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Category: Post-WW2 Medals

The Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor

The Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor was established in 2000 and is the highest decoration for bravery by public safety officers.

The Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor was established on June 29, 2000 by President Bill Clinton and is the highest decoration for bravery exhibited by public safety officers in the United States, comparable to the military’s Medal of Honor. The medal was originally called the Presidential Medal of Valor for Public Safety Officers.

Before the establishment of the medal, there were no Federal awards to specifically acknowledge the bravery performed by public safety officers throughout the United States (except for medals at state or government level).

Although the award is still presented by the President of the United States, it is now done in the name of the United States Congress. The Attorney General no longer makes recommendations directly to the President but can provide input into the process via the Department of Justice’s National Medal of Valor Office’s support of the Review Board.

The medal can be awarded posthumously.

The Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor Design

The medal intentionally resembles the military’s Medal of Honor and is a gilt, blue-enameled, five-pointed, upside-down star, with each arm formed by a letter “V” (for Valor), surrounded by a wreath of laurel.

In the obverse, the central disc bears the Great Seal of the United States. The reverse, the legend “FOR EXTRAORDINARY VALOR ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY” and the name of the recipient engraved at the center.

The medal is suspended on a gilt disc bearing a letter “V” surrounded by a wreath of laurels, which is in turn suspended on a neck ribbon, blue with white and red edge stripes (the national colors of the USA) and a gold center stripe (symbolizing honor). When the ribbon alone is worn, it carries a miniature gold gilt disc bearing a letter “V” surrounded by a wreath of laurels. There is also a lapel pin, which is the miniature of the medal without suspension.

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The Order of the Liberator General San Martin

The Order of the Liberator General San Martin (or Orden del Libertador General San Martín in Spanish) is the highest decoration awarded by the Governement of Argentina. It is given to foreign politicians or military, deemed as worthy of the highest recognition by the country and it’s granted by the sitting President of Argentina.

The order receives its name from José de San Martín, Father of the Land and Liberator. The award was established in 1943 (Decree 5000 from August 17th, 1943) and modified on May 21st 1948 (Decree 16628 from 1957, which creates the Order). The rules used today date from December 18th, 1967.

The Grand Master of the Order presides over a national council and is the President of the Nation, same who confers the award. The Order headquarters is the Ministry of Foreign Relations, International Commerce and Cult.

The grades of the Order are:

  • Collar (Collar)
  • Grand Cross (Gran Cruz) ARG Order of the Liberator San Martin - Grand Cross BAR.png
  • Grand Officer (Gran Oficial) ARG Order of the Liberator San Martin - Grand Officer BAR.png
  • Commander (Comendador) ARG Order of the Liberator San Martin - Commander BAR.png
  • Officer (Oficial) ARG Order of the Liberator San Martin - Officer BAR.png
  • Member (Caballero) ARG Order of the Liberator San Martin - Knight BAR.png

The Order of the Liberator General San Martin Medal Design

The medal was designed by Ángel Eusebio Ibarra García. It’s struck in gold and shows a condor, the sable and General San Martin’s portrait in a frame made of sun rays.

Only one Order with the Extraordinary grade was awarded: to Eva Perón in 1952. It was made of 3821 pieces of gold and platinum, and 753 precious stones. It was made by the jewelers joyería Ghiso S.A. and designed by Aída Louzao. After the Military Dictatorship of 1955, the collar was disassembled and the pieces went to auction.

The reverse of the Argentinian $5 bill shows the collar of the Order.

The Medal to the Fighters (Argentina)

The Medal to the Fighters is a decoration given by the Argentinian Republic to everyone who fought in the territorial claim of the Falklands, South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands between April 2nd and June 14th 1982.

The medal was established September 30th, 1984, during the government of Raúl Alfonsín and through Decree 3522. It was published in the official bulletin on November 9th, 1984.

A medal and certificate were awarded to everyone who fought in the war. The medal only has one class and can be awarded to civilians and military personnel. It can be awarded posthumously. A golden version of the medal is to be created for the 30th anniversary of the war.

The Medal to the Fighters Design

The medal is made of white metal. The obverse shows the Argentinian flag colors, a relief of the Falklands Islands and the last name of the fighter. The reverse bears the inscription “The Honorable Congress of the Nation to the Fighters”. This same text is repeated in the accompanying certificate.

The Defense Superior Service Medal

The Defense Superior Service Medal is a military decoration of the Department of Defense established by President Gerald R. Ford in 1976.

The Defense Superior Service Medal (or DSSM) is a senior American military decoration of the Department of Defense established by President Gerald R. Ford on February 6, 1976 and awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces who perform “superior meritorious service in a position of significant responsibility“.

The decoration is most often presented to senior officers in the flag and general officer grades. It is analogous to the Legion of Merit, but awarded for service in a “joint” duty capacity for a period of time exceeding 12 months. Service members assigned to or attached to a Joint Task Force as individuals, not members of a specific military service’s unit, can be eligible for the DSSM.

Joint or Department of Defense awards, including the Defense Superior Service Medal, may be awarded posthumously.

The Defense Superior Service Medal Design

When the Defense Superior Service Medal was created, it was decided that it should be done at the lowest possible cost and with as little involvement as possible. It’s because of this that it ranks just below the Defense Distinguished Service Medal for similar service, it was decided to use the same design as the Defense Distinguished Service Medal but finished in silver rather than gold and with a difference inscription on the back.

The medal has blue enamel and measures 1 7/8 inches (4.76 cm) in height overall. The obverse depicts a silver American eagle with outstretched wings superimposed over a medium blue pentagon. On its breast is the shield of the United States and in its talons are three crossed arrows in silver. The tips of the wings cover a surrounding arc of silver five-pointed stars encircling the top and sides of the pentagon, while the bottom is surrounded by a silver wreath encircling the base composed of a laurel branch on the left and an olive branch on the right.

The reverse is plain except for the inscription at the top, For Superior Service. Below in the pentagon is the inscription From The Secretary of Defense To.

The medal is suspended from a ribbon 1 3/8 inch (3.49 cm) in width composed of the following vertical stripes: Golden Yellow, Bluebird, White, Scarlet, White, Bluebird and Golden Yellow. 

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The Hero of the Russian Federation Medal

The Hero of the Russian Federation Medal was established in 1992 and is the highest honorary title of the Russian Federation.

The Hero of the Russian Federation Medal (or Герой Российской Федерации in Russian) was established in 1992 and is the highest honorary title of the Russian Federation. It’s awarded to persons for “service to the Russian state and nation, usually connected with a heroic feat of valor”. Its recipients wear a golden star that identifies them.

The title “Hero of Russia” is a successor to Hero of the Soviet Union, which was established by Resolution of the Central Executive Committee of the Soviet Union of May 5, 1934. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Russian Federation under president Boris Yeltsin retained a modified award.

The Hero of the Russian Federation Medal has been awarded more than 970 times since its establishment (440 times posthumously). 

The Hero of the Russian Federation Criteria

The title is bestowed by decree of the president of the Russian Federation and can be awarded to foreign citizens and both civilian and military personnel. The title can also be awarded posthumously if the heroic act costs the recipient his or her life.

Early recipients of the Hero of the Russian Federation Medal predominantly fell into two groups: participants in the Chechnya conflicts and cosmonauts. Many recipients were posthumously awarded the title, such as Major Denis Vetchinov, who was killed early in the 2008 South Ossetia War. This category also includes government officials who were assassinated, like Akhmad Kadyrov, the former governor of Chechnya. Kadyrov, a pro-Moscow leader, was killed in a bomb attack during the 2004 Victory Day parade in Grozny.

All Russian cosmonauts receive the Hero of the Russian Federation title following their space missions. Some cosmonauts, like Sergei Krikalev, have received both the Soviet and Russian hero titles, along with the Order of Lenin, for their distinguished service and achievements.

The Hero of the Russian Federation Medal Design

The insignia of the title is also called the “Gold Star” medal (медаль Золотая Звезда) and its design is similar to the Soviet Hero of the Soviet Union variant. It was created by the architect Miron Merzhanov.

The medal is a gold five-pointed star with smooth 15mm dihedral rays on the obverse. The otherwise plain reverse bears the prominent relief inscription in 2mm high letters “HERO OF RUSSIA” (Russian: “ГЕРОЙ РОССИИ”) at its center, in the upper portion, the award serial number in 1mm high numbers. 

The insignia is secured to a standard Russian square mount by a ring through the suspension loop. The mount is covered by a silk moiré tricolor ribbon of white, blue, and red.

The insignia is worn on the left side of the chest above all other medals and decorations and always in full size.

Australian Active Service Medal

The Australian Active Service Medal (AASM) is an Australian military decoration that recognizes prescribed service in warlike operations.

The Australian Active Service Medal (or AASM) is an Australian military decoration created to recognize prescribed service in warlike operations, backdated to February 1975 and authorized on 13 September 1988.

The medal is awarded with a clasp to denote the prescribed operation and subsequent awards of the medal are made in the form of additional clasps. In 2012, it was announced that the medal would no longer be issued for future operations, and was replaced by the Australian Operational Service Medal.

The following clasps were authorised for issue with the AASM: Balkans, Cambodia, East Timor, ICAT, Iraq, Kuwait, Middle East, Namibia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia and Vietnam.

Australian Active Service Medal Design

The AASM is a circular nickel-silver medal ensigned with the Crown of St Edward. The obverse has a Federation Star within a wreath of mimosa and bears a laurel wreath surrounding the inscription ‘FOR ACTIVE SERVICE’.

The medal ribbon is 32 millimetres wide and has a central red stripe to symbolize the danger of warlike operations. It is flanked by stripes of silver-green which in turn are flanked by stripes of light green, gold, dark green and brown. The ribbon bar consists of a strip of full-sized ribbon with no emblem.

The Medal for the Liberation of Kuwait (Canada)

The Gulf and Kuwait Medal as a Canadian medal created in 1990 to recognize the Canadian Forces who had directly participated in the Gulf War.

The Gulf and Kuwait Medal (or Médaille du Golfe et du Koweït in French) was a Canadian campaign medal created in 1990 by the monarch-in-Council to recognize members of the Canadian Forces who had directly participated in the Gulf War, either in the hostilities themselves or during the troop build-up prior to the invasion of Iraq.

The medal is, within the Canadian system of honors, the third highest of the war and operational service medals. Queen Elizabeth II, on the advice of her Cabinet under Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, created the medal to recognize members of the Canadian Forces. To qualify for the medal, individuals had to have served for 30 consecutive days between 2 August 1990 and 27 June 1991 in the region of the Persian Gulf, and those who for a minimum of one day engaged in direct combat with the enemy during the offensive that lasted from 16 January to 3 March 1991 were entitled to receive the additional medal bar.

In total, 4,436 medals were issued, along with 3,184 bars.

The Medal for the Liberation of Kuwait (Canada) Design

The medal was designed by Bruce W. Beatty. It measures 36 millimeters (1.4 in) diameter and is a rhodium plated tombac disc.

The obverse bears the Latin words ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA (Elizabeth II, by the Grace of God, Queen) and CANADA surrounding an effigy of Queen Elizabeth II, symbolizing her roles as both fount of honor and Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian Forces. On the reverse is a laurel wreath with a maple leaf at its base encircling the words: GULF AND KUWAIT • 1990-1991 • LE GOLFE ET KUWAIT.

This medallion is worn at the left chest, suspended on a 31.8mm wide ribbon colored with vertical stripes in light blue, scarlet and dark blue, symmetrically flanking a sand colored central stripe. Originally, the Gulf and Kuwait medal was to have coincidentally had the same ribbon as the British Gulf Medal.

Should an individual already possessing a Gulf and Kuwait Medal be awarded the medal cupro-nickel and bearing a maple leaf bar for combat service, for wear on the ribbon from which the original medal is suspended.

The Medal for the Liberation of Kuwait (Bahrain)

The Medal for the Liberation of Kuwait (Bahrain) was an award given to members of Bahrain’s military for service during the First Gulf War.

The Medal for the Liberation of Kuwait (Bahrain version) was an award given to members of Bahrain’s military for service during the First Gulf War, 1990–91.

Bahrain played a limited but active role in the gulf war. Its ground forces were among the 3,000 Peninsula Shield force of the GCC (exclusive of Saudi Arabian and Kuwaiti troops) that were assigned to a support role during Operation Desert Storm as part of Joint Forces Command East. Bahrain was the primary coalition naval base and was the point of origin for coalition air operations against Iraqi targets.

Bahraini pilots joined other members of the coalition in flying strikes into Iraq. Three Scud missiles were aimed at Bahrain during the war. Only one landed in the country, and it did not hit a target area. There were no Bahraini combat deaths in the war.

The Medal for the Liberation of Kuwait (Bahrain) Design

The medal is struck in bronze and mounted for wear on broach.

The Medal for the Liberation of Kuwait (UAE)

The Medal for the Liberation of Kuwait was an award given to members of the UAE’s military for service during the First Gulf War, 1990–91.

The Medal for the Liberation of Kuwait (UAE version) was an award given to members of the UAE’s military for service during the First Gulf War, 1990–91. This medal was issued in very limited numbers.

The UAE’s armed forces have engaged in numerous wars since inception. During the Persian Gulf War, UAE troops, reportedly numbering several hundred, participated in the conflict as part of the GCC Peninsula Shield force that advanced into the city of Kuwait. United States aircraft bombed Iraqi positions from the UAE, and United States ships operated out of UAE ports. The UAE Air Force also carried out strikes against Iraqi forces. A total of six UAE combat deaths were reported as a result of the fighting.

The Medal for the Liberation of Kuwait (UAE) Design

The medal is gold-coloured gilt on metal with enamels. It measures 38.3 mm. The ribbon comes with a pinback.

The Medal for the Liberation of Kuwait (Kuwait)

The Medal for the Liberation of Kuwait was an award issued by the government of Kuwait for service during the Liberation of Kuwait campaign.

The Medal for the Liberation of Kuwait (or Wisam Al-Tahrir وسام التحرير‎ in arabic) was an award issued by the government of Kuwait for service during the Liberation of Kuwait campaign, 1990–91.

The medal was approved by the Kuwait Council of Ministers for award in five classes, generally according to the rank of the recipient. The medal was offered by the Chief of Staff of the Kuwait Armed Forces on July 16, 1994.

The Australian Government, as well as the governments of Canada and United Kingdom had decreed that personnel may accept their medals as a keepsake but permission to wear them in uniform has so far been refused. The only country that allowed them to be worn was France, who accepted all grades version for their personnel according to their rank at the time of Operation Desert Storm.

The Medal for the Liberation of Kuwait (Kuwait) Design

A nation of seafarers and ship builders, Kuwait chose as their coat of arms, the traditional dhow. Falconry is the sport of Kings in the Persian Gulf, and the falcon in the arms is seen as a symbol of Kuwaiti prowess. The official symbolism of the colors is that black symbolizes battlefields, white is for deeds, green is for the meadows, and red is for the blood of Kuwait’s enemies.

The medal is awarded in five classes.

5th Class (for non-commissioned personnel): A bronze medal with enamel, 1 9/16 inches (40 mm) in diameter suspended from a bar by a wreath. The obverse bears the Coat of Arms of the State of Kuwait (the shield of the flag design in color superimposed on a falcon with wings displayed). The falcon supports a disk containing a sailing ship with the full name of the State written at the top of the disk. At the top of the medal is the inscription “1991 LIBERATION MEDAL” in Arabic letters. The reverse side is the map of Kuwait on a rayed background. The ribbon consists of three equal stripes 29/64 inch (11.5 mm) each of Old Glory Red 67156; White 67101; and Irish Green 67189. A black trapezium is at the top of the ribbon drape and service ribbon.

4th Class (for warrant and junior commissioned officers): A dull grey metal medal, suspended from a bar engraved with laurel leaves. The obverse bears a fully sized, five pointed star over a pattern of engraved rays with the centre containing the same falcon and dhow emblem as the fifth class medal and the reverse the same map and rayed background.

3th Class (for field-grade and equivalent officers): A bright gilt medal of similar design to the fourth class medal. The points of the star are considerably rounded and, instead of the rayed background, the medal is pierced between the star and the outer circle.

2nd Class (for one and two star officers): A golden star overlaying a laurel wreath. The center emblem is significantly smaller than for the lower classes of medal. There is Arabic writing above and below the center emblem. The star is suspended directly from the ribbon, by a ring attached to the wreath.

1st Class (for three and four star officers): A neck decoration of large pattern. Similar to the second class medal but the star is enameled in with red points and a white circle surrounding the center emblem. The white circle contains a geometric outer pattern in gold and Arabic writing above the center. Pierced rays, of differing lengths, lie behind the wreath. The star is suspended from its high point.