American Defense Medal
| American Defense Service Medal | |
|---|---|
Medal
|
|
| Awarded by United States Department of Defense | |
| Type | Service Medal |
| Eligibility | Military personnel only |
| Awarded for | Service between 8 September 1939 and 7 December 1941 |
| Status | Inactive |
| Statistics | |
| Established | , June 28, 1941 |
| First awarded | September 8, 1939 (retroactive) |
| Last awarded | March 2, 1946 |
| Precedence | |
| Next (higher) | Army: Army of Occupation of Germany Medal Air Force: Air Force Recognition Ribbon Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard: China Service Medal |
| Next (lower) | Army – Women's Army Corps Service Medal Navy & Marine Corps – American Campaign Medal Air Force – American Campaign Medal |
  Service ribbon and Streamer |
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The American Defense Service Medal was a military award of the United States Armed Forces, established by Executive Order , by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, on June 28, 1941. The medal was intended to recognize those military service members who had served on active duty between September 8, 1939 and December 7, 1941.
A similar medal, known as the American Campaign Medal, was established in 1942, for service in the American Theater during the World War II era.
The American Defense Service Medal was established by Executive Order 8808, on 28 June 1941, by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and announced in War Department Bulletin 17, 1941. The criteria for the medal was announced in Department of the Army Circular 44, on 13 February 1942. The service ribbon design was approved by the Secretary of War and the Secretary of Navy on January 7, 1942. The medal was designed by Mr. Lee Lawrie, a civilian sculptor from Easton, Maryland. The model was approved by the Commission of Fine Arts on May 5, 1942.
The medal is authorized to military members who served on active duty between September 8, 1939 and December 7, 1941. Members of the United States Army, to include those in the Army Reserve and Army National Guard, received this medal for any length of service during the eligibility period, provided that they were on orders to active duty for a period of twelve months or longer. The United States Navy excluded those Reservists who were on active duty for less than ten days during the eligibility period, but otherwise the Navy, United States Marine Corps, and United States Coast Guard awarded the medal to all personnel who served on active duty at any time during the eligibility period, provided they passed their initial physical examinations, such as in the case of those Reservists called back to extended active duty prior to the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, or those enlisted recruits and officer candidates accessed during the same period.
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