Naval History and Heritage Command

1. Campaign and service medals are issued to members of the naval service to denote participation in a campaign, war or national emergency.

2. No campaign or service medal shall be awarded to any person in the naval service who, during the inclusive period for which such medal is authorized, served under than honorable conditions.

3. No more than one of any specific campaign and service medal shall be awarded to an individual.

4. Medals lost, destroyed or rendered unfit for use without fault or neglect on the part of the individual to whom awarded shall be replaced without charge.

5. Issuance of campaign and service medals is based on individual application to the Chief of Naval Personnel or the Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps, as appropriate, after completion of initial distribution of each medal is completed. Initial distribution will be as directed by the Chief of Naval Personnel and the Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps in instructions which will be promulgated when medals are available for issuance. Currently, all campaign and service medals established prior to and including the World War II Victory Medal are issued only on individual application. Except as noted below, medals authorized since World War II, are issued by collective requests of commanding officers for personnel when attached to the ship or unit in which earned, and by individual request after such individuals are no longer attached to such ship or unit. The Korean Service Medal and the National Defense Service Medal are not available for issuance at this time.

6. Commanding officers shall maintain current service records up to date indicating campaign and service medals which have been earned and those received by the individual.

7. Unit commanders, members of their staffs and personnel attached to air or other units automatically derive their eligibility for campaign and service medals and engagement stars thereto in the same manner as personnel regularly assigned to the vessel or unit to which they are attached.

1. CIVIL WAR MEDAL

This medal is issued to officers and enlisted personnel of the Navy and Marine Corps who served in the naval service during the Civil War, between 15 April 1861 and 9 April 1865. (Special Orders No. 81 and 82 of 27 June 1908.)

2. EXPEDITIONARY MEDAL - (NAVY AND MARINE CORPS)

1. The medal will be awarded to the officers and enlisted men of the Navy and Marine Corps who shall have actually landed on foreign territory and engaged in operations against armed opposition, or operated under circumstances which, after full consideration, shall be deemed to merit special recognition and for which service no campaign medal has been awarded.

2. No person in the Navy or Marine Corps service is entitled to more than one Expeditionary Medal (either Navy or Marine Corps). Participation in more than one expedition will be recognized by the issue of bronze stars (one star for each expedition in excess of one), to be worn on the ribbon of the Expeditionary Medal.

3. At present, there is a supply of Marine Corps Expeditionary Medals on hand which will be awarded to Marine Corps personnel participating in authorized expeditions. After this supply is exhausted, the Navy Expeditionary Medal will be the only medal awarded to either Navy or Marine Corps personnel for participation in expeditions.

4. All officers and men of the Navy and Marine Corps who, under the above-mentioned conditions, took part in an operation listed below may submit to the Chief of Naval Personnel or the Commandant, United States Marine Corps, respectively, through official channels, applications for the above medal. The applications should include the names and dates of the expeditions and a statement to the effect that the applicant actually served ashore as a member of a landing party during the period for which the medal is claimed.

5. Navy and Marine Corps personnel who served in the defense of Wake Island, 7 to 22 December 1941, will wear a bar inscribed Wake Island on the suspension ribbon and a silver W on the service ribbon bar of the appropriate Expeditionary Medal. (N. D. G. O. No. 84 of 15 August 1936.)

¹Persons entitled to wear the Expeditionary Medal for Wake Island are authorized to wear a silver W on the suspension ribbon of the medal or service ribbon bar.

3. SPANISH CAMPAIGN MEDAL

This medal is issued to all persons who were in the Naval service between 20 April 1898, and 10 December 1898. (Special Orders No. 81 and 82 of 27 June 1908.)

4. PHILIPPINE CAMPAIGN MEDAL

This medal is issued to members of the Naval service who served on shore in the Philippine Islands between February 4, 1899 and July 4, 1902 or on shore in Nundanoa, cooperating with the Army between February 4, 1898 and December 31, 1904 or who were attached to the following vessels between the dates mentioned (Special Orders No. 81 and 82 of 27 June 1908):

5. CHINA RELIEF EXPEDITION MEDAL

This medal is issued to officers and enlisted men of the naval service who served on shore in China with the Peking Relief Expedition between 24 May 1900 and 27 May 1901, or who were attached to one of the following vessels in Chinese waters between the dates mentioned (Special Orders No. 81 and 82 of 27 June 1908):

6. CUBAN PACIFICATION MEDAL

This medal is issued to all officers and enlisted men of the Navy or who have been in the Navy and who served ashore in Cuba between the dates of 12 September 1906 and 1 April 1909, or who were attached to any of the following ships between the dates designated below each name (N. D. G. O. No. 30 of 13 August 1909):

7. NICARAGUAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL

This medal is issued to officers and enlisted men of the Navy and Marine Corps who served in Nicaragua or on board any of the following ships between the dates of 29 July 1912 and 14 November 1912 (authorized by the President 22 September 1913):

8. MEXICAN SERVICE MEDAL

This medal is issued to all officers and enlisted men of the Navy and Marine Corps who served on shore at Vera Cruz from 21 April 1914 to 23 April 1914, inclusive, or on board any of the following named vessels between the dates designated below each ship (N. D. G. O. No. 365 of 11 February 1918):

9. HAITIAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL

This medal is issued:

1. To any officer or enlisted man of the Navy or Marine Corps who served on Haiti during the period of 9 July 1915 to 6 December 1915, or any part of such period; also officers and enlisted men who were attached to vessels mentioned in the following list between the dates below each vessel (N. D. G. O. No. 305 of 22 June 1917):

2. To commemorate the services performed by the personnel of the Navy and Marine Corps during the operations in Haiti, a campaign medal, to be known as the "Haitian Campaign Medal, 1919-20," will be issued to the officers and men who participated in those operations. The period for which this medal will be issued is from 1 April 1919 to 15 June 1920, and any officer or enlisted man of the Navy or Marine Corps who served in Haiti during this period, or part of such period, is entitled to this medal, as are also the officers and enlisted men who were attached to the vessels mentioned in the following list between the dates below each vessel (N. D. G. O. No. 77 of 29 December 1921):

10. DOMINICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL

1. To commemorate the services performed by the personnel of the Navy and Marine Corps during the operations in Santo Domingo in 1916, a campaign medal to be known as the "Dominican Campaign Medal" will be issued to the officers and men who participated in those operations.

2. The period for which this medal will be issued is from 5 May 1916 to 4 December 1916, and any officer or enlisted man of the Navy or Marine Corps who served in Santo Domingo during this period, or part of such period, is entitled to this medal, as are also the officers and enlisted men who were attached to the vessels mentioned in the following list between the dates below each vessel (N. D. G. O. No. 76 of 29 December 1921):

11. WORLD WAR I VICTORY MEDAL

1. A war service medal to be known as a Victory Medal will be awarded to all persons in the naval service who served on active duty between 6 April 1917, and 11 November 1918, or who entered the naval service on or after 12 November 1918, and prior to 30 March 1920, and served not less than 10 days on shore in Northern Russia or Siberia or who were attached to one of the following vessels: Albany, Brooklyn, Des Moines, Eagle No. 1, Eagle No. 2, Eagle No. 3, New Orleans, Sacramento, South Dakota, or Yankton.

2. A service clasp with the duty inscribed thereon to be worn on the ribbon of the medal will be authorized for each person who performed any of the duties designated below. No one will be entitled to more than one service clasp.

a. Transport - Regularly attached to a transport or cargo vessel for one voyage across the North Atlantic between 6 April 1917, and 11 November 1918.

b. Escort - Same as (a) above.

c. Armed guard - Same as (a) above.

d. Grand Fleet - Regularly attached to any vessel forming part of the Grand fleet between 9 December 1917, and 11 November 1918.

e. Patrol - For service on the high seas on such duty east of the thirty-seventh meridian and north of the Equator, between 6 April 1917, and 11 November 1918, and on the high seas of the Atlantic Ocean north of the Equator between 25 May 1918, and 11 November 1918.

f. Submarine - Same as (e) above.

g. Destroyer - Same as (e) above.

h. Aviation - Same as (e) above.

i. Naval battery - For service on such duty from 10 July 1918 to 11 November 1918.

j. White Sea - For service on any vessel which made a Russian port during such service from 6 April 1917, to 11 November 1918, or any combatant ship in a Russian port on the White Sea not less than 10 days from 12 November 1918, to 31 July 1919.

k. Asiatic - For service on any vessel which made a Siberian port during such service from 6 April 1917, to 11 November 1918, or any combatant ship in a Siberian port not less than 10 days from 12 November 1918, to 30 March 1920.

l. Mine laying - For service on such duty from 26 May 1918, to 11 November 1918.

m. Mine sweeping.-For service on such duty from 6 April 1917, until mine sweeping was completed.

n. Salvage - For service on such duty from 6 April 1917, to 11 November 1918.

o. Atlantic Fleet - For service on such duty from 25 May 1918, to 11 November 1918.

p. Overseas - For service on shore in allied or enemy countries of Europe from 6 April 1917, to 11 November 1918.

q. Mobile base - For service on tenders and repair vessels on such duty east of the Thirty-seventh meridian and north of the Equator between 6 April 1917, to 11 November 1918.

r. Submarine chasers - For service on the high seas on such duty east of the thirty-seventh meridian and north of the Equator between 6 April 1917, and 11 November 1918, and on the high seas of the Atlantic Ocean north of the Equator between 25 May 1918, and 11 November 1918.

s. Battle clasps. For service in the following specified major operations, one for service in each such operation:

1. Aisne, 1 June 1918, to 5 June 1918.

2. Aisne-Marne, 18 July 1918, to 20 July 1918.

3. St. Mihiel, 12 September 1918, to 16 September 1918.

4. Meuse-Argonne, 29 September 1918, to 10 October 1918, 21 October 1918, to 22 October 1918; 25 October 1918 to 11 November 1918. (Only one Meuse-Argonne battle clasp to an individual.)

Defensive-sector clasp - For service, irrespective of awards for major operations, one only being awarded, notwithstanding that service may have been rendered in more than one defensive sector:

1. Toulon-Troyon sector (Lorraine), 18 March 1918, to 13 May 1918.

2. Chateau-Thierry sector (Ile de France), 6 June 1918, to 16 July 1918.

3. Marbache sector (Lorraine), 6 August 1918, to 16 August 1918.

4. Limey sector (Lorraine), 10 September 1918, to 11 September 1918.

t. West Indies - A clasp inscribed "West Indies" is authorized to be worn on the ribbon of the Victory Medal by all persons in the naval service who served in Haiti, Santo Domingo, Cuba, or the Virgin Islands between 6 April 1917, and 11 November 1918, both dates inclusive. This does not modify the existing order that no one will be entitled to more than one clasp issued by the Navy Department for the Victory Medal.

u. Russia - For service on shore in Northern Russia from 12 November 1918, to 31 July 1919.

v. Siberia - For service on shore in Siberia from 12 November 1918 to 30 March 1920.

w. France - Personnel of the Navy and Marine Corps who sailed from the United States prior to 11 November 1918, enroute to France, regardless of the date of arrival in that country, or the fact that they returned to the United States without disembarking, are eligible for the Service Clasp of that country. (Approved SecNav 5 October 1940.)

x. England - Personnel of the Navy and Marine Corps who sailed from the United States prior to November 11, 1918, enroute to England, regardless of the date of arrival in that country, or the fact that they returned to the United States without disembarking, are eligible for the Service Clasp of that country. (Approved SecNav 5 October 1940.)

y. Italy - Personnel of the Navy and Marine Corps who sailed from the United States prior to 11 November 1918, enroute to Italy, regardless of the date of arrival in that country, or the fact that they returned to the United States without disembarking, are eligible for the Service Clasp of that country. (Approved SecNav 5 October 1940.)

3. A bronze star, three-sixteenths of an inch in diameter, will be placed on the service ribbon in lieu of clasp authorized. When any person has been commended as the result of the recommendation of the board of awards by the Secretary of the Navy for performance of duty during World War I not justifying the award of a Medal of Honor, a Distinguished Service Medal, or a Navy Cross, he shall wear a silver star for each such citation.

4. A bronze Maltese cross, three-sixteenths of an inch in diameter, will be placed on the service ribbon for those officers and men of the Marine Corps and Medical Corps, United States Navy, who were attached to the American Expeditionary Forces in France any time between 6 April 1917, and 11 November 1918, and who are not entitled to any battle clasp provided for by General Order No. 83, War Department, 30 June 1919.

5. The clasps for the Victory Medal designated in paragraph (2) for service on ships will be awarded as shown in the following list. Service on any ship listed, between the limiting dates given, will entitle a person to the clasp designated (N. D. G. O. No. 482 of 30 July 1919):