I'm going through my great-grandfather's WW2 stuff, and there is a medal I do not recognize and cannot find anywhere on the internet.
It's not a purple heart, but its ribbon is purple, yellow, purple (all equal thickness), it looks like a cross with braiding or leaves connecting the four pieces in a circle. In the center it says GHS, above it is the word "character" and below it is the year "1931".
He was in the Army, a 1st Lt in the 2nd division, 23rd Infantry Regiment. Joined in 1942, went to officer training school, and was born, raised, and died in Michigan. He did earn a purple heart, but we have that medal and it is very different.
Any help?
I do not believe this is a US military medal-- it is not in any of my reference books of US Military medals, and I have never seen it before, although I have collected medals for many years. The GHS on it makes me think it may be a High School award of some kind-- What high school did your great grandfather attend? The entry of "character" on top would also go to indicate a school (or less likely some kind of fraternal organization), rather than a military decoration-- the US military doesn't have any awards specifically for "character". The box does not look like a US military award box. I guess conceivably it could be ROTC or something similar, but I have no experience with them, nor any references to them. I would bet on High School. Reference: Foster and Borts, "A Complete Guide to All United States Military Medals 1939 to Present".
Here is a link to it https://www.facebook.com/camron.stockford/posts/10205996462505648