THE ROMANCE OF MILITARY INSIGNIA 



483 



© Underwood & Underwood 



MANY HEROIC WOMEN HAVE BEEN DECORATED FOR VALOR IN THE WORLD WAR 



_ Having returned from France, these three Y. M. C. A. workers (note the triangular 

 insignia on hat and sleeve) are receiving the Croix de Guerre from a French High Com- 

 missioner who brought the decorations from Paris. 



decorations are rarely worn. They are 

 not to be flaunted promiscuously, but are 

 reserved for times when it is desired to 

 do special honor to the occasion. How- 

 ever, substitutes are provided for other 

 times, to show that the wearer has re- 

 ceived recognition by his government. 



At ordinary times military men wear 

 small sections of ribbon on the uniform 

 for this purpose. These are simply short 

 strips of the same design and width as 

 the distinctive ribbon from which the 

 medal itself is suspended, and they are 

 known as service ribbons. The rule pre- 

 viously given, which prohibits the wear- 

 ing of a decoration of inferior origin, 

 applies also to service ribbons, since the 

 principle is the same. 



Lapel buttons are used with civilian 

 clothes for the same purpose. They are 

 made in a variety of forms — rosettes of 

 silk ribbon, bow-knots of ribbon, metal- 

 lic buttons similar to the well-known 



G. A. R. device, buttons in enameled 

 colors, etc., each decoration, medal, and 

 badge having its own particular design. 



On evening clothes, both civilian and 

 military, miniatures can be worn when 

 the occasion is appropriate. These are 

 replicas of the full-size medal and ribbon, 

 but made on a scale of about one-half. 

 They are therefore more dressy than a 

 service ribbon, but not so ceremonial as 

 the full-size medal, which furnishes the 

 clue to the occasions when they should be 

 worn. 



Service ribbons are never worn on mili- 

 tary evening clothes, as the wearing of 

 such garments indicates a dress affair, 

 even if it is not ceremonial, and service 

 ribbons are out of place on dress clothes. 



It is thus seen that, although the medals 

 themselves are rarely worn, the possessor 

 of one can always show that fact, either 

 in uniform or civilian clothes, by wearing 

 the proper substitute. It should further 



