Object ID
2000.4.9
Object Name
Medal, Commemorative
Object Collection
Date Created
1943 – 1944
Alternative Name
Marksmanship Qualififaction Badge
Event
Marksmanship Qualification
Material
Iron
Object Entities
Government, U.S. (created by)
Hontos, George (owned by)
Hontos, George (is related to)
Hontos, Arthur (is related to)
Object Description
This medal is composed of an iron cross with hanging bars denoting skill achievements. The honors, in descending order, are Marksman, Gunner, Rifle, and Coast Arty (Artillery). The Cross forms a square with all four arms, triangular in shape, tapering so that they are skinniest closest to the rounded center and widest at the edges. The four bars are made from iron links; each bar has two holes on each side through which links can be attached. The cross and the bars all have smoothed raised edges and the letters are smooth as well, but the slightly recessed faces are textured. On the back of the cross, there is a pin to attach the badge to a uniform.
Origin
This medal is a Marksmanship Qualification Badge. The cross at the top denotes that Hontos was at the Marksman level (the lowest of three levels after Sharpshooter and Expert). Suspended from the badge are Army Weapon Qualification Clasps that indicate the type of weapon the individual is qualified to use. Hontos was qualified as a Marksman, Gunner, Rifle, and Coast Arty (Artillery).

George James Hontos was born in Chicago, Illinois on March 27th, 1920. The son of James and Cornelia Hontos, brother of Dimitra, Arthur, and John, who also served in the United States Navy. Two weeks following the Pearl Harbor disaster, he was called to serve his country in the Army. He trained for six months at Camps Yulen and Wallace, Tex. On March 1, 1942, the 434th Coast Artillery Battalion (Anti-Aircraft) was activated. With this outfit, he was sent to England. After the completion of training, they took part in the liberation of Africa. George died from a landmine left by the Nazis, trying to aid some wounded women and children in Tunisia, on May 24th, 1943. Private George J. Hontos was awarded posthumously the Soldier's Medal and the Purple Heart.
Rights and Reproduction
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Citation
Medal, Commemorative, 1943 – 1944, The George J. Hontos Collection, National Hellenic Museum, https://collections.nationalhellenicmuseum.org/Detail/objects/6809. Accessed 03/29/24.