An American 39Th Infantry Regiment Group To D-Day Plus 4 & Battle Of Bulge Participant Wia Pow

Bronze Star (bronze, engraved "GEORGE S. SIMON" on the reverse, 34.5 mm x 35.5 mm, original ribbon with brooch pinback, accompanied by its 10 mm x 36 mm Ribbon Bar and its 3.5 mm x 17 mm enameled Ribbon Bar, in its hardshelled case of issue); Purple Heart (two-piece construction, bronze gilt and enamels, engraved "GEORGE S. SIMON" on the reverse, 35 mm x 43.5 mm, original ribbon with brooch pinback, accompanied by its 10 mm x 36 mm Ribbon Bar and its 4 mm x 17.5 mm enameled Ribbon Bar, in its hardshelled case of issue); Army Good Conduct Medal (bronze, engraved "GEORGE S. SIMON" on the reverse, 32 mm, original ribbon with brooch pinback, accompanied by its 11 mm x 36 mm Ribbon Bar, on its card of issue); European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with two Bronze Stars (bronze, 33 mm, original ribbon with brooch pinback, accompanied by its 10 mm x 35.5 mm Ribbon Bar, on its card of issue); World War II Victory Medal (bronze, 36.3 mm, original ribbon with brooch pinback, accompanied by its 10 mm x 36 mm Ribbon Bar, on its card of issue, in its box of issue); and Army of Occupation Medal, 1 Clasp - GERMANY (bronze, 32.2 mm, original ribbon with brooch pinback, accompanied by its 10 mm x 35.5 mm Ribbon Bar, on its card of issue). Intact enamels, near mint. Accompanied by a Combat Infantryman Badge (silvered metal with blue and dark gray enamels, marked "GI" and maker marked on the reverse, 26.3 mm x 76.6 mm, dual push pins on the reverse); an Honorable Service Lapel Button (AKA Honorable Service Lapel Pin) (bronze gilt, marked "IIC" and "GI" on the reverse, 12 mm x 16.5 mm, push pin on the reverse, on its card of issue); along with his Bronze Star Award Certificate (inscribed "THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA / TO ALL WHO SHALL SEE THESE PRESENTS, GREETING: / THIS IS TO CERTIFY THAT THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AUTHORIZED BY EXECUTIVE ORDER, 24 AUGUST 1962 HAS AWARDED THE BRONZE STAR MEDAL TO PRIVATE GEORGE S. SIMON, UNITED STATES ARMY FOR meritorious achievement in ground combat against the armed enemy during World War II in the European African Middle Eastern Theater of Operations. GIVEN UNDER MY HAND IN THE CITY OF WASHINGTON THIS 23rd DAY OF October 1986", printed signatures of Adjutant General R. Walworth and Secretary of the Army John Otho Marsh Jr., with War Office embossed stamp, printed in red, blue and bronze inks, on a thick off-white paper stock, 202 mm x 267 mm); his Purple Heart Award Certificate (inscribed "THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA / TO ALL WHO SHALL SEE THESE PRESENTS, GREETING: / THIS IS TO CERTIFY THAT THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA HAS AWARDED THE PURPLE HEART ESTABLISHED BY GENERAL GEORGE WASHINGTON AT NEWBURGH, NEW YORK, AUGUST 7, 1782 TO PRIVATE GEORGE S. SIMON, UNITED STATES ARMY FOR WOUNDS RECEIVED IN ACTION EUROPEAN THEATER 8 AUGUST 1944 GIVEN UNDER MY HAND IN THE CITY OF WASHINGTON THIS 23rd DAY OF October 1986", printed signatures of Adjutant General R. Walworth and Secretary of the Army John Otho Marsh Jr., with War Office embossed stamp, printed in black, purple and gold inks, on a thick white paper stock, 202 mm x 254 mm); his Sixteenth Infantry Training Battalion Certificate of Proficiency (having completed Infantry Basic Training at Camp Wheeler, Georgia from December 13, 1943 to April 8, 1944, dated April 8, 1944, signed by Captain John F. Hartzel, Company Commander and Major Allan R. Lawrence, Commanding Officer, Sixteenth Training Battalion, printed in black ink on an off-white paper stock, 202 mm x 267 mm, fold marks, lightly soiled); along with copies of his Service Records.

Footnote: George S. Simon was born on May 1, 1914 in Charleston, Kanawha County, West Virginia. He had four years of high school education when he enlisted as a Private (35735361) with the United States Army on October 30, 1943, at the age of 29, stating that he was Single with dependents and that his occupation was that of Retail Food Manager. He was assigned to the 39th Infantry Regiment and began active duty at Fort Benjamin Harrison, northeast of Indianapolis, Indiana, on November 20, 1943. Three weeks later, on December 13, 1943, he began Infantry Basic Training at Camp Wheeler, Georgia as a Rifleman, qualifying as a Marksman on January 12, 1944 and completing his basic training on April 8, 1944. Private Simon soon went overseas with the 39th Infantry Regiment, his unit later landing at Utah Beach on June 10, 1944, four days after the D-Day landing, with other reinforcing units and then fought through the rugged French countryside. Four months after arriving in France, Private Simon was Wounded in Action on August 8, 1944, which earned him the Purple Heart. After his wounding, he was captured by German troops and incarcerated at Stalag 7A Moosburg Bavaria 48-12 (Work Camps 3324-46 Krumbachstrasse 48011, Work Camp 3368 Munich 48-11), the Stalag including service members, as well as some civilians. While in prison, his unit, the 39th Infantry Regiment, would go on to fight through the Battle of the Bulge, helping to secure the Remagen bridgehead and move across Germany, as the Allied forces finished off the last of the German resistance. Upon the ceasing of hostilities, he was liberated by Allied troops and returned to the United States. Private First Class George S. Simon was Honorably Discharged, issued a Certificate of Disability for Discharge Section I and released from active duty, on October 10, 1945. He is credited with having served in Normandy and Northern France, his service entailing one year and eighteen days. He was later awarded the Bronze Star, for "meritorious achievement in ground combat against the armed enemy during World War II in the European African Middle Eastern Theater of Operations." For his Second World War service, he was awarded the Army Good Conduct Medal, the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with two Bronze Stars and the World War II Victory Medal. He was issued the Honorable Service Lapel Button on September 2, 1945.