Army of Occupation Medal
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Army of Occupation Medal | |
---|---|
Service ribbon and campaign streamer | |
Precedence | |
Next (higher) | World War II Victory Medal |
Equivalent | Navy Occupation Service Medal |
Next (lower) | Medal for Humane Action |
The Army of Occupation Medal is a
History
Although authorized in 1946, it was not until 1947 that the first Army of Occupation Medals were distributed. The first medal was presented to General of the Army Dwight D. Eisenhower, who had been the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force Commander during World War II.[2]
Because of the legal status of
In addition, some recipients of the award were born two generations after the end of the conflict which the medal was designed to represent. Much like the National Defense Service Medal, the Army of Occupation Medal has come to be considered a "multi-generational" award.
Although 30 days in West Berlin was a requirement for issuing the award, it was not unusual for supply sergeants to issue it along with other unit insignia and equipment. If the soldier questioned it, he would be told "You aren't going anywhere for 30 days! Just wait to put it on your uniform."
Criteria
To be awarded the Army of Occupation Medal, a service member was required to have performed at least thirty consecutive days of military duty within a designated geographical area of military occupation. The Army of Occupation Medal was presented with a
In addition to the Germany clasp, for those service members who performed 92 consecutive days of military duty during the
Germany clasp
- Germany (9 May 1945 to 5 May 1955)[1]
- Austria (9 May 1945 to 27 July 1955)[1]
- Italy (9 May 1945 to 15 September 1947)[1]
- West Berlin (9 May 1945 to 2 October 1990)[1]
Japan clasp
Appearance
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a2/US_ARMY_OF_OCCUP_WWII_MEDAL_REVERSE.png/150px-US_ARMY_OF_OCCUP_WWII_MEDAL_REVERSE.png)
The medal is
References
- ^ a b c d e f g "Manual of Military Decorations & Awards" (PDF). Department of Defense. September 1996. Retrieved 5 August 2011.
- ^ The Institute of Heraldry. Archived from the originalon 10 June 2011. Retrieved 5 August 2011.
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 8 February 2013.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Army of Occupation Medal". United States Air Force. 8 June 2010. Retrieved 5 August 2011.
- ^ "Military Awards" (PDF). Army Regulation 600–8–22. Headquarters Department of the Army. 11 December 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 5 August 2011.
External links
- US Army of Occupation medal with bar Germany, Hoover Institution Library & Archives
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