US WWII PURPLE HEART MEDAL IDENTIFIED TO 422ND INFANTRY REGIMENT SQUAD LEADER

This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/15/2021

World War II Purple Heart Medal with extra ribbon, ribbon bar, lapel pin, Good Conduct Medal with lapel pin, and religious medal contained in a Purple Heart coffin case. The medal is accompanied by paperwork pertaining to Corporal Francis A. Noreika, who was the squad leader of a .30 caliber machine gun team. The paperwork includes copies of his discharge documents. Noreika was born on November 20, 1921 and entered active service on October 31, 1942. He was assigned to the 422nd Infantry Regiment of the 106th Division, a regiment that would become infamous during the Battle of the Bulge. Mr. Noreika's Purple Heart was earned the very day that is entire regiment would be destroyed. On December 16, 1944, Corporal Noreika and his squad were holed up in a bombed out home in Belgium when a mortar shell pierced the remainder of the roof and exploded. The resulting explosion wounded several members of his squad including himself, although he did not feel it. Mr. Nroeika recounted that he never felt his wound, but checked himself and noticed blood dripping down the lower half of his leg. This wound and being temporarily treated saved him from suffering the fate of the rest of the 422nd Regiment. On the first day of the Battle of the Bulge, German forces attacked the 106th and encircled the division's 422nd and 423rd Infantry Regiments. they were completely surrounded and cut off by a junction of enemy forces in the vicinity of Schönberg. Despite the two regiment's efforts to regroup for a counterattack they blocked by the enemy and were forced to surrender on December 19, 1944. Mr. Noreika was discharged from the Army on October 16, 1945 and passed away on November 21, 1996, a day after his 75th birthday. CONDITION: The medals exhibit light staining on the ribbons, and the Purple Heart has glue on the back of the ribbon. The case exhibits blemishes from handling wear with peeling on the reverse. Overall very good. JLD

Item Dimensions: 5" x 5"

Name

Value

Paperwork

Consigner Notes, Discharge Papers