The Vietnam Military Merit Medal

• Time Period: Post-WW2
• Institution: 15 August 1950
• Country: South Vietnam (Other Countries), United States (awarded to)

The Military Merit Medal (or Quân-Công Bội-Tinh in Vietnamese) was established on August 15, 1950. It’s the highest military decoration bestowed to enlisted personnel by the Republic of Vietnam during the years of the Vietnam War.

The Military Merit Medal is awarded or awarded posthumously to Non-Commissioned Officers (including Aspirants) and Enlisted Men in the Armed Forces, who have: Previously received citations at the Armed Forces level; Been wounded once or many times in combat; Distinguished themselves by their heroic actions or Served in an honorable manner for at least 13 years.

The Military Merit Medal was modeled after the French Médaille Militaire and was awarded mostly to Enlisted Men for valor in combat. The Vietnamese National Order of Vietnam was considered the equivalent decoration for military officers.

The United States military authorized the Military Merit Medal as a foreign decoration and permitted the medal to be worn on U.S. uniforms by enlisted personnel. A high number Military Merit Medals were issued posthumously as the medal was most often awarded to United States servicemen who were killed in action.

The Vietnam Military Merit Medal Design

The Military Merit Medal is a circular gold-colored medal, the obverse bearing the words ‘TO-QUOC-TRI-AN‘ (‘The gratitude of the Fatherland’) in a central disc. A thin band around the disc contains the words ‘QUAN-CONG-BOI-TINH‘, and the whole is surrounded by a wreath. The reverse is similar, but the words ‘VIET-NAM CONG HOA‘ appear in the central disc.

The medal is suspended from a pair of rings supporting a trophy of arms (crossed swords). The ribbon is yellow, with a broad green and narrow white stripe at each edge. In the center are seven closely grouped green lines.