1959 SPCA Medal awarded to my dad

In 1959 the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Massachusetts SPCA at the time of the award) gave my dad this medal for risking a dishonest discharge & military imprisonment for saving the life of his sentry dog. While a US Airman stationed in France his sentry dog, Blitz, was bitten by a fox. The injuries were not life threatening but Blitz was left with a limp & deemed unfit for duty & my dad was instructed to have the dog put to death. Dad loved this dog & didn't see it as military property so he bribed the vet to make a fake death certificate & my dad hid the dog in his barracks for 3 weeks with plans to smuggle it back to the US. He was caught the day before departure, arrested & flown back home without Blitz. With the help of many influential people writing letters, the charges were dropped, dad was reinstated, & Blitz received a stay of execution...however he was required to stay behind in France to live out his days. Sounds like a movie, right?
The bottom line is, I called the SPCA headquarters & they have no paperwork on this medal. My dad died in '99 & for years I've heard this story but wasn't until after he died that I first saw this medal. I know nothing about it & I'm hoping someone here can point me in the right direction.
*weighs 24grams & was originally on a red ribbon medal pin but I now wear it as a necklace.
I know this is 'coin chat' but I couldn't find any 'medal chat' forums..lol.

 

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God Bless your Dad. These guys might have some insight........

@BRandM & @Circus

 

Thank you!

 

Did you try contacting the MSPCA to see if they have any records from that period?

Chris

 

Yep...someone wasn't paying attention, lol. I called the SPCA headquarters & they have no paperwork on this medal.
She was looking at a publication from 1959 & said nothing was listed. She made it sound as if record keeping wasn't a priority back then & the only info would be in a (newsletter?) announcement publication. I don't think I contacted the right person but that's the only number I found.

 

The national might not have any info or even know of the award. Your best bet would be the local city/town chapter that gave it to him. You may also want to check the local papers for the time around it was given to him if you know that can cut down on the amount of time in searching. Or you can check with one of the on line newspaper dead file web sites, they do charge a fee for use of their on line data bases. Also check with the local office of the SPCA, since they would have been the ones looking for a story about a person and animal to give the award too.
Since you already have the story, which is a plus in having the medal, you can always replace the ribbon and type up the story along with a photos of the dog and your dad and pick up a nice frame and mat @ Hobby Lobby They have a 40% off coupon on their web site weekly.

I think you are way ahead of the family keepsake game if you never find out anything else. The awards were mainly a fund raising device for the locality.

 

Your Dad certainly deserved a medal, whether or not the military was ever going to issue one. Thanks for sharing this story!

 

mspca.org -- Massachusetts SPCA website.

 

I will second that blessing for your dad,for the service to our country , and for doing the right thing. If you look up the definition of a true patriot is one who questions authority !
You should be very proud of him ...... doing the right thing isn't always the easy road.
However knowing you did isn't anything anyone can take from you.
Thanks for sharing this....... being a patriot isn't always staring down a gun barrel.....sometimes it's standing up to a canon. Even though the odds are against you.....it take a brave man not to blink.
Thomas Rhodes that took "Guts" may you and Blitz share eternal life together and both rest in peace.

 

I can't help with your quest, but what an incredible story. Kindness to animals is, imo, the one true gauge of a person's character and this shows your dad to have been one of the best.

 

Very cool medal. Amazing story.

 

I winced at the spelling, and then realized that you may have meant exactly what you spelled. Well-played; I may steal that one.

 

Glad to see someone was paying attention
Just remember Paddy is Irish,.....a people known for the gift of gab....and a way with words.....and sometimes we even get it right

 

Yes, I was paying attention! That's why I asked if you had contacted the MSPCA. No big deal, though.

Chris

 

Thank you so much, this info is awesome!

 

Wow thank you for that awesome response!

 

Hey Paddy I bet I know what makes you wince, it's when people say St Patty's Day... am I right?
(For those who don't get it, St Paddy's Day is the proper wording)

 

That is correct or even worse when ordering food and you give your name....and of course they get it wrong.....so what I do is give them the once over.....if they sort of look like the type that doesn't have much sense ....I school them..... once schooled by Uncle Paddy they seem to remember or else!

 

With a lot of the younger crowd, with the lack of the basic education they get in the indoctrination centers now a days. On U S, American and world history is sad. They just had a news story about the history channel's tweet that had Washington fighting in the wrong war at the battle of Gettysburg!

 

I'll be glad to look into it for you, Vegasnay. Looks like a long shot, but you never can tell. Kudos to your dad. A fine man for sure.

Bruce