When I moved back to the U.S from overseas I found this and asked my dad what they it was. These are the medals of Colonel Walter Runte my grandfather, who served in the U.S. Army for about thirty years. With green fabric background from the top middle we see a badge that is a silver eagle holding arrows in its talons with a shield on the eagle's chest with an pattern with resemblance to the American flag. This badge tells you his rank as a colonel. Moving down the next badge is his Combat Infantryman's Badge, represented by a silver musket atop a blue background making a long rectangle slightly larger than the musket with a metal wreath behind it. The bars each mean something different top left of the bars is the Legion of Merit bar. The next bar is the Bronze Star with a small bronze oak leaf on it representing that he earned it twice. Then he has the Air Medal, Army Commendation earned three times, American defense, Europe-Africa-Middle East, WWII Victory Army of Occupation, National Service Defense entered twice, Vietnam Service, Armed Force Honor, Vietnam Campaign. At that bottom of the piece there are three medals in a row the first on the left representing that he was in the 75th Infantry Division next is the Signal Corps Branch finally U.S. Army Signal School. So he ended his career teaching others about signalling for the military. He died of bone cancer on April 11th, 1984 at the age of 66. Hes buried at Arlington National Cemetery

– Cameron Runte

Relationship:  Grandchild of im/migrant Grandchild of im/migrant