George E. Ferris
2002
I was born in Ottumwa, IA in 1919 and moved to Kansas City when I was 6 months old. I married a girl that I had met on her birthday, VJ Day. We have been married since March 2, 1946. I have three grandchildren and three great grandchildren. On March 3, 1994 we decided to give all the articles from World War II to the Truman Presidential Museum & Library, especially the Bible and spoon. On May 8th of that year, the Library had “The Faces of War” Exhibition and displayed some of the 36 pieces of my donation along with photos of me and Bob Royce. They also presented me with a plaque honoring the display. The donation will be in the archives forever.
Listed below are the items Mr. Ferris donated to the Truman Library:
- Purple Heart Medal w/ribbon bar, lapel button, swatch of ribbon, and presentation case.
- Ribbon Bars (a)Purple Heart, Good Conduct Medal. American Defense Service, American Theater, European Theater with 3 bronze stars
- Ribbon Bar for Army unit citation
- Shoulder Sleeve Insignia, 87th Division
- Honorable Service Emblem (“Ruptured Duck”)
- Identification Tags, named to “George- E. Ferris
- Prayer Book with “Heart-Shield” pierced by sniper’s bullet
- Spoon pierced by sniper’s bullet
- V-Mail to PFC George E. Ferris from his mother, 1/2/45
- Telegram, April 21, 1945, Adjutant General to Mrs. Ferris
The following captured German souvenirs were in the pockets of PFC Ferris on April 10, 1945 near Friedewald, Germany when he was shot by a German sniper:
- Flag, Nazi, dbl. sided, black swastika on white circle, red background L27 ‘xW21″
- Armband, Hitler Youth, W4.2″
- Belt Buckle, Police, dented steel construction with silver paint finish
- Shoulder Strap, Police, green underlay, silver bullion around brown interior, single silver pip
- Breast Eagle, Navy EM, gold bevo insignia on section of field gray uniform (possibly Naval coastal gunner)
- Breast Eagle, Army officer, silver bullion on dark green wool
- Shoulder Strap, German Oberfeldwebel, 6th Motorized Reconnaissance Unit silver tresse, gold-yellow piping, two pips, Gothic “A” and “6”
- Wound Badge, silver, damage to swastika, solid construction, pin-back
- Identification Tag, oval aluminum, marked “Fl.H.Kdtr.Gdlgn./91”
- Membership Badge, NSKOV (Federation of Disabled and Bereaved), pin-back
- Stick Pin, DRL (National Organization for Physical Training)
- Miniature Mother Medal, gold class on miniature ribbon bow, pin-back
- Iron Cross 2nd Class, WWI issue, with black and white ribbon
- Medal Ribbon, Order of the Red Eagle, white with two red-orange stripe
- Commemorative Plate for walking stick (Stocknagel), “Ehrenbreitstein”
- Ibid., “Eschersheimer Tor, Frankfurt aM”
- Ibid., “Winningen a.d. Mosel”
- Ibid., “Mainz am Rhein”
- Currency, 100,000 Marks, Berlin 1/2/23
- Currency, 50,000 Marks, Coblenz 7/1/25
- Currency, 100 Marks, Berlin 4/21/10
- Currency, 50 Marks, Berlin 6/24/19
- Currency, 10 Marks, Berlin 10/6/06
- Currency, 3 Rubles, Soviet, dated 1938
- Currency, 1 Ruble, Soviet, dated 1938
- Currency, 1,000,000 Drachmas, Athens 1944
