How are Military Medals Earned: USAMM
Military service members are hard to miss, even in a crowded location. They stand out with their regal confidence, their disciplined approach to life, and their eye-catching military medals attached to their military uniform.
If you were to add up all of the significant military medals, ribbons, and decorations that are able to be presented to the United States military service members in the Navy, Marines, Army, Air Force, Space Force, and the Coast Guard, there would literally be hundreds and hundreds.
But not every award is as widely known are these important military medals for U.S. military service that we are about to identify right now.
Medal of Honor
When it comes to the most prestigious of all U.S. military decorations, the Medal of Honor, which is sometimes referred to as the ‘Congressional Medal of Honor,’ is the King of the Hill, the Lion in the Jungle, the Peak of the Mountain.
The Medal of Honor was created during the Civil War in 1861, and has only been presented to service members that have been considered to be ‘the bravest of the brave.’ Service members who can lay claim to the Medal of Honor have shown and proved their exceptional valor on the battlefield against the enemy of that time period.
One special consideration when it comes to the Medal of Honor is that when it is presented to recipients, it is done so by the current president of the United States.
The three versions of the medal are for the Army, Air Force, and for the Navy, which is the same one given to Coast Guard and Marine Corps personnel.
Who are some of the esteemed past Medal of Honor winners? One of them was actually former President Theodore Roosevelt.
Distinguished Service Cross
Next, after the coveted Medal of Honor comes the second-highest military award that can be given to a member of the Army, the Distinguished Service Cross, established by President Woodrow Wilson in 1918. Not only is this award hard to earn, but extremely dangerous. The Distinguished Service Cross requires that soldiers had risked their life while displaying extraordinary heroism in battle.
Before 1960 and prior to the creation of the Air Force Cross, Distinguished Service Cross was presented to qualifying service members active in the Army Air Forces as well as the Air Force.
George Patton IV, who was General George S. Patton’s son, is an honored recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross, as is Richard Winters whose story was told to the world in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers.
Navy Cross
The Navy Cross, created in 1919, is also the second-highest decoration, much like the Distinguished Service Cross. The difference is that the Navy Cross is awarded to members of the Navy and the Marine Corps who have also showcased life-risking acts of valor during combat.
Doris “Dorie” Miller holds the honor of being the first African American recipient of the Navy Cross, earning it for his brave actions during the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Air Force Cross
The Air Force Cross, established in 1960, follows along with the Distinguished Service Cross and the Navy Cross as the second-highest military award, this one is specifically presented to members of the U.S. Air Force.
The Air Force Cross has been presented to George “Bud” Day, a veteran of World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. Day was both a prisoner of war and Medal of Honor recipient.
Distinguished Flying Cross
There are other options for cruising through the sky on behalf of the U.S. military other than the Air Force. Created in 1926, the Distinguished Flying Cross is one of the highest possible U.S. military decorations that can be awarded and goes out to any member of the Air Force, Army, Navy, or Department of Homeland Security for heroism or extraordinary achievement, while engaging the enemy in aerial flight.
One particularly notable recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross is former President George H. W. Bush, who served in the Navy.
Purple Heart Medal
The Purple Heart was officially established in 1782 by President George Washington to be the “Badge of Military Merit,” intended to be presented to soldiers who displayed exceptional gallantry in battle.
It could be given enlisted soldiers or non-commissioned officers for their service. Considering that most military awards were only for commissioned officers, this criteria was breaking new ground at the time.
Many celebrities have earned the famous Purple Heart, including famed actors Charles Bronson and James Garner, screenwriter and movie director Oliver Stone of military-related filmed like Platoon and Born on the Fourth of July, writer Kurt Vonnegut, and the creator of the iconic television series The Twilight Zone, Rod Serling.
When you realize that there are a plethora of famous people that have not only served in the military but have actually earned their keep while doing so in the form of being presented with military medals, it ups the ante on your view of their accomplishments.