Legion of Merit

Legion of Merit
Awarded by United States Department of Defense
Type	Medal
Awarded for	exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements
Status	Currently awarded
Statistics
First awarded	1942
Precedence
Next (higher)	Defense Superior Service Medal
Next (lower)	Distinguished Flying Cross
ribbon

The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. The decoration is issued both to United States military personnel and to military and political figures of foreign governments.

The Legion of Merit (Commander degree) is one of only two United States military decorations to be issued as a neck order (the other being the Medal of Honor) and the only United States decoration which may be issued in award degrees (much like an order of chivalry or certain Orders of Merit).^[1][2]

The Legion of Merit is sixth in the order of precedence of U.S. military decorations, and is worn after the Defense Superior Service Medal and before the Distinguished Flying Cross. In contemporary use in the U.S. armed forces, the Legion of Merit is typically awarded to Army, Marine Corps, and Air Force general officers and colonels, and Navy and Coast Guard flag officers and captains occupying command or very senior staff positions in their respective services. It may also be awarded to officers of lesser rank and senior enlisted personnel, but these instances are less frequent and circumstances vary by service. As such, the medal can be considered as "points" in some enlisted promotion systems, such as the Air Force, where it is counted as 7 points (out of a possible 25 points for decorations).^[3]

Criteria

• The degrees of Chief Commander, Commander, Officer, and Legionnaire are awarded only to members of armed forces of foreign nations under the criteria outlined in US Army Regulation 672-7 and is based on the relative rank or position of the recipient as follows:^[4]

1. Chief Commander: Chief of State or Head of Government. However this degree was awarded by President Roosevelt to some Allied World War II theater commanders usually for joint amphibious landings or invasions. The President had this power under Executive Order 9260 of October 29, 1942 paragraph 3b.^[5]
2. Commander: Equivalent of a U.S. military Chief of Staff or higher position but not to Chief of State.
3. Officer: General or Flag Officer below the equivalent of a U.S. military Chief of Staff; Colonel or equivalent rank for service in assignments equivalent to those normally held by a General or Flag Officer in U.S. military service; or Military Attaches.
4. Legionnaire: All recipients not included above.

• When the Legion of Merit is awarded to members of the Armed Forces of the United States it is awarded without reference to degree. The criteria are "for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements". Additional awards of the Legion of Merit are denoted by oak leaf clusters, in the Army and Air Force, and by award stars in the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. The sea services (i.e., USN, USMC, USCG) also permit the wearing of the Valor device on the Legion of Merit, while the Army and Air Force do not.
• The performance must have been such as to merit recognition of key individuals for service rendered in a clearly exceptional manner.
• Performance of duties normal to the grade, branch, specialty or assignment, and experience of an individual is not an adequate basis for this award.
• For service not related to actual war the term “key individual” applies to a narrower range of positions than in time of war and requires evidence of significant achievement.
• In peacetime, service should be in the nature of a special requirement or of an extremely difficult duty performed in an unprecedented and clearly exceptional manner.
• However, justification of the award may accrue by virtue of exceptionally meritorious service in a succession of important positions.
• The degrees and the design of the decoration were clearly influenced by the French Légion d'honneur.

History

Although recommendations for creation of a Meritorious Service Medal were initiated as early as September 1937, no formal action was taken toward approval.

In a letter to the Quartermaster General (QMG) dated December 24, 1941, the Adjutant General formally requested action be initiated to create a Meritorious Service Medal and provide designs in the event the decoration was established. Proposed designs prepared by Bailey, Banks, and Biddle and the Office of the Quartermaster General were provided to Assistant Chief of Staff (G1) (Colonel Heard) by the QMG on January 5, 1942.

The Assistant Chief of Staff (G1) (BG Hilldring), in a response to the QMG on April 3, 1942, indicated the Secretary of War approved the design recommended by the QMG. The design of the Legion of Merit (change of name) would be ready for issue immediately after legislation authorizing it was enacted into law.

An Act of Congress (Public Law 671—77th Congress, Chapter 508, 2d Session) on July 20, 1942, established the Legion of Merit and provided that the medal "shall have suitable appurtenances and devices and not more than four degrees, and which the President, under such rules and regulations as he shall prescribe, may award to

(a) personnel of the Armed Forces of the United States and of the Government of the Commonwealth Philippines and

(b) personnel of the armed forces of friendly foreign nations who, since the proclamation of an emergency by the President on 1939-09-08, shall have distinguished themselves by exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services."

The medal was announced in War Department Bulletin No. 40, dated August 5, 1942. Executive Order 9260, dated October 29, 1942, by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, established the rules for the Legion of Merit and required the President's approval for the award. However, in 1943, at the request of General George C. Marshall, approval authority for U.S. personnel was delegated to the War Department.

Executive Order 10600, dated March 15, 1955, by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, revised approval authority. Current provisions are contained in Title 10, United States Code 1121.

The reverse of the medal has the motto taken from the Great Seal of the United States "ANNUIT COEPTIS" (He [God] Has Favored Our Undertakings) and the date "MDCCLXXXII" (1782) which is the date of America's first decoration, the Badge of Military Merit, now known as the Purple Heart. The ribbon design also follows the pattern of the Purple Heart ribbon.

Appearance

Chief Commander	Commander	Officer	Legionnaire
Ribbon

• The Chief Commander Degree of the Legion of Merit Medal is, on a wreath of green laurel joined at the bottom by a gold bow-knot (rosette), a domed five-pointed white star bordered crimson, points reversed with v-shaped extremities tipped with a gold ball. In the center, a blue disk encircled by gold clouds, with 13 white stars arranged in the pattern that appears on the United States Coat of Arms. Between each point, within the wreath are crossed arrows pointing outwards. The overall width is 2 15/16 inches (75 mm). The words "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" are engraved in the center of the reverse. A miniature of the decoration in gold on a horizontal gold bar is worn on the service ribbon.

• The Commander Degree of the Legion of Merit Medal is, on a wreath of green laurel joined at the bottom by a gold bow-knot (rosette), a five-pointed white star bordered crimson, points reversed with v-shaped extremities tipped with a gold ball. In the center, a blue disk encircled by gold clouds, with 13 white stars arranged in the pattern that appears on the United States Coat of Arms. Between each star point, within the wreath, are crossed arrows pointing outwards. The overall width is 2¼ inches (57 mm). A gold laurel wreath in the v-shaped angle at the top connects an oval suspension ring to the neck ribbon that is 1 15/16 inches (49 mm) in width. The reverse of the five-pointed star is enameled in white, and the border is crimson. In the center, a disk for engraving the name of the recipient surrounded by the words "ANNUIT COEPTIS MDCCLXXXII." An outer scroll contains the words "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA." A miniature of the decoration in silver on a horizontal silver bar is worn on the service ribbon.

The neck ribbon for the degree of Commander is 1 15/16 inches (49 mm) wide and consists of the following stripes: 1/16 inch (2 mm) white 67101; center 1 13/16 inches (46 mm) crimson and 1/16 inch (2 mm) white.

• The Officer Degree of the Legion of Merit Medal is similar to the degree of Commander except the overall width is 1 7/8 inches (48 mm) and the pendant has a suspension ring instead of the wreath for attaching the ribbon. A gold replica of the medal, 3/4 inch (19 mm) wide, is centered on the suspension ribbon.

• The Legionnaire Degree of the Legion of Merit Medal and the Legion of Merit Medal issued to U.S. personnel is the same as the degree of Officer, except the suspension ribbon does not have the medal replica.

The ribbon for all of the decorations is 1 3/8 inches (35 mm) wide and consists of the following stripes: 1/16 inch (2 mm) white; center 1¼ inches (32 mm) crimson; and 1/16 inch (2 mm) white. The reverse of all of the medals has the motto taken from the Great Seal of the United States "ANNUIT COEPTIS" (He (God) Has Favored Our Undertakings) and the date "MDCCLXXXII" (1782), which is the date of America's first decoration, the Badge of Military Merit, now known as the Purple Heart. The ribbon design also follows the pattern of the Purple Heart ribbon.

Notable recipients

See also: Category:Recipients of the Legion of Merit

Chief Commander

Nationality	Rank	Name	Force	Date	Comments
	Lieutenant-General	Kenneth A.N. Anderson, CB, MC	British Army	June 18, 1943
	Generalissimo	Chiang Kai-shek	Chinese Armed Forces	July 1943
	General	Bernard Law Montgomery, KCB, DSO	British Army	August 6, 1943
	Temporary Air Chief Marshal	Sir Arthur William Tedder, GCB	Royal Air Force	August 27, 1943
	Marshal of the Soviet Union	Aleksandr Mikhajlovich Vasilevskij	Red Army	June 22, 1944
	Chief Marshal Of Aviation	Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Novikov	Military Air Forces	June 22, 1944
	Rear-Admiral	Sir Victor Crutchley VC, KCB, DSC	Royal Australian Naval Squadron	September 1944	For exceptionally meritorious conduct 1942–44 in command of Task Force 44 in the Pacific.
	Air Marshal	Arthur Travers Harris, OBE, AFC	Royal Air Force	October 17, 1944	Known as "Bomber" Harris; because of moral qualms, he was the only major British commander not to receive a peerage[6] after World War II. He instituted "area bombing"[7] of German cities.
	King	George VI	Commonwealth armed forces	1945
	Air Chief Marshal	William Sholto Douglas, GCB, MC, DFC	Royal Air Force
	Admiral of the Fleet	Sir Andrew Browne Cunningham Bt, GCB, DSO**	Royal Navy		First Sea Lord
	Admiral	Sir John Henry Dacres Cunningham KCB	Royal Navy		For gallant and distinguished service during the invasion operations in Northern Italy and the South of France.
	Admiral	Sir Bertram Home Ramsay KCB, KBE, MVO	Royal Navy	January 15, 1945	For gallant and distinguished service whilst in command of the invasion operations on Normandy.
	Acting Air Marshal	Sir Arthur Coningham KCB, DSO, MC, DFC, AFC	Royal Air Force
	Air Chief Marshal	Donald Perera VSV, USP	Sri Lanka Air Force
	Commander-In-Chief	Crown Prince 'Abd al-Ilah	Iraqi Armed Forces	June 1, 1945
	Vice Admiral	Sir Philip Vian KBE, CMG	Royal Navy	July 17, 1945
	Marshal of the Soviet Union	Georgy Zhukov	Red Army	1945
	Marshal of the Soviet Union	Ivan Stepanovich Konev	Red Army	1945
	Marshal of the Soviet Union	Leonid Aleksandrovich Govorov	Red Army
	Army General	Stanislav Giljarovich Poplavskij	Red Army
	Marshal of the Soviet Union	Kirill Afanasievich Meretskov	Red Army
	Marshal of the Soviet Union	Konstantin Konstantinovich Rokossovskij	Red Army
	General	Andrey Ivanovich Yeryomenko	Red Army
	King	Michael I of Romania	Romanian Armed Forces	1945
	General	Charles De Gaulle	French Armed Forces	August 24, 1945
	Emperor	Haile Selassie	Ethiopian Armed Forces	1945
	Vice Admiral	Sir Geoffrey Blake KCB, DSO	Royal Navy	November 6, 1945
	Chief of Defence of Norway	Crown Prince Olav	Norwegian Armed Forces	November 23, 1945	"exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services from August 1944 to July 1945."
	General	Rajendrasinhji Jadeja	Indian Army	1946	[8]
	King	Abdul Aziz Ibn Abdur Rahman al Faisal Al Saud	Saudi Arabian Armed Forces	February 18, 1947
	President	Miguel Aleman	Mexican Armed Forces	May 1, 1947
	Shah	Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi	Iranian Armed Forces	October 7, 1947
	General	Dragoljub Mihailović	Yugoslav Royal Army	March 29, 1948
	General	Sir William Slim, GBE, KCB, DSO, MC, ADC	British Army	1948
	Prime Minister	The Rt Hon Sir Robert Menzies, KT, AK, CH, QC	Australian Armed Forces
	Field Marshal	Kodandera Madappa Cariappa	Indian Army	1950
	King	Paul I	Greek Armed Forces	October 28, 1953
	President	Celal Bayar	Turkish Armed Forces	January 27, 1954
	Field Marshal	Luang Plaek Pibulsonggram	Thai Royal Army	May 2, 1955
	General	Satyawant Mallana Srinagesh	Indian Army	1955	[8]
	King	Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX)	Thai Armed Forces	June 28, 1960
	General	Kim Yong-Bae	Republic Of Korea Army	February 14, 1968	For service April 1965 to March 1966. The initial award of Commander degree was revoked and replaced with Chief Commander.
	Minister of National Defense	Kim Sung-Eun	Republic Of Korea	December 9, 1968	For service March 1963 to June 1966.
	Admiral	Jal Cursetji	Indian Navy	1978	[9]
	President	Kenan Evren	Turkish Armed Forces	June 27, 1988
	General	Wolfgang Schneiderhan	Bundeswehr
	General	Hilmi Özkök	Turkish Armed Forces	2002
	Admiral	Shahid Karimullah	Pakistan Navy	July 21, 2004	For his steadfast support of American-Pakistan cooperation in regional maritime, security affairs, demonstrated superb resolve and unwavering dedication to the Global War on terrorism
	Admiral	Afzal Tahir	Pakistan Navy	January 23, 2006	Legion of Merit in recognition of his efforts in conducting maritime security operations and strengthening of cooperation between the two navies in the 5th Fleet area of responsibility.
	Admiral	Mohammad Anwar Mohammad Nor	Malaysian Armed Forces
	General	Gabi Ashkenazi	Israeli Defence Forces	July 24, 2008
	General	Ashfaq Parvez Kayani	Pakistani Army	January 1, 2009
	General	Babaker Shawkat B. Zebari	Iraqi Army	January 7, 2010
	Admiral	Noman Bashir	Pakistan Navy	March 18, 2010	For distinguish service and strengthening the American-Pakistani relations. Also, for his role to established and strengthening the Pakistan Navy and U.S. Navy relations in Arabian sea.

Commander

Nationality	Rank	Name	Force	Date	Comments
	Brigadier General	Alexandre Zacharias de Assumpção	Brazilian Army	1942	General of Brigade Alexandre Zacharias de Assumpcao, Brazilian Army, was cited for service as Commanding General of the 8th Military Region, Brazil. The 8th Military Region was headquartered in Belem, which was a major support base for US aircraft transiting to North Africa and the Mediterranean. The Army made 31 awards of the Legion of Merit, commander grade, to Brazilian officers during World War II.
	Brigadier General	Amaro Soares Bittencourt	Brazilian Army	1942	First recipient of this medal in any degree.
	Wing Commander	Guy Penrose Gibson, VC, DSO & Bar, DFC & Bar	Royal Air Force	December 3, 1943	WWII leader of the Dams raid (Operation Chastise) in 1943.
	Lieutenant General	Władysław Anders	2nd Polish Corps	August 1, 1944
	Admiral	Sir Gerald Charles Dickens KCVO, CB, CMG	Royal Navy	1945	WWII Commander
	Air Commodore	Andrew James Wray Geddes DSO, OBE	Royal Air Force	1945	Responsible for the planning of Operations Manna and Chowhound
	Lieutenant General	Sir Bernard Cyril Freyberg, VC, KCB, KBE, CMG, DSO	2nd New Zealand Division, New Zealand Military Forces	August 2, 1945
	Major General	William Henry Evered Poole, CB, CBE, DSO	6th South African Armored Division		Unit is part of the 5th US Army during the Italian Campaign in World War II
	Major General	Georges Vanier		1946	Canadian representative to the United Nations and Ambassador to France, later Governor General of Canada.
	Rear Admiral	Leonard W. Murray	Canadian Northwest Atlantic	1946	Architect of the Battle of the Atlantic.
	Air Chief Marshal	Sir Keith Rodney Park	Royal Air Force	June 27, 1947	WWII commander during the Battle of Britain and later Allied Air Commander South East Asia
	General	Alfredo M. Santos	Armed Forces of the Philippines
	Major General	Stefan Pawel Rowecki	Armia Krajowa	August 9, 1984	Awarded by Ronald Reagan posthumously forty years and one week after his death at the hands of the Gestapo.
	General	Fidel Ramos	Armed Forces of the Philippines	1990
	Brigadier General	Abdul Muneem Mansur Ahmed	Bangladesh Army	January 16, 1991	The first Bangladeshi General to receive this award for his outstanding service as the Defense Attache in the Bangladesh Embassy, United States.
	General	Michel Roquejeoffre	French Army	July 14, 1991
	General	Sir Peter de la Billière KCB, KBE, DSO, MC & bar	British Forces to the Middle East during Gulf War I	July 14, 1991
	General	Ehud Barak	Israeli Defense Forces	1992	Later became Israeli Prime Minister from 1999 to 2001
	General	Alfred John Gardyne Drummond de Chastelain, OC, CMM, CH, CD	Canadian Forces	1995	In 1999, he was made a Companion of Honour by Queen Elizabeth II. He is the former Chief of the Defence Staff (Canada) for the Canadian Forces and he is the Chairman of the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning since November 1995 for the Northern Ireland Peace Process.
	General	I.M. Elias Nino Herrera	Colombian Marine Corps		For exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding service as Commandant of the Colombian Marine Corps. General Nino's cooperation and understanding have been a significant contribution to the mutual friendship between Colombia and the United States.
	General de Ejército (General of the Army)	Paco Moncayo	Ecuadorian Armed Forces		For of his exceptionally superior performance as Chief of the Armed Forces Joint Command and his contribution to Ecuadorian history, politics and democracy.
	General	Sir Phillip Bennett, AC, KBE, DSO, KStJ John Baker, AC, DSM Peter Cosgrove, AC, MC	Australian Defence Force		Chiefs of the Defence Force
	General	Adolf Heusinger Klaus Naumann Wolfgang Schneiderhan	Bundeswehr
	General	Edgard de Larminat Alain de Boissieu Vincent Desportes Jean-Louis Georgelin
	Lieutenant General	Charles Bouchard	Deputy Commander NORAD	2004	Commander of NATO forces enforcing "No Fly Zone" Libya 2011
	Lieutenant General	Peter Leahy, AC Ken Gillespie, AC, DSC, CSM	Australian Army	2004 2009	Chief of Army
	Lieutenant General	Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury	Bangladesh Army	2005	Former Chief of Army Staff (Bangladesh)
	Commander-in-Chief	Mehmet Yaşar Büyükanıt	Turkish Armed Forces	December 12, 2005
	General	Michael John Dawson Walker, Baron Walker of Aldringham GCB, CMG, CBE, ADC, DL	Implementation Force in Bosnia	May 13, 1997[10]	Former Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) in the United Kingdom
	Admiral	Giampaolo Di Paola	Italian Navy
	Admiral of the Fleet	Vladimir Vasilyevich Masorin	Russian Navy	August 24, 2007	The first Russian recipient for meritorious conduct of the Russian Federation Navy to increase cooperation and interoperability with the U.S. Navy and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization from Sept. 2005 – Aug. 2007.
	General	Franciszek Gągor	Polish Armed Forces	May 22, 2008	For exceptionally meritorious service as the Chief of Staff of the Polish Armed Forces from February 2006 to May 2008.
	General	Toshio Tamogami	Air Self-Defense Force	August 19, 2008	[11]
	Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces	Sverker Göranson	Swedish Armed Forces	2010	For dedication and professionalism as supreme commander led the continuing transformation of the Swedish Armed Forces and the Swedish international operations.
	General	Rohan de S. Daluwatte RWP, RSP, VSV, USP	Sri Lanka Army		For service as Military attaché to the Sri Lankan Embassy in the United States
	Major General	Milinda Peiris RWP, RSP, USP	Sri Lanka Army		For service as Military attaché to the Sri Lankan Embassy in the United States
	Vice Admiral	David Shackleton, AO, RAN Chris Ritchie, AO, RAN Russ Crane, AO, CSM, RAN	Royal Australian Navy		Chief of Navy
	General	Yoshifumi Hibako	Ground Self-Defense Force	June 8, 2011	Chief of Staff

Officer

Ehud Barak, later Prime Minister of Israel, with the Legion of Merit in 1993

• At the beginning of the North African campaign, General Lyman L. Lemnitzer accompanied General Mark Wayne Clark by submarine to North Africa. Upon arrival, about 60 officers were awarded the Legion of Merit and were among the first awarded the medal. By some misunderstanding as to the rules governing the awards, these 60 American officers were awarded the degree of Officer. According to Lemnitzer, President Roosevelt was quite annoyed but did not rescind the awards. These were the only U.S. officers (or service personnel of any rank) awarded the Legion of Merit with a degree.
• Group Captain Harry Day, senior Officer at numerous POW camps during World War II, and significantly helped American POWs endure the captivity, as well as organizing escape operations. He received the award on July 5, 1946.
• In 1946, Commodore Alfred Victor Knight of the Royal Australian Navy was awarded the commendation for honorary services. The citation described him as a `forceful leader’ who, by his `splendid co-operation in the conduct of a vital training programme, aggressive determination and untiring energies … contributed materially to combined large-scale operations’.
• In 1947, Colonel Valentine Patrick Terrel Vivian head of counter-espionage, Section V, and Vice-Chief of the S.I.S. or MI6. The citation reads, as deputy director of a special British agency in the European Theater of Operations from January 1943 to June 1945, rendered exceptionally devoted and meritorious service to the Allied armies, by American forces in a special province of military operations, and continuing it through the long period of preparation for the Normandy invasion and during the march into Germany, Colonel Vivian made an outstanding contribution to Allied military and to the enemy's defeat.^[12][13]
• In 1948, then Brigadier General John Frederick Boyce Combe was made an Officer of the Legion for his contribution "to the over-all success Allied forces in Italy" during World War II.
• In 1952, then Commander Emilio S. Liwanag of the Philippine Navy was made an Officer of the Legion of Merit. His award was conferred by Major General Blackshear M. Bryan, deputy chief of staff, HQ Far East Command, for services in the Philippine liaison office with the United Nations Command during the Korean War.
• In 1960 Major General Mian Hayaud Din was made an Officer of the Legion for his role as Chief of the Pakistan Military Mission to the United States from 1955 to 1960.
• In 1996, Lieutenant General Roméo Dallaire of the Canadian Army was made an Officer of the Legion for his role as Commander of the United Nations peacekeeping force in Rwanda during the civil war and subsequent genocide.
• In 1990, Colonel Stanisław Wożniak from Poland was made an Officer of the Legion of Merit for his exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services.
• Lieutenant General Tariq Khan became the fourth Pakistani Officer to receive the award for meritorious services as a liaison officer at CENTCOM during Operations Enduring Freedom. He received the award on December 9, 2007.
• In 2008, Air Chief Marshal Sir Glenn Torpy Head of the Royal Air Force, for his part in Operation Telic / Operation Iraqi Freedom.
• Lieutenant General Sir James Dutton, Royal Marines, "in recognition of meritorious, gallant and distinguished services during coalition operations in Afghanistan".^[14]
• Major General Colin Boag, British Army, "in recognition of gallant and distinguished services during coalition operations in Iraq", March 2008.^[15]
• Lieutenant General James Bucknall, British Army, "in recognition of gallant and distinguished services during coalition operations in Iraq, July 2009".^[16]

Legionnaire

When the Legion of Merit is awarded to members of the Armed Forces of the United States it is awarded without reference to degree.

• First award to Lieutenant Ann A. Bernatitus, heroic Navy Nurse who served at Bataan and Corregidor,^[17] in October 1942.
• Francis Grevemberg, for outstanding performance at Anzio, Italy, during World War II.
• Colonel Benjamin O. Davis Jr. Tuskegee Airman of 99th Squadron was awarded in 1944.
• Jerauld Wright, U.S. Navy, two awards, during WWII.
• Radioman First Class George Ray Tweed for surviving thirty-one months on Guam while hunted by Japanese forces. Upon rescue he brought valuable information on enemy dispositions in 1944.
• David Niven, Lt-Col, British Commando for his services during WWII, awarded in 1945.
• Captain John Birch, US Army, Missionary and Intelligence Officer killed by Chinese Communist soldiers in 1945; The John Birch Society is named after him; awarded in 1944.
• Captain Kay Summersby, driver and secretary to General Eisenhower during the Second World War.
• Audie Murphy, most highly decorated US soldier of WWII. Also received Medal of Honor, Distinguished Service Cross, 2 Silver Stars, 2 Bronze Stars w/V Device, 3 Purple Hearts and many others (33 total awards, U.S. and Foreign).
• George Stevens, Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army; the two-time Oscar-winning film director headed the U.S. Army Signal Corps unit that filmed the Normandy landings and the liberation of the Dachau concentration camp.
• Edwin Hubble, American astronomer, for his outstanding contribution to ballistics research in 1946 at the Aberdeen Proving Ground.
• Commander Laurence George Durlacher (later Admiral and fifth Sea Lord), Royal Navy 1946 "... and contributed in large measure to the successes achieved by the Allied forces in [the invasions of Sicily and the Italian mainland]."
• Sergeant First Class Modesto Cartagena, the most decorated Hispanic of the Korean War.
• Admiral Hyman G. Rickover, the "Father of the Nuclear Navy", 2 awards.
• Lieutenant Colonel Charles E. Richardson United States Army ca. 1958.
• Rear Admiral Nicholas Goodhart, Royal Navy, for the invention of the mirror-sight deck landing system. Awarded in 1958.
• Edward L. Beach, Jr., commanding officer of USS Triton (SSRN-586) for the first submerged circumnavigation of the world. Awarded in 1960.
• Lieutenant Colonel Charles M Poole Jr. United States Army Signal Corps., 1969
• Senator John McCain, Naval aviator and Vietnam prisoner of war.
• Colonel David H. Hackworth, four awards, highly decorated Vietnam veteran who was awarded several Silver Stars and 2 Distinguished Service Crosses.
• Sergeant Major William "Billy" Waugh, for Special Forces service during the Vietnam War.
• Colonel John Boyd, USAF, important military strategist, creator of the OODA Loop, 4 awards.
• William C. Rogers III, former commanding officer of the USS Vincennes (CG-49), which shot down an Iranian jetliner in 1988.
• Paul X. Rinn, commanding officer of the USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG-58), who led his crew to save their mine-damaged warship in the Persian Gulf in 1988.
• Kirk Lippold, CDR, Commanding officer of the USS Cole (DDG-67) which was attacked by suicide bombers in the port of Aden, Yemen on October 12, 2000. 2 awards (2nd while aboard USS Cole).
• Carlton W. Kent, the Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps from 2007, 2 awards.
• John Kline, United States Congressman (2003–present), 4 awards.
• James G. Stavridis, U.S. Admiral, Southern Command, 5 awards.
• Admiral John C. Harvey, Jr., United States Navy, 5 awards.
• Michael Mullen, six awards, Chief of Naval Operations, later Chairman of the Joint Chiefs.
• John P. Abizaid, six awards, former commander of U.S. Central Command.
• Major General Michael S. Tucker, US Army, Commanding General, Second Infantry Division, 3 awards.
• Admiral Patrick M. Walsh, Commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, former Vice Chief of Naval Operations, US Navy, 3 awards.
• General Walter L. Sharp, Commanding General, US Forces Korea (USFK) and Combined Forces Command (CFC).

References

1. ^ "Legion of Merit". Awards. Institute of Heraldry. http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/Awards/legion_of_merit.aspx. Retrieved April 26, 2010. 
2. ^ "Types of the Medal of Honor: 1862 To Present." Congressional Medal of Honor Society. Retrieved: July 23, 2006.
3. ^ Air Force Personnel Center Legion of Merit
4. ^ 578.13 Legion of Merit
5. ^ Executive Order 9260 of October 29, 1942 http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/print.php?pid=58838
6. ^ Keegan, John The Second World War Penguin Books: 1989, page 433 ISBN 978-0-14-303573-2
7. ^ Keegan, John The Second World War Penguin Books: 1989, page 421 ISBN 978-0-14-303573-2
8. ^ ^{a b} "Service Chiefs of India". Google Books. http://books.google.com/books?id=k35_SlDMyUsC&pg=PA49&dq=legion+of+merit+india&hl=en&ei=msjITs6sOeOviQLCwp3ODw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CD8Q6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=legion%20of%20merit%20india&f=false. Retrieved 2011-11-20. 
9. ^ "Admirals of the World". Google Books. http://books.google.com/books?id=S1VimlFIjQoC&pg=PA85&dq=jal+cursetji&hl=en&ei=Hp_ITrH4HMiwiQKb-ezbDw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CDMQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=jal%20cursetji&f=false. Retrieved 2011-11-20. 
10. ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 54763. p. 5628. May 13, 1997. Retrieved March 15, 2011.
11. ^ "AF welcomes Japanese chief of staff". bolling.af.mil. August 20, 2008. http://www.bolling.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123111707&page=1. 
12. ^ The National Archives. "Documents Online". http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/details-result.asp?queryType=1&resultcount=1&Edoc_Id=7698915. Retrieved July 31, 2010. 
13. ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 37909. p. 1312. March 18, 1947. Retrieved July 29, 2009.
14. ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 59554. pp. 18539–18540. September 24, 2010. Retrieved February 17, 2011.
15. ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 58633. p. 3619. March 7, 2008. Retrieved February 20, 2011.
16. ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 59133. p. 12503. July 21, 2009. Retrieved February 20, 2011.
17. ^ Home of the Heroes. Lieutenant (jg) Ann A. Bernatitus, "Angel of Mercy".

Lieutenant General John N. McLaughlin, USMC Retired (deceased) received the Legion of Merit after his release from Captivity in the Korean War for meritorious conduct as the Senior Officer in his POW Camp.

External links

• Legion of Merit – Criteria, Background, and Images
• Order of precedence, United States Navy