Now obsolete, this medal has been replaced by the Kentucky Merit Ribbon, which honors Kentucky National Guard Members who carry out outstanding service or acts of heroism on behalf of Kentucky so as to set themselves apart from their peers but of a lesser degree than would warrant a more prestigious award.
The Kentucky National Guard is composed of the Kentucky Army National Guard and the Kentucky Air National Guard; it was converted from the Kentucky State Guard into its current form in 1912 and saw its first official service in this incarnation supporting efforts to contain border violence during the Mexican Revolution. The Army component is headquartered in Frankfort, and the Air component, established in 1947, consists of the 123d Airlift Wing and makes its base in Louisville.
The ribbon is blue and features two thin vertical yellow stripes toward the center as well as another yellow stripe toward each edge. The medal featured two statesmen extending their arms toward each other, an image similar to the one on Kentucky’s State Seal. The shape of the medal resembled that of a sun with numerous rays pointing outward.