REPORT OF THE SECRETARY 2) 
the decorations representing the four degrees of the Legion of Merit, 
namely, Chief Commander, Commander, Officer, and Legionnaire. 
These decorations are for award to the personnel of armed forces of 
the United States and the Philippines, and of the armed forces of 
friendly foreign nations. The recipients must have distinguished 
themselves by exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance 
of outstanding services since the Presidential proclamation of emer- 
gency, September 8, 1939. These decorations are the first to be 
founded by the United States Government for award to foreigners. 
Other specimens illustrate the Merchant Marine Distinguished Serv- 
ice Medal and the Mariner’s Medal. The first of these was established 
for award to any person in the American Merchant Marine who on 
or after September 3, 1939, “has distinguished himself * * * in 
the line of duty.” The second is awarded to any seaman who, while 
serving on a ship during the war period, is wounded, suffers physical 
injury, or suffers through dangerous exposure as the result of an act 
of an enemy of the United States. 
The collection of uniforms was increased by the addition of several 
United States Army and United States Military Academy uniforms 
of the early part of the twentieth century. Uniforms of the types 
worn by Army nurses and officers and members of the Women’s Army 
Corps were received from the War Department. A series of German 
and Japanese uniforms captured in Italy and the Aleutian Islands 
was received as a loan from the War Department. 
An interesting gift to the philatelic collection was a series of 
Aguinaldo (Philippine) stamps totaling more than 2,000 specimens. 
A cover franked with a 2-cent red Aguinaldo stamp postmarked 
Bataan, the locality famous for the valiant fight against the Japanese 
of the American forces under the leadership of Gen. Douglas Mac- 
Arthur, is included. Among the stamps transferred by the Post 
Office Department was a special series of 12 United States stamps 
commemorating the European countries that have been overrun and 
occupied by the Axis powers—Albania, Austria, Belgium, Czecho- 
slovakia, Denmark, France, Greece, Luxembourg, Norway, The Nether- 
lands, Poland, and Yugoslavia. Each stamp bears in color the na- 
tional flag of the country concerned. The Soviet Union presented a 
30-kopeck and a 3-ruble stamp showing the Russian, British, and 
American flags, commemorating the recent historic conference at 
Tehran. Among the stamps emanating from enemy countries that 
found their way into the Museum collections were 2 Japanese stamps 
commemorating the fall of Bataan and Corregidor, 11 stamps issued 
by the Japanese military authorities for use in the occupation of the 
Dutch Indies, and 14 varieties of Japanese stamps for the army of 
