August 18 & 19, 2020 Edged Weapons, Armor, & Militaria
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 8/19/2020
Scarce gold marksmanship medal awarded for the 1910 National Match competition at Camp Perry. Sometimes termed a "leg" medal since it required completing three legs to win the Gold Distinguished Marksman award, this form of the medal was used only from 1903-1922. The top bar reads "Army Infantry Team" and bears a "14k" stamp on the reverse. The pin is in place. Suspended by two links is a round planchet with "U.S." at tip over an open wreath with crossed rifles and a superimposed marksmanship badge of a white enamel square with gold bullseye and two rings. The reverse bears a wreath around the perimeter and is inscribed at center "HERMAN E. / STADIE / 1st SERGT. / 30th INFANTRY. / 1910." War Dept. G.O. 217 dated Nov. 30, 1910 records the National Team Match, Individual Match, and Pistol Match at Camp Perry, Ohio, Aug 22-25. The army infantry team took first place. Stadie placed 7th in the individual match and was awarded a "gold medal" and $30.00 cash. He took second place a short time later in the matches at Sea Girt, N.J. At the time of the match he was in Co. L of the 30th Infantry. Born in Germany in 1878 he emigrated to the U.S. enlisting in the army for the first time in 1899, serving in the 18th and the 27th U.S. Infantry before the 30th, seeing action in the Philippines at the Ampit River in September 1900 and Pinauran in November, rising from private to corporal, sergeant, and first sergeant. He later saw service in the Mexican Border Campaign and received campaign medals for both. He was discharged as first sergeant in July 1917 to accept a commission and served as a captain in the 306th Infantry, 77th Division, in France, where he won the Distinguished Service Cross. The citation is recorded in Communique No 138 GHQ AEF 9/29/18: "For extraordinary heroism in action at Ferme de Dames, west of Fismes, France, 20 August 1918. While in the vicinity of the regimental command post where he was stationed was under heavy bombardment, Capt. Stadie, without thought of personal danger, voluntarily ran outside through shrapnel and high explosive shells and rescued a wounded runner." Stadie continued his career as a marksman after the war, shooting on the winning team in the Sadler Match of 1920. He retired from the U.S. Army as a Captain in 1932, settling in California, where he died in 1972 at age 93. This is a scarce medal in itself and belonged to a soldier with long army service and a citation for Valor in World War One. CONDITION: Excellent. SR JD
Item Dimensions: 6 - 1/4" x 3 - 3/4" x 1".