Decorations and Awards

[Decorations and Awards]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

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WAI DEEAHTBE1T TECHNICAL MIHAI
NON-CIRCULATING
DECORATIONS
AND
AWARDS
WAR DEPARTMENT • SEPTEMBER 1945
NTSU LIBRARY
WAR DEPARTMENT TECHNICAL MANUAL
TM 12-280
DECORATIONS AND AWARDS
WAR DEPARTMENT • SEPTEMBER 19 45
United States Government Printing Office Washington : 1945
WAR DEPARTMENT Washington 25, D. C., 13 September 1945 TM 12-280, Decorations and Awards, is published for the information and guidance of all concerned.
[AG 300.7 (21 Aug 45)]
By order of the Secretary of War:
Official:
EDWARD F. WTTSELL
Major General
Acting The Adjutant General
G. C. MARSHALL
Chief of Staff.
Distribution:
AAF (2); AGF (2); ASF (2); S Div ASF (1); SvC (10); GH (6);
RH (6); CH (6); Pers C (15); Sep C (25); Redistribution C (3)
No oversea distribution except separation centers
Refer to FM 21-6 for explanation of distribution formula
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CONTENTS
Paragraph
General__________________________________________________ 1
Procedure________________________________________________ 2
Foreign Awards___________________________________________ 3
Reference________________________________________________ 4
III
1. General. This manual is prepared for use of installations charged with responsibility for separation procedures. Its use as a guide for personnel responsible for issuance of service ribbons, decorations, badges and devices, will insure uniform treatment of dischargees throughout the service. Particular attention should be given to insure that all awards and decorations to which an individual is entitled are either issued to him or listed on Request for Decorations and/or Citations (WD AGO Form 106) properly authenticated, and submitted to The Adjutant General for decision. When Form 106 is used, the individual will be informed that a reply will be received from The Adjutant General without further inquiry.
2. Procedure. Decorations, service ribbons, badges, and service stars are issued as follows: Those that may be given to an individual at the separation station are noted in right column. Those which may not be issued at the separation station must be referred to The Adjutant General on Form 106.
Type of award Remarks
a. Medal of Honor
AR 600-45
b. Distinguished Service Cross AR 600-45
c. Distinguished Service Medal AR 600-45
d. Legion of Merit
AR 600-45
e. Silver Star
AR 600-45
1. Distinguished Flying Cross AR 600-45
Issued only by the War Department.
May be issued provided proper entry has been made in the Service Record (WD AGO Form 24) or Officer’s and Warrant Officer’s Qualification Card (WD AGO Form 66-1, 66-2, or 66-3). Otherwise use Form 106. A “proper entry” is defined as one that lists the award, general order or other order number, headquarters, and date. (See sec. XIX, TM 12 230.)
Issued only by the War Department.
Same as b above.
Same as b above.
Same as b above.
AGO 1873B—Sept. 663735°—45
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Type of award g. Soldier’s Medal
AR 600-45 h. Bronze Star Medal AR 600-45 i. Air Medal
AR 600-45 j. Purple Heart AR 600-45
k. Oak-leaf Cluster AR 600-45
Remarks
Same as b above.
Same as b above.
Same as b above.
Same as b above, except that repatriated or recovered prisoners of war will be issued the service ribbon of the decoration on the basis of facts stated in an affidavit properly executed. The affidavit will be forwarded to The Adjutant General for file, issuance of orders, and the Purple Heart Medal. In all other cases where an individual claims a Purple Heart for wounds received in action there must be a substantiating entry in the Service Record (Form 24) or Officer’s and Warrant Officer’s Qualification Card (Form 66-1, 66-2, or 66-3) or other personnel records for issuance of the Purple Heart ribbon; otherwise the case will be referred to The Adjutant General either by use of Form 106 or by letter. Affi-davits and certificates executed by other than a medical officer or medical attendant at the time of injury may be of value to The Adjutant General in making a determination and can be used to make the award in the absence of other official medical records. In a majority of cases verification must be obtained from the oversea unit or hospital.
Same as for the decoration to which they pertain.
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AGO 1873B
Type of award
I. Good Conduct Medal AR 600-68
m. Distinguished Unit Badge (Sec. IV, WD Cir. 333, 1943, as amended by sec. IV, WD Cir. 94, 1945; and AR 260-10, 25 Oct. 1944)
Remarks
Will be issued on claim of individual provided that—
(1) Three years of active service have been completed on or after 27 August 1940, or 1 year of continuous active service has been completed after 7 December 1941.
(2) Service Record indicates individual has demonstrated fidelity through faithful and exact performance of duty, efficiency through capacity to produce desired results, and behavior such as to deserve emulation.
(3) No record of conviction by court martial.
(4) Character and efficiency rating is excellent or above.
Note. In this connection an absence of a rating or ratings of “unknown” will be disregarded and the last permanent rating given used in making determinations.
(5) A remark has been entered by a unit commander that he was considered “favorably” for the award.
Note. In the event this entry is missing, it will be inserted in the Service Record.
Same as b above. If Service Record (Form 24) or Officer’s and Warrant Officer’s Qualification Card (Form 66-1, 66-2, or 66-3) does not indicate eligibility, this may normally be verified from War Department General Orders. The individual must have been present for duty during the period for which his unit was cited.
AGO 1873B
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Type of award n. Theater Ribbon
(WD Cir. 62, 1944, as amended by sec. I, WD Cir. 195, 1944; sec. Ill, WD Cir. 90, 1945; and sec. II, WD Cir. 142, 1945.)
o. Bronze Service Stars
(WD Cir. 62, 1944) (War Department General Orders 59, 1945, lists units entitled to battle credits for Egypt-Libya Algeria-French Morocco, Tunisia and Air Combat Ploesti. Similar lists will be published as expeditiously as possible.)
p. Bronze Arrowhead
(Sec. I, WD Cir. 465, 1944, as amended by sec. II, WD Cir. 90, 1945, and par. 2, sec. II, WD Cir. 181, 1945.) (The War Department will publish a list of units entitled to this device.)
Remarks
Issued on basis of entries in Service Record (Form 24), or Officer’s and Warrant Officer’s Qualification Card (Form 66-1, 66-2, or 66-3).
Issued on basis of entries in Service Record (Form 24) or Officer’s and Warrant Officer’s Qualification Card (Form 66-1, 66-2, or 66-3), soldier’s claim or state ment, and War Department General Orders 33, 1945, as amended. In accepting soldier’s statement for bronze service stars care should be exercised so as not to award bronze service stars for battle participation for which his unit has not received credit. If the unit is credited with battle participation and no evidence exists in soldier’s records that he was absent during that period, credit should be allowed.
Issued if entry in Service Record (Form 24) or Officer’s and Warrant Officer’s Qualification Card (Form 66-1, 66-2, or 66-3) indicates eligibility. Individual is eligible provided that, in the combat zone of a battle or campaign established in War Department General Orders, he either—
(1) Made a parachute jump into enemy-held territory as a member (assigned or attached) of an organized force carrying out an assigned tactical mission, or
(2) Made a glider landing in enemy-held territory as a member (assigned or at-
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AGO 1873B
Type of award
g. Expert and Combat Infantryman Badges
(WD Cir. 408, 1944, as amended by sec. II, WD Cir. 93, 1945; sec. Ill, WD Cir. 134, 1945; sec. II, WD Cir. 146, 1945; sec. Ill, WD Cir. 151, 1945; and sec. II, WD Cir. 263, 1945.)
r. Medical Badge
(WD Cir. 229, 1945, as amended by par. 2, sec. I, WD Cir. 260, 1945, and sec. VI, WD Cir. 263, 1945)
s. Miscellaneous Badges (AR 600-75)
Remarks
taclied) of an organized force carrying out an assigned tactical mission, or
(3) Participated in the assault waves of an amphibious landing on enemy-held territory. Separation stations are authorized to make this award.
Same as b above. If Service Record indicates pay has been made for the award and fails to show date and order number and headquarters of issuance, the badge should be issued and Form 106 initiated to secure copies of order. Claims made which cannot be verified from Service Record (Form 24) or Officer’s and Warrant Officer’s Qualification Card (Form 66-166-2, or 66-3) or orders will be submitted to The Adjutant General on Form 106, in lieu of a letter of application.
Same as b above. If applicant was assigned to other than medical detachment of an infantry regiment, battalion, or element thereof, definite evidence is required showing attachment to such infantry elements in order to merit the award. Where definite evidence is not available, Form 106 will be used in lieu of letter of application.
Same as b above. Claims for badges pertaining to Army Air Forces must be substantiated by entry in the Service Record (Form 24) or Officer’s and Warrant Officer’s Qualification Card (Form 66-1, 66-2, or 66-3). Claims for Markmanship Badges
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AGO 1873B
NT.SU LIBRARY

t. Insignia to denote Oversea Service
(WD Cir. 268, 1944, as amended by sec. II, WD Cir. 41,1945, and sec. VII, WD Cir. 116, 1945)
u. American Defense Service Ribbon
Remarks
and badges pertinent to services other than parachute infantry, glider infantry, or airborne infantry will be issued provided Service Record (Form 24) or Officer’s and Warrant Officer’s Qualification Card (Form 66-1, 66-2, or 66-3) indicates eligibility.
Eased on entries on Service Record (Form 24) or Officer’s and Warrant Officer’s Qualification Card (Form 66-1, 66-2, or 66-3).
Same as b above.
(WD Cir. 27, 1944, as amended by sec. I, WD Cir. 129, 1944)
V. Miscellaneous Service Medals Submit application in letter form (AR 600-65) to The Adjutant General.
3. Foreign Awards, a. Not issued by the War Department.
b. Awards of the Belgian or French Croix de Guerre to individual units are organizational awards and do not entitle individual members of those units to wear the decoration or the ribbon.
c. Philippine Defense and Liberation Ribbons are not issued by the War Department. If eligibility is established under section II, WD Circular 136, 1945, as amended by section III, WD Circular 270, 1945, individuals must procure ribbons through commercial sources.
4. Reference. The provisions of section III, WD Circular 46, 1945, as amended by section II, WD Circular 60, 1945, and section I, WD Circular 260, 1945, are applicable to this processing.
UNT LIBRARIES DENTON TX 76203
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AGO 1873B
0. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 194S
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