Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A group of six medals awarded to Chief Carpenter Joseph Thomas Zumsteg, United States Navy

Navy Good Service Medal, reverse inscribed, ‘Joseph Thomas Zumsteg, U.S.S. Melville, 17 Oct. 1925’, with full wrap brooch bar; Victory Medal 1918, 1 clasp, Escort, with full wrap brooch bar; Yangtze Service Medal (U.S.N.), edge numbered, ‘M.No. 12641’, double ring suspension, with full wrap brooch bar; American Defense Medal, 1 clasp, Fleet; American Campaign Medal; Victory Medal 1945, good very fine and better (6) £150-200

Joseph Thomas Zumsteg was born in Quincy, Illinois on 5 September 1894. He first enlisted into the U.S. Navy on 26 October 1915. He served on the battleships U.S.S. Minnesota, June-December 1916 and U.S.S. New Hampshire, December 1916-March 1919. He was discharged on 25 October 1919. On the latter ship, as Patternmaker 1st Class, he earned the clasp ‘Escort’ to his Victory Medal - the clasp being a late claim in October 1943. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy for a second time, October 1921-October 1927 and for a third time in October 1927. His enlistment was terminated in October 1928 upon his appointment to Carpenter.

He served on U.S.S. Black Hawke, May 1930-March 1932, qualifying for the Yangtse Service Medal - which he successfully claimed in October 1943. Appointed Chief Carpenter, 1 October 1934. During the early years of the Second World War he served on the U.S.S. Enterprise, March-December 1940 and March-October 1941 but his papers record that he was increasingly listed in various U.S. Naval Hospitals for treatment. On 1 January 1944 he was placed on the Retired List and released from active duty. Chief Carpenter Zumsteg died of tuberculosis in Corona, California on 28 September 1949. With copied service papers including photocopied photograph.