- Medal of Freedom
-
For other uses, see Medal of Freedom.
Medal of Freedom 
Medal with palm deviceAwarded by the Secretary of State, the Secretary of War, or the Secretary of the Navy Country 
United StatesType Medal Eligibility Any person not a member of the armed forces of the United States Awarded for "a meritorious act or service which has aided the United States in the prosecution of a war against an enemy or enemies and for which an award of another United States medal or decoration is considered inappropriate" Status replaced 22 February 1963 by Presidential Medal of Freedom[1] Statistics First awarded 1946 Last awarded 1961 Total awarded over 20,000 Precedence Next (higher) Medal for Merit Next (lower) unspecified 
Ribbon bar of the medalThe Medal of Freedom was a decoration established by President Harry S. Truman to honor civilians whose actions aided in the war efforts of the United States and its allies. It was intended to be awarded by the Secretary of State, the Secretary of War, or the Secretary of the Navy, but it is known that Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy also authorized awards.[2]
Contents
History
Established on July 6, 1945, the Medal of Freedom may be awarded "to any person, not hereinafter specifically excluded, who, on or after December 7, 1941, has performed a meritorious act or service which has aided the United States in the prosecution of a war against an enemy or enemies and for which an award of another United States medal or decoration is considered inappropriate. The Medal of Freedom may also be awarded to any person, not hereinafter specifically excluded, who, on or after December 7, 1941, has similarly aided any nation engaged with the United States in the prosecution of a war against a common enemy or enemies. The Medal of Freedom shall not be awarded to a citizen of the United States for any act or service performed within the continental limits of the United States or to a member of the armed forces of the United States." The medal may be awarded posthumously.[3]
The Medal of Freedom was discontinued in 1963 when the Presidential Medal of Freedom was instituted.
Description
The medal is a bronze disc whose obverse features the profile bust facing left of an individual wearing a cap resembling an American Bald Eagle ornamented by stars, with the word "FREEDOM" in capital letters in an arc at the bottom of the disc. The reverse features the Liberty Bell surrounded by the words "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" in capital letters. The medal is suspended on a red ribbon with four thin white stripes. The original Executive Order 9586 establishing the medal specified "No more than one Medal of Freedom shall be awarded to any one person, but for a subsequent act or service justifying such an award a suitable device may be awarded to be worn with the medal"[4] and bronze, silver, and gold palm devices were produced and awarded, but there is no evidence of U.S. citizens having received these palm devices, whereas non-U.S. citizens did receive quite a number of them, and these devices have been interpreted as signifying degrees of the award.[5][6]
Ribbons
Without palm
With bronze palm
With silver palm
With gold palm
See also
Notes
- ^ Executive Order 11085
- ^ http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php#axzz1FtxX92MX
- ^ "Harry S. Truman: Executive Order 9586 - The Medal of Freedom". Presidency.ucsb.edu. http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=59291#axzz1FtxX92MX. Retrieved 2011-11-15.
- ^ "Executive Orders Harry S. Truman 1945-1953". Trumanlibrary.org. http://www.trumanlibrary.org/executiveorders/index.php?pid=778&st=&st1=. Retrieved 2011-11-15.
- ^ "The OMSA Medal Database - WWII Medal of Freedom". OMSA. 2010-11-21. http://www.omsa.org/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=8033. Retrieved 2011-11-15.
- ^ "The OMSA Medal Database - Medal of Freedom with Gold Palm". OMSA. http://www.omsa.org/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=5528. Retrieved 2011-11-15.
External links
- U.S. Medal of Freedom Recipients, 1954–1961
- U.S. Medal of Freedom Recipients, 1949
- U.S. Medal of Freedom Recipients, 1948 (none)
- U.S. Medal of Freedom Recipients, 1947
- U.S. Medal of Freedom Recipients, 1946
- U.S. Medal of Freedom Recipients, 1945
Categories:- Civil awards and decorations of the United States
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
