American Campaign Medal
The American Campaign Medal is a military award of the United States Armed Forces which was first created on November 6, 1942, by Executive Order 9265 issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.[1][2] The medal was intended to recognize those military members who had performed military service in the American Theater of Operations during World War II.[2] A similar medal, known as the American Defense Service Medal was awarded for active duty service before the United States' entry into World War II.
American Campaign Medal
U.S. military service in the American Theater for at least 30 days outside the U.S. or 1 year inside the U.S. between December 7, 1941, and March 2, 1946.
Inactive
December 7, 1941
March 2, 1946
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 a service ribbon only 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 was General of the Army George C. Marshall, Jr.[2]
In January 2020, the United States Air Force retroactively authorized the American Campaign streamer to fly from the flag of the Civil Air Patrol located 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 to Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command.[3]
Ribbon devices[edit]
3/16 inch service stars were authorized to service members who participated in combat with Axis forces within the American Theater. This primarily applied to those service members whose units participated in anti-U-boat patrols (Anti-submarine warfare) in the Atlantic.[4]
