AnonKat posted my search up here. TY AnonKat
Here is an updated account of my search
This has been my personal rabbit hole for the last few days.
The first two photos that piqued my interest
http://www.skepsis.nl/hubbard1...
http://www.imagick.com.br/wp-c...
and a third, I am not sure it will load
http://a.disquscdn.com/uploads...
I have been very curious about the ribbons, and the possible date of the photos
I believe the photos were all taken at the same time.
I used this source for the ribbons
http://www.officialmilitaryrib...
According to unbiased researchers (Miller, Atack, Owen, Wright) Ron earned 4 medals and no battle stars.
The American Defense Service Medal
The American Campaign Medal
The Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal
The WWII Victory Medal
The ribbons associated with these medals are in the 7th and 8th row from the top from the link I posted.
According to Thomas Moulton who went to sub chaser training school with Ron, and then served as is second in command off the shores of Oregon, he and Ron always wore two battle star on that ribbon (The American Campaign). Moulton testified to this during one of the Gerry Armstrong cases, in 1984.
I think Ron is wearing 8 ribbons, a top row of 2 ribbons, a middle row of three ribbons and a bottom row of three ribbons.
If the date is accurate (and I do not think it is) there would be no WW II victory medal.
Here is an image of medals and the ribbons that Ron and Scientology claimed
http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/7081/hubbardstolenmedals2b.jpg
http://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/31765/l-ron-hubbards-life.pdf
go to page 11. There is a photo of the medals and ribbons without text on them
I needed to have the plain image to do my checking.
I also suspect that the image of the ribbons is actually upside down. The row of two ribbons should be displayed on top.
Left and right are when looking at the photographs.
Top row, left
This appears to have a battle star. The ribbon itself is covered by the lapel and hard to see. I cannot see a vertical stripe on the ribbon, at all. Perhaps it is the American Defense Service ribbon, but there should be a noticeable white vertical stripe, in my opinion. My decision was highly influenced by the single battle star.
Top row, right
This ribbon also appears to have one battle star.
Because of the white vertical stripes and the light color of the ribbon, I think that may be the Asiatic Pacific Campaign ribbon, and the battle star is obscuring the center (middle) vertical stripes.
Ron later claimed two battle stars for this ribbon.
Middle row, left
This is a guess on my part. There are visible vertical white stripes.
The only ribbon that comes close to matching it, in my opinion, is the Eastern African Middle Eastern Campaign Ribbon. I am not happy with that choice, but it is my best guess.
If I am correct, this is clearly a fraudulent ribbon.
In the photo, Ron has no battle stars, but later he or scientology claimed two battle stars for this fraudulent ribbon
Middle row, middle
This ribbon is obscured by two battle stars. The ribbon is light in color, and I can not distinguish the vertical stripes.
Perhaps it is the American Campaign ribbon, but I would like to see some evidence of dark vertical stripes in the center.
That is what I think the ribbon is because of Moulton's testimony.
Middle row, right
I have no idea what this ribbon was. It is not in the Naval ribbon link, in my opinion.
I think this ribbon corresponds with the ribbon 5[SUP]th[/SUP] row from the top, and in the middle in the scientology display
Bottom, left
I am not sure. I want to find a ribbon in dark blue, or brown with green stripes. I can’t seem to find it the image in the claims of scientology. It is NOT an official Naval Ribbon
Bottom, middle
A dark blue ribbon with 3 green stripes displayed on the top, middle of the image.
I do not know what the ribbon represents. It is NOT an official Naval Ribbon.
Bottom, right
A dark blue ribbon, with two thin green stripes displayed on the top, left on the image
I do not know what the ribbon represents. It is NOT an official Naval Ribbon.
If someone has done this work previously (and I suspect that someone might have done it) could you please provide me a link?
This dates the photo to before the end of the war, but after the time on USS Algol where Ron would have earned the Asiatic Pacific campaign, but no battle stars. Ron left the USS Algol in Sept 1944.
I date this photo from the end of Sept 1944 – Sept 1945 due to the lack of a WW II Victory medal
What I would like to find is a link to the claims of scientology.
What do they think each ribbon / medal stood for.