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The Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal was established on 20 July 1896. The medal was originally a ribbon and medal suspended from a clasp bearing the words "U.S. Marine Corps". The clasp was eliminated after 1935 and the medal has remained unchanged in appearance since that time. Since its inception in 1896, the name of the recipient was engraved by hand on the reverse side of the medal until stamping the name on the medal began duringWorld War II(numbered on the rim) and was done completely by 1951.[9]
Prior to 10 December 1945, four years of honorable creditable enlisted service was required in the Marine Corps for award of the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal. After 10 December 1945, the required period of service was reduced to three years.[10]Since that latter date, members of the Marine Corps must have three consecutive years of honorable and faithful service in order to be eligible for the medal.
In 1953, the Marine Corps adopted bronze and silver 3/16-inch service stars to denote additional awards of the Good Conduct Medal, replacing enlistment bars showing each honorable period of service.
Asiatic–Pacific Campaign MedalAsiatic-Pacific Campaign MedalObverseTypeService medalPresented byDepartment of WarandDepartment of the NavyEligibilityServed in the U.S. armed forces for at least 30 days in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater between December 7, 1941, and March 2, 1946.StatusInactiveFirst awardedDecember 7, 1941Last awardedMarch 2, 1946TheAsiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal[1]is aUnited Statesmilitary awardof theSecond World War, which was awarded to any member of theUnited States Armed Forceswho served in theAsiatic-Pacific Theaterfrom 1941 to 1945. The medal was created on November 6, 1942, byExecutive Order9265[2]issued by PresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt. The medal was designed byThomas Hudson Jones; the reverse side was designed byAdolph Alexander Weinmanwhich is the same design as used on the reverse of theAmerican Campaign MedalandEuropean-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal.
There were 21 Army and 48 Navy-Marine Corps official campaigns of the Pacific Theater, denoted on the suspension andservice ribbonof the medal byservice starswhich also were called "battle stars"; someNavy construction battalionunits issued the medal withArabic numerals. TheArrowhead deviceis authorized for those campaigns which involved participation in amphibious assault landings. TheFleet Marine Force Combat Operation Insigniais also authorized for wear on the medal for Navy service members who participated in combat while assigned to a Marine Corps unit. The flag colors of the United States andJapanare visible in the ribbon.
The Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal was first issued as a service ribbon in 1942. A full medal was authorized in 1947, the first of which was presented toGeneral of the ArmyDouglas MacArthur. TheEuropean Theaterequivalent of the medal was known as the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal.
Boundaries of Asiatic-Pacific Theater. (1) The eastern boundary is coincident with the western boundary of theAmerican Theater. (2) The western boundary is from the North Pole south along the 60th meridian east longitude to its intersection with the east boundary of Iran, then south along the Iran boundary to the Gulf of Oman and the intersection of the 60th meridian east longitude, then south along the 60th meridian east longitude to the South Pole.[3]
US Army campaigns[edit]The 16 officially recognized US Army campaigns in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater of Operations are:[4]
The 43 officially recognized US Navy campaigns in the Pacific Theater of Operations are:[5]
For members of the U.S. military who did not receive campaign credit, but still served on active duty in the Pacific Theater, the following “blanket” campaigns are authorized for which the Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal is awarded without service stars.
TheAmerican Campaign Medalis amilitary awardof theUnited States Armed Forceswhich was first created on November 6, 1942, byExecutive Order9265issued by PresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt.[1][2]The medal was intended to recognize those military members who had performed military service in theAmerican Theater of OperationsduringWorld War II.[2]A similar medal, known as theAmerican Defense Service Medalwas awarded for active duty service before the United States' entry into World War II.
History[edit]The American Campaign Medal was established per Executive Order 9265 on 6 November 1942, by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and announced in War Department Bulletin 56, 1942. The criteria were initially announced in Department of the Army (DA) Circular 1, dated 1 January 1943, so that the ribbon could be authorized prior to design of the medal. The criteria for the medal were announced in DA Circular 84, dated 25 March 1948 and subsequently published in Army Regulation 600–65, dated 22 September 1948. The American Campaign Medal was issued as aservice ribbononly during the Second World War, and was not issued as a full-sized medal until 1947.[2]
The first recipient of the American Campaign Medal wasGeneral of the ArmyGeorge C. Marshall, Jr.[2]
In January 2020, the United States Air Force retroactively authorized the American Campaign streamer to fly from the flag of theCivil Air Patrollocated at CAP National Headquarters,Maxwell Air Force Base,Alabama. The streamer recognizes CAP's involvement in coastal patrol operations between May and August of 1943 while attached toArmy Air ForcesAntisubmarine Command.[3]
Criteria[edit]The requirements for the American Campaign Medal were for service within the American Theater between 7 December 1941 and 2 March 1946 under any of the following conditions:[1]
The boundaries of American Theater are as follows: The eastern boundary is located from the North Pole, south along the 75th meridian west longitude to the 77th parallel north latitude, thence southeast through Davis Strait to the intersection of the 40th parallel north latitude and the 35th meridian west longitude, thence south along the meridian to the 10th parallel north latitude, thence southeast to the intersection of the Equator and the 20th meridian west longitude, thence south along the 20th meridian west longitude to the South Pole.
The western boundary is located from the North Pole, south along the 141st meridian west longitude to the east boundary of Alaska, thence south and southeast along the Alaska boundary to the Pacific Ocean, thence south along the 130th meridian to its intersection with the 30th parallel north latitude, thence southeast to the intersection of the Equator and the 100th meridian west longitude, thence south to the South Pole.
Appearance[edit]The medal, made of bronze, is1+1⁄4inches (32mm) inches wide. Theobversewas designed byThomas Hudson Jones. It shows a Navycruiserunderwaywith aB-24 Liberator bomberflying overhead. In the foreground is a sinking enemy submarine, and in the background is the skyline of a city. At the top of the medal are the wordsAMERICAN CAMPAIGN. The reverse of the medal, designed byAdolph Alexander Weinman, is the same design as used on the reverse of both theAsiatic-Pacific Campaign Medaland theEuropean-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal. It depicts an Americanbald eaglebetween the dates1941 – 1945and the wordsUNITED STATES OF AMERICA.[2]
The ribbon is1+3⁄8inches (35mm) inches wide in oriental blue in the center is a1⁄8inch (3.2mm) inch center stripe divided into thirds of old glory blue, white, and scarlet. Between the center and the edges are stripes of1⁄16inch (1.6mm) inch in white, black, scarlet and white. The blue color represents the Americas; the central blue, white and red stripes, taken from theAmerican Defense Service Medalribbon, represents the continuance of American defense after Pearl Harbor. The white and black stripes represent the German part of the conflict on the Atlantic Coast, while the red and white stripes are for the Japanese colors and refer to that part of the conflict on the Pacific Coast.[2]
Titles of Distinction