UK Soldiers sell Iraq medals through eBay

Soldiers thought to be disillusioned with the war in Iraq are selling their medals from the campaign for hundreds of pounds on the internet.

News Telegraph



Dozens of the Operation Telic decorations have appeared for sale on eBay, the online auction site, just months after they were issued to troops.

The revelation is said to have "dismayed" senior officers and members of the Defence Medal Office, the organisation that issues medals.

Many of the troops auctioning medals are hoping to cash in on their rarity value. Although more than 90,000 have been issued, few have previously found their way on to the collectors' market.

The disclosure that sales are taking place while British troops are still under fire in the region has echoes of the Vietnam conflict when veterans threw away their decorations in protest.

One officer who served in the Iraq war told the Sunday Telegraph that many soldiers now believed they were sent to Iraq on a "false premise".

He said that while he was proud to have served in the war, he knew of soldiers who believed they had been sent to "fight and die" in an illegal war.

Patrick Mercer, the Conservative shadow homeland defence minister and a former commanding officer of an infantry battalion, said he was not surprised that some soldiers were selling military decorations. He added: "Morale must be very low if soldiers are selling their Op Telic medals just weeks after being issued with them."

I wonder what made these UK Soldiers so made and Frustrated that they are selling their Own Medals, won in Battles in Iraq.

I see that the People have starting to Open up their eyes, for these soldiers are selling their Medals becuse, they think they were sent to Iraq on a False Premise to fight an Illegal War.

And who could Blame them.

Well, the prices are quite good - for one medal was solf for as far as £570!

I wouldn't much credence into the "false premise" story. They are probably selling their medals because they need the money and know that there are silly people on Ebay who pay obscene amounts of money for just about anything.

Plus medals and such tend to be collectors items and there is a market for them.

Nothing bad here imo..just good old capitalism.

moving to Global News Discussion btw

Originally posted by Souljah
I wonder what made these UK Soldiers so made and
Frustrated that they are selling their Own Medals,
won in Battles in Iraq.

Frustration? Nope. You answered your own
'question'. £570 Money. It's that simple. If I could
get five or six hundred dollars for my medals that I
received in the Army, I'd cash them in and have it
help pay for my daughter's upcoming college expenses.
The medals are nice, but college for my daughter
is more important to me. I'm sure these folks have
expenses and things they want to buy.

When they are OLDER and understand what other
types of value the medals have (had), then they
might wish they had kept them. Until then ... it'll
pay for college, or a car, or a CD player, or whatever.

Originally posted by Souljah
Soldiers thought to be disillusioned with the war in Iraq are selling their medals from the campaign for hundreds of pounds on the internet.

News Telegraph



Dozens of the Operation Telic decorations have appeared for sale on eBay, the online auction site, just months after they were issued to troops.

The revelation is said to have "dismayed" senior officers and members of the Defence Medal Office, the organisation that issues medals.

Many of the troops auctioning medals are hoping to cash in on their rarity value. Although more than 90,000 have been issued, few have previously found their way on to the collectors' market.

The disclosure that sales are taking place while British troops are still under fire in the region has echoes of the Vietnam conflict when veterans threw away their decorations in protest.

One officer who served in the Iraq war told the Sunday Telegraph that many soldiers now believed they were sent to Iraq on a "false premise".

He said that while he was proud to have served in the war, he knew of soldiers who believed they had been sent to "fight and die" in an illegal war.

Patrick Mercer, the Conservative shadow homeland defence minister and a former commanding officer of an infantry battalion, said he was not surprised that some soldiers were selling military decorations. He added: "Morale must be very low if soldiers are selling their Op Telic medals just weeks after being issued with them."

I wonder what made these UK Soldiers so made and Frustrated that they are selling their Own Medals, won in Battles in Iraq.

I see that the People have starting to Open up their eyes, for these soldiers are selling their Medals becuse, they think they were sent to Iraq on a False Premise to fight an Illegal War.

And who could Blame them.

Well, the prices are quite good - for one medal was solf for as far as £570!

I love how you bold the actual intentions of this post. IT has nothing to do with soldiers making money and everythng to do with a chance for you to spread your propaganda.

Well because we don't know the true intentions of selling the medals, perhaps for money, perhaps disappointment and money.

It kind of looks that will lean to the money side for now.

Unless they become public expressing their disappointments about the war.

Occurs Lots of people in UK just like we in the US has voiced their opinions negative or positive about the war.

These soldiers probably lost their wives and their limbs and their jobs due to the war in Iraq. If they can get that much money for those medals, I say go for it. Those medals probably don't mean the same thing to a soldier these days as they once did. It's not like they were protecting the homeland from Nazi invasion.

Peace

And I always Thought that when Military Awards you with a Medal for the Service to your Country, that you Treasure that Token of Apprechiation and put it in a Glass Display, for all the Friends and Family to see - how Brave you have been, defending your Country against the Evil Scouge of Terrorism (in Iraq).

I guess I was Wrong.

Times Change, huh?

I am sure more soliders chose to keep their medals

Originally posted by Souljah
And I always Thought that when Military Awards you with a Medal for the Service to your Country, that you Treasure that Token of Apprechiation and put it in a Glass Display, for all the Friends and Family to see - how Brave you have been, defending your Country against the Evil Scouge of Terrorism (in Iraq).

I guess I was Wrong.

Times Change, huh?

Medals have always been sold. More than a few Victoria Crosses have been sold for 10's of 1000's of pounds. This is Britain's highest decoration. As your post states, over 90 000 medals have been issued, seems there are more than enough to go around.
These medals look like they're campaign medals, which are sold by the bucket loads around the world from all sorts of wars.

Bottom Line, big deal

Originally posted by mad scientist
Medals have always been sold. More than a few Victoria Crosses have been sold for 10's of 1000's of pounds. This is Britain's highest decoration.

Were this VC's being sold within Weeks after the Soldiers got them?

"Morale must be very low if soldiers are selling their Op Telic medals just weeks after being issued with them."

Bottom Line:
Morale Must Be Pretty LOW.

Perhaps you're right, it's no big deal, but just remember how much hoopla there was made over a certain presidential candidate tossing his medals. I guess if it's for money, or you don't reveal the reason, then it's ok, huh?

Just a funny observation.

[edit on 3-1-2006 by Benevolent Heretic]

LOL! This is hilarious! We have a one-trick pony member who even has to go to E-Bay to find bad things to say about the West.
The Propaganda Bureau Chief will not be happy with this shoddy workmanship!

Benevolent Heretic, Kerry's motives for 'tossing' someone else's medals was/is totally different from these British servicemen. Hint: political motivation...





seekerof

[edit on 3-1-2006 by Seekerof]

Originally posted by Thomas Crowne
LOL! This is hilarious! We have a one-trick pony member who even has to go to E-Bay to find bad things to say about the West.

I went to The London Telegraph.

The Propaganda Bureau Chief will not be happy with this shoddy workmanship!

I am One Man Army - don't need a Chief.

Army? LOL! That is funny. I wouldn't consider staying here at ATS to post propaganda on a conituous basis as being a "one man army!"


Edited due to the fact that my fingers and my keyboard work against me.

[edit on 3-1-2006 by Thomas Crowne]

Originally posted by Thomas Crowne
Army? LOL! That is funny. I wouldn't consider stayiong here at ATS to post propaganda on a conituous basis as being a "one man army!"

Excuse me Sir,

But what does that Have to do with the Topic of this Thread,

which is, UK Soldiers sell Iraq medals through eBay?

I don't know; you brought it up, so I responded to it. As a matter of fact, it reminded me of the U.S. Army's new slogan of "An army of one" which I think is so stupid. An army, by definition, is a collection of soldiers working in concert.

Now, back to the propaganda brought to the board. As usual, I see nothing to this, nothing at all. Besides, you will always have those who are disagreeable. Nothing new, simply the attempt to make something out of nothing for the purposes of an agenda.

Move along, nothing new to see.

Originally posted by Souljah
And I always Thought that when Military Awards you with a Medal for the Service to your Country, that you Treasure that Token of Apprechiation and put it in a Glass Display, for all the Friends and Family to see - how Brave you have been, defending your Country against the Evil Scouge of Terrorism (in Iraq).

I guess I was Wrong.

Times Change, huh?

So you have concluded that the war is lost, the soldiers don’t care and medals are no longer an honor, because a news article says some soldiers sold their medals?

Forgive me, but that is just stupid. For a person who seems to pride themselves on their intellectual prowess, you sure don’t seem to think very critically about anything.

A few soldiers may be selling their medals online because they dont care. That in no way reflects the majority of the military and I dont see how you could come to that conclusion based on the limited information provided.

Originally posted by Souljah
Bottom Line: Morale Must Be Pretty LOW.

Bottom Line: You certainly want it to be.

Actually, the bottom line is probably 'THE bottom line' that has
remained the same throughout the centuries - a few folks
want the $$$ instead of the medal. So what? That's happened
all through history.

Got any reliable stats on just what percentage of people are
selling their medals as opposed to those keeping them? Got
any reliable stats on the % of those selling for $$ as opposed
to the % selling just because they don't agree with the war?

Until then ... YOUR 'bottom line' is just your own usual wishful thinking
in regards to the countries of the West.

I guess I was Wrong.

Yep.





[edit on 1/3/2006 by FlyersFan]

Originally posted by Seekerof
Benevolent Heretic, Kerry's motives for 'tossing' someone else's medals was/is totally different from these British servicemen. Hint: political motivation...

Still, if you sell your own medals on Ebay, it's acceptable. If you have a political motivation and they're not your own medals, it's an entirely different story? The scandal of the century? Deserving of judgment and ridicule? But these guys, selling their own medals are ok (even though you don't even know the motivation and it may very well be political) is no biggie.

But because it's not Kerry, it's no big deal. If Kerry had sold his medals on Ebay, there's be a huge uproar about his disrespect for the military. That's the only point I had to make about this whole thing.

I'm just noticing the different reaction to this situation and Kerry's. I find it interesting and humorous, that's all.