Medal for Merit

Medal for Merit
Medal for Merit
Medal for Merit.jpg
Obverse and reverse of the Medal for Merit
Awarded by President of the United States
Country  United States
Type single grade decoration
Eligibility Civilians of the United states and allied nations
Awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services since the proclamation of an emergency by the President on September 8, 1939
Status No longer awarded
Statistics
Established July 20, 1942[1]
First awarded March 28, 1944[2]
Precedence
Next (higher) None (At the time of its awarding)
Next (lower) Medal of Freedom
Medal for Merit.svg
Ribbon bar of the medal

The Medal for Merit was, during the period it was awarded, the highest civilian decoration of the United States, awarded by the President of the United States to civilians for "exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services ... since the proclamation of an emergency by the President on September 8, 1939". It was created by Public Law 77-671 and its awarding codified by Executive Order 9286--Medal for Merit on December 24, 1942, later amended and restated by Executive Order 9857A of May 27, 1947. Created during World War II, and awarded to "civilians of the nations prosecuting the war under the joint declaration of the United Nations and of other friendly foreign nations", the medal has not been awarded since 1952[citation needed].

The first medals were awarded to John C. Garand and Albert Hoyt Taylor on March 28, 1944.[2]

The Medal for Merit is currently listed as seventh in order of precedence of U.S. civilian decorations, below the Silver Lifesaving Medal and above the National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal.[3][4]

Civilians of foreign nations could receive the award for the performance of an exceptionally meritorious or courageous act or acts in furtherance of the war efforts of the United Nations. The first non-U.S. citizen to receive the medal was spymaster William Stephenson, code named Intrepid during WWII. Some consider Stephenson one of the real life inspirations for James Bond. A confidential White House inquiry as to whether King George VI could be awarded the medal was denied because he had not met the eligibility criteria.

Proposals were considered by the Medal for Merit Board, numbering three members appointed by the President, of whom one was appointed by the President as Chairman of the Board. The medal cannot be awarded for any action relating to the prosecution of World War II subsequent to the cessation of hostilities (as proclaimed by Proclamation No. 2714 of December 31, 1946), and no proposal for an award for such services could be submitted after June 30, 1947.

Contents

Some recipients

See also

President's Certificate of Merit, for an act or service not sufficiently extraordinary or meritorious to warrant the award of the Medal for Merit, but nevertheless of high degree.

References

  1. ^ Public Law 77-671
  2. ^ a b c d "Scientific Notes and News". Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 99 (2571): p.276. April 7, 1944 (1944-04-07). doi:10.1126/science.99.2571.276. http://www.sciencemag.org/content/99/2571/276.extract. Retrieved November 6, 2011 (2011-11-06). 
  3. ^ www.npc.navy.mil/NR/rdonlyres/31EC26CD.../PrecedenceofAwards.doc
  4. ^ http://kepler.pratt.duke.edu/USNRibbons.html
  5. ^ "Citation Accompanying Medal for Merit Awarded to Dean Acheson". The American Presidency Project. June 30, 1947 (1947-06-30). http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=12688. Retrieved November 6, 2011 (2011-11-06). 
  6. ^ R. E. Gibson (1980). "Leason Heberling Adams 1887—1969, A Biographical Memoir". National Academy of Sciences. p. 9. http://www.nap.edu/html/biomems/ladams.pdf. Retrieved November 13, 2011 (2011-11-13). 
  7. ^ "Citation Accompanying Medal for Merit Honoring Rudolph Forster". The American Presidency Project. June 16, 1945 (1945-06-16). http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=12203. Retrieved November 6, 2011 (2011-11-06). 
  8. ^ "Sec. of War Henry Stimson's diary and papers May 31, 1945 - June 6, 1945". Henry Lewis Stimson Papers, Manuscripts and Archives. Yale University Library. http://www.doug-long.com/stimson5.htm. Retrieved November 6, 2011 (2011-11-06). 

External links


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Medal for Merit — ☆ Medal for Merit n. a U.S. military decoration awarded civilians for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services …   English World dictionary

  • Medal for Merit — Die Medal for Merit (englisch; „Verdienstmedaille“) war in der Zeit während und nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg die höchste zivile Auszeichnung der Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika. Sie wird heute nicht mehr verliehen und wurde in ihrem Rang als… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Medal for Merit — a medal awarded by the U.S. to a civilian for distinguished service to the country: discontinued after World War II. * * * Medal for Merit, a decoration given by the United States to a civilian for exceptional or outstanding service to the… …   Useful english dictionary

  • Medal for Merit to Culture — Gold Medal of Gloria Artis. The Medal for Merit to Culture Gloria Artis (Polish: Zasłużony Kulturze Gloria Artis) or Gloria Artis Medal, is a decoration in Arts awarded by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland to …   Wikipedia

  • Medal for Merit — a medal awarded by the U.S. to a civilian for distinguished service to the country: discontinued after World War II. * * * …   Universalium

  • Medal for Merit — Date: 1942 a United States decoration awarded to civilians for highly meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • Presidential Medal for Merit — The Presidential Medal for Merit is one of the highest civilian decoration of the United States, awarded by the President of the United States to civilians for exceptionally meritorious conduct. It was created by Executive Order 9637 Medal for… …   Wikipedia

  • Medal of Merit for National Defence — Medal Za Zasługi dla Obronności Kraju …   Wikipedia

  • Medal for Sacrifice and Courage — Awarded by the Republic of Poland Type …   Wikipedia

  • Medal for Long Marital Life — Awarded by Republic of Poland Type single grade medal Awarded for 50 years of marriage Status currently awarded …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”