Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Eleven: Senior Master Sergeant F. S. Groff, United States Air Force

Joint Service Commendation Medal, (Frank S. Groff); Air Force Good Conduct Medal; Army Good Conduct Medal, 1 clasp; American Defense Medal; American Campaign Medal; European African Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, 3 bronze stars on ribbon; Victory Medal 1945; Army of Occupation Medal 1945, 1 clasp, Japan; National Defense Medal; Korea Medal, 3 bronze stars on ribbon; U.N. Korea Medal, mounted as worn; together with riband bar, similar to above, plus Air Force Presidential Unit Citation; Army Meritorious Unit Citation; Air Force Outstanding Unit Award and Korean Presidential Unit Citation, generally nearly extremely fine (lot) £140-180

Frank Samuel Groff was born at Coatesville, Pennsylvania on 28 April 1919. Employed as a Shorthand Stenographer, he enlisted on 2 April 1943 as a Cryptographic Technician and attended a cryptographic technician school at Chanute Field, Illinois from 20 November 1943 to 23 January 1944 when he went to APO 100 N.Y. He served there from 6 February 1944 to 31 May 1945 and again from 23 June to 21 December 1945. He was discharged on 17 December 1945, having served 10 months, 8 days on foreign service. He re-enlisted for three years on 18 December 1945 and was appointed Technical Sergeant in the Army Air Corps, stationed firstly at Fort Totton, New York and then at Olmstead Field, Middleton, Pennsylvania. On 17 December 1948 he was discharged and the following day re-enlisted at the U.S.A.F. Westover Air Base, Massachusetts, to serve three years in the U.S.A.F. Discharged at the same base on 8 February 1950, whilst serving with the 1917th AACS Squadron, he re-enlisted on the following day, for five years, at Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts. On 7 July 1951 he was appointed Master Sergeant in the U.S.A.F. Discharged on 30 August 1954 at Keflavic Air Base, Iceland, he re-enlisted the following day. After service at Shiroi Air Base, Japan, he served at Andrews Air Base, where he took his discharge on 30 August 1960. Groff again re-enlisted for three years on 31 August 1960 and for a further four on 31 August 1963 but was given an Honorable Discharge, taking Voluntary Retirement on 31 July 1964. His rank on taking retirement was Senior Master Sergeant in the Regular Air Force.

Sold with a range of certificates, including: Joint Service Commendation Medal, as Senior Master Sergeant, U.S.A.F., ‘For exceptionally meritorious achievement in the performance of outstanding service with the Defense Communications Agency during the period 31 May 1962 to 31 July 1964’, dated 3 November 1964; Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, to the 4683D Air Defense Wing (ADC); Certificate of Appointment, 1957; Discharge Certificates (7); Certificate of Retirement, 1964 and Service Records. Also with several cloth and metal badges, including cloth ‘U.S.A.F. in Europe, Master Crew Chief’. Documents and copied research in folder.