Week 3

 Hello readers. This week, I continued my internship working on the Vacanti Collection. This collection comprises; personal artifacts, documents, photographs, etc. belonging to LCDR Vacanti. I spent the majority of this week accessioning the collection into our system. This process is crucial to ensure that nothing gets misplaced in storage and to get a detailed inventory of every item.

Also, this week, I started to examine the various medals that LCDR Vacanti received during his military service. His medals illustrate the diverse areas where he served his country. He has two World War II occupation medals: one for Asia and one specifically for China. These medals were awarded to service members who served in those regions while the Allies occupied them following World War II. He also has service medals for both the Korean and Vietnam Wars. These were given to all service members who served "in country" in each of the respective wars. And, of course, he has a National Defense ribbon for serving during a time of armed conflict.

What I found particularly interesting was that he also has a Navy Good Conduct medal. When I was in the Navy, we casually referred to this medal as a "cookie" (i.e., if you've been a good boy for three years, the Navy will give you a cookie). But importantly, officers cannot receive a Good Conduct medal. Officers have to be good without the promise of cookies. So, the fact that Salvatore Vacanti wore one means that he was previously enlisted, and anyone who saw him in a dress or service uniform would know that. In the Navy, we refer to an officer with enlisted service as a "Mustang," referencing the fact that they still have the wild spirit of an enlisted man.

The presence of these medals within the Vacanti Collection adds a significant layer to our understanding of LCDR Vacanti's life and experiences. This shows us the areas where Vacanti Served as well as lets us know about his history as an enlisted man. This discovery underscores the importance of carefully examining each item within a collection and how showing these medals can help to build a stronger exhibit in the future.

 Lastly, I have done some research about the USS Philippine Sea. This was the first ship that Vacanti was stationed on. I was able to find some videos on NARA that were taken while Vacanti was on board.




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