American Defense Medal - WWII

American Defense Medal – WWII Medal and Ribbon

History - Established 1941

Established on June 28, 1941, the American Defense Medal honors all personnel who carried out active duty of a term of one year or longer between the dates of September 8, 1939 and December 7, 1941.

Different clasps are affixed to the award depending upon where the term of service was conducted and with what branch of the military. Variations include the Fleet Clasp (for terms of service carried out on the high seas), Base Clasp (for Marine Corps or Navy Service outside of the continental United States), Foreign Service Clasp (for Army service outside of the continental United States), Sea Clasp (for Coast Guard service ineligible for the Fleet Clasp), and the “A” device (for Navy service that involved contact with Axis forces in the Atlantic between the dates of June 22, 1941 and December 7, 1941.

Details

The medal features the image of a female figure wielding a sword and a shield and standing atop an oak branch. The upper portion of the medal reads “AMERICAN DEFENSE,” and the reverse of the medal bears an inscription that reads “FOR SERVICE DURING THE LIMITED EMERGENCY PROCLAIMED BY THE PRESIDENT ON SEPTEMBER 8, 1939 OR DURING THE UNLIMITED EMERGENCY PROCLAIMED BY THE PRESIDENT ON MAY 27, 1941” appearing above a sprig of laurel.The ribbon is golden yellow and features one thin vertical stripe set of red, white, and blue proceeding outward toward each edge.

Additionally, a service star may be worn instead of clasps when the award is worn on a uniform as a ribbon rather than a medal.

Bronze Star

Bronze A

Fleet Marine