpcgram@papermoneyworld.net Subject: MPCGram 1527 MPC Gram News Letter =========================================== MPC GRAM =========================================== Series 8, no 1527 Tuesday, February 27, 2007 Medal of Honor WASHINGTON (AP): An unarmed helicopter pilot who flew through a hail of bullets to rescue 70 wounded Americans in one of the fiercest battles of the Vietnam War was awarded the Medal of Honoron Monday, 41 years later. Retired Lt. Col. Bruce Crandall, 74, received America's highest military honor Monday from President George W. Bush in the White House East Room. The medal recognizes Crandall for his valor in repeatedly flying into enemy fire to bring in ammunition and supplies and evacuate the wounded. Crandall completed 22 flights in a 14-hour period on Nov. 14, 1965, most under intense enemy fire. His actions in the Battle at Ia Drang Valley were depicted in the 2002 movie "We Were Soldiers," adapted from the book "We Were Soldiers Once ... And Young." Bush, in his remarks, said Crandall had to fly three different helicopters over the course of the mission. Two were damaged so badly they could not stay in the air. Yet Crandall and another pilot, Capt. Edward Freeman, "flew through a cloud of smoke and a wave of bullets," Bush said. They "kept flying until every wounded man had been evacuated and every need of the battalion had been met." Freeman was awarded the Medal of Honor in 2001. Stolen Valor Act by Gavin Quinn This is in response to Dave Klinger's comments “on the Stolen Valor Act: The act follows my comments: "It is just ridiculous to try to prevent collectors from buying or selling military decorations." Why? Please explain. "Just today, I bought a Navy Cross from my local Navy Exchange - did I break the law?  Or did the NEX?" I am not a lawyer, but as I read the Act, I believe if you were not entitled to the Navy Cross, both you and the NEX employee broke the law. Purchasing the Navy Cross in a Navy Exchange, just because you have exchange privileges, does not entitle you to abuse them. I believe the reason the exchange offered the medal for sale, was for purchase by those entitled to the award as a replacement or as extras for additional uniforms. For example I purchased additional Communications maintenance badges, which I earned and which I was entitled to wear, in the exchange. I did this so I would not have to take them off and put them on different uniforms, (class A's, summer, etc.) If you were to resell this Navy Cross for a collector, you are breaking the law as I read it. I believe straw [?] purchases in the exchange are also illegal, please correct me if I am wrong. I believe it is so wrong to collect military awards, period. There are so many other military related items to collect, why insist on collecting medals? Some military medals are earned with a special currency, the ultimate sacrifice. I collect unit command patches I was associated with on active duty, I collect mpc etc., these things are not even in the same league as military awards. David, I am sure your intentions are not to dishonor our military and its traditions in any way, just the opposite. Collecting is something everyone who reads the gram shares. I just believe, some things should not be collected, that's my opinion. I am just trying to understand this desire by some to collect military awards. By the way my father, Anthony Quinn, served in WWII 1942-45, combat in the Pacific Theater, New Caledonia, Guadalcanal, and the Philippines. His unit was training for the invasion of Nagasaki, when the A-bomb was dropped on Japan. I am glad President Truman dropped the Bomb, or else I may not have ever existed. SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the `Stolen Valor Act of 2005'. SEC. 2. FINDINGS. Congress makes the following findings: (1) Fraudulent claims surrounding the receipt of the Medal of Honor, the distinguished-service cross, the Navy cross, the Air Force cross, the Purple Heart, and other decorations and medals awarded by the President or the Armed Forces of the United States damage the reputation and meaning of such decorations and medals. (2) Federal law enforcement officers have limited ability to prosecute fraudulent claims of receipt of military decorations and medals. (3) Legislative action is necessary to permit law enforcement officers to protect the reputation and meaning of military decorations and medals. SEC. 3. ENHANCED PROTECTION OF MEANING OF MILITARY DECORATIONS AND MEDALS. (a) Expansion of General Criminal Offense- Subsection (a) of section 704 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by striking `manufactures, or sells' and inserting `purchases, attempts to purchase, solicits for purchase, mails, ships, imports, exports, produces blank certificates of receipt for, manufactures, sells, attempts to sell, advertises for sale, trades, barters, or exchanges for anything of value. (b) Establishment of Criminal Offense Relating to False Claims About Receipt of Decorations and Medals- Such section 704 is further amended-- (1) by redesignating subsection (b) as subsection (c); (2) by inserting after subsection (a) the following: (b) False Claims About Receipt of Military Decorations or Medals- Whoever falsely represents himself or herself, verbally or in writing, to have been awarded any decoration or medal authorized by Congress for the Armed Forces of the United States, any of the service medals or badges awarded to the members of such forces, the ribbon, button, or rosette of any such badge, decoration, or medal, or any colorable imitation of such item shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than six months, or both.'; and (3) in paragraph (1) of subsection (c), as redesignated by paragraph (1) of this subsection, by inserting `or (b)' after `subsection (a)'. (c) Enhanced Penalty for Offenses Involving Certain Other Medals- Such section 704 is further amended by adding at the end the following: (d) Enhanced Penalty for Offenses Involving Certain Other Medals- If a decoration or medal involved in an offense described in subsection (a) or (b) is a distinguished-service cross awarded under section 3742 of title 10, a Navy cross awarded under section 6242 of title 10, an Air Force cross awarded under section 8742 of section 10, a silver star awarded under section 3746, 6244, or 8746 of title 10, a Purple Heart awarded under section 1129 of title 10, or any replacement or duplicate medal for such medal as authorized by law, in lieu of the punishment provided in the applicable subsection, the offender shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 1 year, or both. (d) Conforming Amendments- Subsection (c) of such section 704, as so redesignated, is further amended-- (1) by inserting `Enhanced Penalty for Offenses Involving' before `Congressional Medal of Honor'; and (2) by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the following: (2) CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR DEFINED- In this subsection, the term `Congressional Medal of Honor' means-- (A) a medal of honor awarded under section 3741, 6241, or 8741 of title 10 or section 491 of title 14; `(B) a duplicate medal of honor issued under section 3754, 6256, or 8754 of title 10 or section 504 of title 14; or `(C) a replacement of a medal of honor provided under section 3747, 6253, or 8747 of title 10 or section 501 of title 14.  ***************************************************** Championship Question Corner Question 180. Difficuly 2. Where were Series 1944 marks printed? Yesterday's: Question 179. Difficuly 3. How many differnet types (varieties) of APO money orders were sold to soldiers overseas during WWII? (We are looking for the minimum confirmed number of varieites.) Answers and comments: We might have been a little tricky on this one. We were trying to be cuite. The answer is two varieites. The answser to this was in the editorial in Gram 1527 just a few lines below the question. One person wrote that he could not find the answer in Remembered, MPC or any other place. ========================================== Editorial ========================================== Lt. Col. Bruce Crandall was awarded the Medal of Honor Tuesday (possiby it was Monday). In what little I have read about it, it seems that he is certainly deserving. Unfortunately, in some of the news reports that I read (and also between the lines), it seems that there might have been morepolitics involved than is desirable. I guess that there is no surprise there. To a very limited degree I collect military medals. Mostly issued by countries other than the US. Anyway, I guess that I should make some comments on the Stolen Valor controversy. First, I am delighted that several Gramsters have taken the time to write and hope that some more will do the same. In reading what I can find on this, it seems that the major intent of Congress is to prohibit people from claiming in any way that they are the just receipient of the various awards. That certainly seems fitting and proper to me. Furhtermore, there is little doubt in my mind that the collecting of the various medals not only honors the receipents (as opposed to collectors), but also is intended to honor them. If the purpose of disallowing buying/selling of medals was to protect against fradulent wearing or claiming, then I think that it is at best misguided prohibition. It seems much better to define the actualy offensive behavior (fradulent claims of receiving) and punishing those. While the act seems to make it illegal to buy or sell these medals, it does not [seem to] make it illegal to posess them. Although cumbersom, that seems to mean that we could collect using barter. On the practicle side of things. Prohibitions seldom work. Indeed, being told that I cannot collect medals makes me want to do that. It does not, by the way, make me want to CLAIM THAT I EARNED them nor want to WEAR THEM. It occurs to me that the government (military) has facilitated the trade in medals by routinely awarding medals that are not engraved with the persons name. What about the award certificates? Can they be legally collected. I actually like those better than the medals themselves. Is it the intent that medals can be inherited? If so (as I imagine), must they be inherited by relatives? What if there are no relatives? What if the relative is, gad, a collector? What about museums? Dare they have collections of medals? If they can, what constitutues a museum collection. Then there is the service that collectors have done by finding, researching, preserving, and maintaining many medals that no doubt would have been lost forever except for their well-known passion. We not only look forward to more collector opinions on the matter, but also to thoughts by some of the lawyers out there. ========================================= Mail Call (send mail to MPCGram@yahoo.com) =========================================== Dear Gram, A reminder to all gramsters that my auction closes on March 1(Thursday)at 9 PM Mountain Time. As usual we have large array of WWII and relatedmemorabilia including numerous concentration camp notes, ration couponsand sundry other items. The catalog is available for viewing athttp://www.rosenblumcoins.com/37a. Just click on the word "image" afterthe description for a color scan of the lot. You can bid via phone, fax or email. We'll be available by phone from 9to 9 (at least) until the end of the sale. Phones 303 838 4831 or 303 910 8245 Fax 303 838 1213 email Bill@Rosenblumcoins.com Bill Rosenblum Dear Bill, We cannot run your letter becasue of the crase comercialism involved. Good try. Editor A current numismatic catalog that has pictures that are not in color, is not a catalog that will have widespread utility. Clearly there are many current catalogs in Europe and the rest of the world published in color, at a price point well below the $40 to $50 price you suggest. The catalogs are more in the $25-$30 range. David Dear Festers, Only a few more weeks until the Fest, so time to start coordinating rides.  As the Transportation Officer, I will facilitate coordination between drivers and riders, with final arrangements being left to the drivers and riders.  Also, there is no guarantee that a match will be made, so if you are not driving to the Fest, please have an arrangement in place to procure your own transportation as a taxi service may not be available.   To assist me with the coordination, I'm looking for the following information:   For riders - City where you need the ride from, airline flight information (number and arrival time), city where you need the ride back to, and return flight information   For drivers - Cities traveling from and if you are going through one of the following towns (Detroit, Toledo, or Cleveland) and approximately what time you would be going both coming to the Fest and returning back home   Please email me the information at mcwatson@yahoo.com .  I'll send out updates every Sunday and then daily the last week leading up to the Fest.   Cheers, Sparky =========================================== Calendar =========================================== 2007 CPMX March 8-11. MPCFest: March 23-25 2007 details TBA. 14 and 15 April 2007 The annual "Maastricht" show, officially named "PaperMoney Fair-Maastricht" will take place, with dealer set up on the 13th, at the "Polfermolen" in Valkenburg, Netherlands. For details, view the bourse web site http:// www.papermoney-maastricht.org/  or contact the show organizer, Joe Eijsermans, at apnc.eijsermans@wxs.nl or eijsermans-events@planet.nl. ANA Summer semnar Session I: June 24-29, 2007* Session II: June 30-July 6, 2007 Memphis 6-8 July ANA Convention, Milwaukee. ========================================== for dealer Hot Contact list, ANA MPC museum holdings and other static information please click this link: http://www.papermoneyworld.net/Gramattichments.htm ========================================= POST / BASE EXCHANGE(PX/BX/NEX) Dump your dupes! Your classified advertisement for items for sale, purchase or trade will be run here for free. Send your ads to the gram. This service is for everyone, most humble dealer or most advanced collector. The point is to make the gram more interesting. In all cases confirm your order via email first. WANTED SECTION: Collectors may submit lists of items wanted for their collections for listing here. WANTED - JAPANESE INVASION MONEY (JIM). Collector/researcher of these notes by zone, type, and block letter, or number will buy or trade.  Checklist available, Anythinfg unusual is of particular interest. Mike Payton, 6609 Craig, Merriam, KS. USA 66202, papermoneymike@yahoo.com Dealers and collectors who have these items, are then encouraged to list them for sale in the above section as a reply. Wanted listings will run for a period of 1 month. ======================================= MPCGram Staff: Publisher, editor: Fred Schwan fred@papermoneyworld.net; Subscription Manager:Doug Bell- doug@papermoneyworld.net Tuesday Columnist : JoeBoling- JoeBoling@aol.com Friday Columnist: Warner Talso: wtalso@aol.com Fest Auctioneer: Larry "Ski"Smulczenski - skitex@cox.net, Critic:Harold Kroll - HARBONS@aol.com Scholarship Coordinator: Marcus Turner- marucs@papermoneyworld.net; Webmaster and Technical Advisors:Doug Bell "Wiz" - doug@papermoneyworld.net Russ Walsh -russ.walsh@gte.net Fact Checker: Warner Talso -Calendar Coordinator: John and Nancy Wilson -The Boss: Judy Schwan MPC Gram is published by BNR Press and papermoneyworld.com as a free service to the community of military money collectors. Your suggestions, criticisms, complaints, editorial contributions, letters, and even praise are very welcome. The entire contents including linked illustrations are copyright protected by the publishers. In the case of contributors, the copyright is protected on behalf of the creators. Please send all correspondence regarding the gram to MPCgram@yahoo.com. Thank you very much for your participation. ____________________________________________________________________________________ Looking for earth-friendly autos? Browse Top Cars by "Green Rating" at Yahoo! Autos' Green Center. http://autos.yahoo.com/green_center/ mpc gram mail list To subscribe to a list, send a mail message to "imailsrv@papermoneyworld.net" at this address with the following in the body of the message: subscribe mpcgram your_full_name To unsubscribe from a list, send a mail message to "imailsrv@papermoneyworld.net" at this address with the following in the body of the message: unsubscribe mpcgram if you have any problems please report then to doug@papermoneyworld.net