Medal, Commemorative

Object/Artifact

-

Batavia Depot Museum

Name/Title

Medal, Commemorative

Entry/Object ID

1993.023

Description

Framed group of eight WWII and Korean War military medals and decorations. Purchased from Wm. B. VanNortwick estate, 1992. Value: $100.

Use

medal display of military service medals

Context

These medals were awarded to William B. Van Nortwick for his service in WWII and the Korean War. Van Nortwick was drafted in March 1941 and attended basic training at Camp Lee, Virginia. “The only soldier in my unit who made a worse score in firing the rifle was the company clerk who forgot his glasses.” Watch Your Step, p 14 Sent to Cape Cod to be part of a heavy maintenance automotive repair unit. Commissioned an officer in the Armored Forces (tanks) in July, 1942. In 1943 he was assigned to the 784th Tank Battalion at Camp Hood, TX. Prepared for tank combat overseas. Deployed to Wales in October, 1944 and was part of an advance party to Rouen in December and then the battalion’s motor convoy north. “As I was the only person in the battalion who had been to Europe before the war, I could not resist pointing out monuments and things of interest en route…” Watch Your Step, p 32 Van Nortwick was serving as part of the military occupation of Germany near Hanover when he was encouraged to apply for service with Military Government as an art historian. Left the tank battalion and was assigned to help administer Kreis Beckum in Westphalia. Here he monitored and protected monuments and art objects at Crassenstein, Vorhelm, and Assen, which held objects evacuated from the Munster Museum. Volunteered to work in Karlsruhe province “to search for Nazi loot removed from the occupied countries and see that it got to the collecting point…for return to country of origin,” and to provide security for German monuments and collections. Watch Your Step, p 36. Protected the Schloss Bruchsal from demolition. Tour of duty ended in February, 1946 and he came home. “The MFA&A mission in the Occupation was an outstanding success of which I was very proud to be a part.” Watch Your Step, p 40 Reassigned from Fort Bragg to Fort Lawton, Washington for assignment in Korea in 1951.

Collection

Military

Lexicon

Nomenclature 4.0

Nomenclature Secondary Object Term

Medal, Commemorative

Nomenclature Primary Object Term

Commemorative

Nomenclature Sub-Class

Memorabilia

Nomenclature Class

Documentary Objects

Nomenclature Category

Category 08: Communication Objects

Dimensions

Height

15 in

Width

12 in

Depth

1 in

Relationships

Related Person or Organization

Person or Organization

Van Nortwick family

Updated By

Jessica Meis

Update Date

July 24, 2026