THE ROMANCE OF MILITARY IXSIGXIA 



487 



© Press Illustrating Service 



SPRAYING THE FINISHING LACQUER ON DISTINGUISHED SERVICE MEDALS AT THE 



PHILADELPHIA MINT 



Six hundred of these medals have been awarded to Americans and to distinguished 

 officers and government officials of countries associated with the United States in the War 

 with Germanv. 



mality, but are issued to those entitled to 

 them in the most convenient manner. 



The word bar in connection with 

 medals refers to a small piece of metal to 

 which the top of the suspending ribbon is 

 fastened. It is sometimes-covered by the 

 ribbon ; sometimes the ribbon is fastened 

 to the back, leaving the bar visible. (See 

 Nos. 32 and 34.) It is provided with a 

 pin at the back for attachment to the 

 coat. Occasionally the lower edge of the 

 ribbon is also attached to a bar, and the 

 medal suspended from this lower bar in- 

 stead of directly by the ribbon. (See the 

 Distinguished Service Medal, No. 7.) 

 Clasps are sometimes called bars. 



THE TROBLEM OE PRECEDENCE 



Service ribbons can be either sewed on 

 the coat or placed on a bar. covering the 



bar completely. It is incorrect to speak 

 of the service ribbons themselves as 

 "bars." 



Medals and decorations, with but few 

 exceptions, are worn on the left breast 

 and in a carefully arranged order of 

 precedence. The place of honor is to the 

 right of the wearer, or nearest to the 

 center line of the breast, and the highest 

 decoration possessed is worn in that posi- 

 tion. Others follow in the correct order 

 of precedence, and then service medals 

 according to the dates of the services ren- 

 dered. 



Foreign decorations are worn after all 

 the decorations and medals bestowed by 

 the wearer's government and in the order 

 of the date of receipt. This rule is to 

 avoid the embarrassments and complica- 

 tions which would certainly arise if any 



