AMERICAN DECORATIONS AND INSIGNIA OF 

 HONOR AND SERVICE 





THE following paragraphs epito- 

 mize the history of each of the 

 medals, decorations, ribbons, and 

 organization shoulder insignia author- 

 ized by the United States Government to 

 be worn by its uniformed forces and by 

 civilians who have been honored for sig- 

 nal services rendered to their country. 

 The number preceding each paragraph 

 refers to the companion number under 

 the accompanying illustrations in color. 



ARMY MEDALS 



i. Medal of Honor. — This, the highest dec- 

 oration awarded by our Government, can be 

 given to any officer or enlisted man who shall 

 "in action involving actual conflict with an 

 enemy distinguish himself conspicuously by 

 gallantry and intrepidity, at the risk of his life, 

 above and beyond the call of duty." Tt was 

 first authorized by act of Congress in i86t and 

 is presented "in the name of Congress"; hence 

 the frequent allusion to it as the "Congressional 

 Medal." Tt is worn suspended from a ribbon 

 passed around the neck, under the collar. 

 Prior to the World War, 2,631 had been 

 awarded since the establishment of the decora- 

 tion; during the war 79 have been bestowed. 



Originally the Army had the same design 

 (No. 6) as the Navy (see No. 25). In 1904 the 

 Army adopted the present design, which bears 

 the head of Minerva, the Goddess of War. On 

 the reverse of the bar is the inscription "The 

 Congress to" and on the reverse of the medal 

 the rank, name, and. organization of the recip- 

 ient and the place and date of the act for which 

 the medal is awarded. The original ribbon 

 consisted of thirteen vertical stripes of red and 

 white with a narrow band of blue across the 

 top. This was changed in the earlv seventies 

 and again in 1904, when the new design was 

 adopted. (For further particulars see pre- 

 ceding article.) 



2. Medal or Honor Rosette is worn on 

 civilian clothes to denote possession of the 

 Medal of Honor, by both Army and Navy 

 holders. Tt is of silk ribbon, light blue, with 

 white stars, like the ribbon of the Medal. 



3. Victory Buttons. — These are for wear 

 in the lapel of civilian clothes to denote the 

 possession of the Victory Medal and are to be 

 awarded under the same conditions as the 

 medal. A silver button is given to men who 

 were wounded in action ; all others have one 

 in bronze. Tt was designed by the sculptor, 

 Mr. A. A. Weinman, of New York City, under 

 the supervision of the Commission of Fine 

 Arts, and applies to Army, Navy, and Marines. 



4. Distinguished Service Cross. — This dec- 

 oration was instituted by Executive Order in 

 January, T918, and confirmed by Congress in 



the following July and was designed by Cap- 

 tain Avmar Embury, Engineer Reserve Corps, 

 from sketches by Col. J. R. M. Taylor. The 

 first few struck had the arms of the cross 

 heavily decorated with oak leaves, but these 

 were recalled and all subsequent crosses were 

 plain, as shown in the illustration. This is 

 awarded for individual acts of extraordinary 

 heroism in connection with military oper- 

 ations against an armed enemy not warranting 

 the award of a Medal of Honor. More than 

 5,000 have been awarded. (For further par- 

 ticulars see preceding article.) 



5. The Certificate of Merit Badge was 

 authorized in 1905, to denote the possession of 

 a Certificate of Merit. It has now been 

 abolished by act of Congress, all holders of it 

 exchanging it for a Distinguished Service 

 Medal. Tt was awarded only to enlisted men 

 for meritorious services rendered. (For fur- 

 ther particulars see preceding article.) 



6. Or.D Medae oe Honor. — (See No. 1 and 

 No. 25.) 



7. Distinguished Service Medae. — This 

 decoration was established by Executive Order 

 in January, 1918, and confirmed by Congress in 

 the following July. It is awarded for specially 

 meritorious services in a position of great re- 

 sponsibility. Like the Distinguished Service 

 Cross (No. 4), it was designed by Captain 

 Ay mar Embury, Engineer Reserve Corps, and 

 the plaster model from which the die was made 

 was the work of Corporal Gaetano Cecere, 

 Company B, Fortieth Engineers. About 600 

 have been awarded. (For further particulars 

 see preceding article.) 



8. The Porto Rican Occupation Medae 

 was awarded to all who served in the Army 

 of Occupation in Porto Rico, between the 

 cessation of hostilities, on August 13, and the 

 signing of the Treaty of Peace with Spain, 

 December to, 1898, by the terms of which 

 treaty Porto Rico became a possession of the 

 United States. The design is the same as that 

 of the Spanish Campaign Medal, with an ap- 

 propriate change of inscription, and the colors 

 of the ribbon are the reverse of those of the 

 Cuban Occupation ribbon. 



9. The Civtl War Medal was awarded for 

 service rendered in the Army during the Civil 

 War. The head of Lincoln is on the obverse, 

 and the inscription records one of his famous 

 sayings, "With malice toward none, with 

 charity for all." On the reverse is a wreath 

 inclosing the inscription, "The Civil War, 

 1861-186.5." The significance of the blue and 

 gray ribbon needs no explanation. 



10. The Indian Campaign Medal com- 

 memorates the various campaigns against In- 

 dian tribes since 1865. The list of these is 

 long and they occurred all over the western 

 portion of the country. The last for which 

 the medal was given was the expedition against 



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