Wound Medal (Vietnam)

Wound Medal
Wound Medal ribbon bar
Awarded by  South Vietnam
Eligibility	Military personnel who were engaged in armed combat with enemies of the Republic of Vietnam
Awarded for	Being wounded or killed in action
Status	No longer awarded
Statistics
Established	January 6, 1953
Precedence
Next (higher)	Republic of Vietnam Navy Gallantry Cross
Next (lower)	Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces Honor Medal
Related	Purple Heart

The Republic of Vietnam Wound Medal (Chiến Thương Bội Tinh) was a military decoration of South Vietnam first created in 1953. The medal was the South Vietnamese equivalent of the United States military's Purple Heart, and was awarded to any personnel of the South Vietnamese military who, while engaged in armed combat with enemies of the Republic of Vietnam, were either wounded or killed in action.

During the Vietnam War, the Wound Medal was often issued to Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) personnel for combat wounds received fighting the forces of North Vietnam or the Vietcong. The medal was seldom bestowed upon members of allied militaries such as the United States military and then only if the allied soldier in question was attached and under the direct command of a South Vietnamese unit. For service members of the United States military, the Wound Medal is not authorized for wear on a military uniform.

With the fall of South Vietnam in 1975, the Wound Medal became obsolete. It is now only available through private dealers in military insignia.