American Defense

Authorized by Executive Order 8808 (reference (dddd)). Promulgated by War Department Bulletin 17 and Navy Department General Orders No. 172.

Awarded to all U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps Service members who served on active duty at any time between September 8, 1939 and December 7, 1941. Service members in the U.S. Army were required to have had served for a period of at least 12 months.

Recipients of the American Defense Service Medal, depending on the circumstances, were authorized to wear certain devices with the award.

Service Clasps

Foreign Service. Awarded to U.S. Army Service members for service outside the continental United States (CONUS), as crew members of a vessel sailing ocean waters, flights over ocean waters, or as an assigned member of an organization stationed outside the CONUS.

Fleet Clasp. Awarded to U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, and U.S. Coast Guard Service members for military service on the high seas while regularly attached to any vessel or aircraft squadron in the Atlantic, Pacific, or Asiatic Fleets, to include vessels operating directly under the Chief of Naval Operations.

Base Clasp. Awarded to U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, and U.S. Coast Guard Service members for military service on shore at bases and naval stations outside the United States, including military service in Alaska and Hawaii.

Service Star. Possession of a service clasp is denoted by wearing of a bronze star on the service ribbon of the American Defense Service Medal. The star may not be worn if the letter "A" device is authorized.

Letter "A" Device. A bronze letter "A" is authorized for those Service members who served on board vessels operating in actual or potential belligerent contact with Axis Forces in the Atlantic Ocean between June 22 and December 7, 1941.

American Defense Products

American Defense Bumper Sticker

American Defense Bumper Sticker with 1 Bronze Star

American Defense Bumper Sticker with 2 Bronze Star

American Defense Bumper Sticker with 3 Bronze Star

Army of Occupation Military Ribbon

1. Description: Army - The Bronze medal is 1 ¼ inches in width. On the obverse, the Remagen Bridge abutments below the words "ARMY OF OCCUPATION". On the reverse, Fujiyama with a low hanging cloud over two Japanese junks above a wave scroll and the date "1945". A Bronze clasp 1/8 inch wide and 1 ½ inches in length with the word "GERMANY" or "JAPAN" is worn on the suspension ribbon to indicate service in Europe or the Far East. NAVY: On the obverse is Neptune mounted on a composite creature of a charging horse and a sea serpent with a trident grasped in right hand above wave scrolls. Around the bottom of the medal are the words "OCCUPATION SERVICE". The reverse is the same as the China Service Medal and is an eagle perched on the shank of a horizontal anchor with a branch of laurel entwined around the anchor. On the left is the word "FOR" and to the right is the word "SERVICE" and around the top is the inscription "UNITED STATES NAVY". MARINE CORPS: The medal for the Marine Corps is the same as the Navy, except the inscription around the top of the reverse is "UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS".

2. Ribbon: The ribbon is the same for both medals and is 1 3/8 inches wide and consists of the following stripes: 3/16 inch White 67101; ½ inch Black 67138; ½ inch Scarlet 67111; and 3/16 inch White.

3. Criteria: a. The medal was awarded for 30 days consecutive service while assigned to:

(1) Germany (excluding Berlin) between 9 May 1945 and 5 May 1955. Service between 9 May and 8 November 1945 will count only if the EAME Campaign Medal was awarded for service prior to 9 May 1945.

(2) Austria between 9 May 1945 and 27 July 1955. Service between 9 May and 18 November 1945 will count only if the EAME Campaign Medal was awarded for service prior to 9 May 1945.

(3) Berlin between 9 May 1945 and 2 October 1990. Service between 9 May and 8 November 1945 may be counted only if the EAME Campaign Medal was awarded for service prior to 9 May 1945.

(4) Italy between 9 May 1945 and 15 September 1947 in the compartment of Venezia Giulia E. Zara or Province of Udine, or with a unit in Italy designated in DA General Order 4, 1947. Service between 9 May and 8 November 1945 may be counted only if the EAME Campaign Medal was awarded for service prior to 9 May 1945.

(5) Japan between 3 September 1945 and 27 April 1952 in the four main islands of Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu; the surrounding smaller islands of the Japanese homeland; the Ryukyu Islands; and the Bonin-Volcano Islands. Service between 3 September 1945 and 2 March 1946 will be counted only if the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal was awarded for service prior to 3 September 1945.

(6) Korea between 3 September 1945 and 29 June 1949. Service between 3 September 1945 and 2 March 1946 will be counted only if the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal was awarded for service prior to 3 September 1945.

4. Components: The following are authorized components:

a. Army Medal (regular size): MIL-DTL-3943/246. Medal set with full size medal and ribbon bar. NSN 8455-00-269-5763.

b. Army Medal (miniature): MIL-DTL-3943/246. Available commercially.

c. Ribbon: MIL-DTL-11589/112. NSN 8455-00-265-4910. Available commercially.

d. Foreign Service Clasp: MIL-DTL-41819/9: Germany - NSN 8455-00-249-0171; Japan - NSN 8455-00-249-0172.

e. Berlin Airlift Device: MIL-DTL-41819/13. Regular and miniature sizes. NSN 8455-00-261-4504.

5. Background: a. The Army Occupation Medal was established by War Department Circular 102, dated 5 April 1946.

b. The medal was designed by Mr. Thomas Hudson Jones and the first medal was presented to General Eisenhower on 2 April 1947. The ribbon design uses the color black to represent Germany and the color red to represent Japan.

c. On 4 February 1948, the Secretary of the Navy requested the Heraldic Section, Department of the Army, design a suitable Navy Occupation Service Medal. This medal was designed by Mr. Thomas Hudson Jones on 30 March 1948.

d. The service clasp is worn on the suspension ribbon to indicate area of occupation. The Berlin Airlift Device is a miniature of a C-54 type aircraft and is worn on the suspension ribbon and service ribbon to indicate 90 days consecutive service between 26 June 1948 and 30 September 1949.

Army of Occupation Military Ribbon Designs