AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL

American Campaign Medal

          OBVERSE

    REVERSE

1.Description: The Bronze medal is 1 ¼ inches in width. On the obverse isa Navy cruiser under full steam with a B-24 airplane flying overhead with asinking enemy submarine in the foreground on three wave symbols, in thebackground a few buildings representing the arsenal of democracy, above thescene the words "AMERICAN CAMPAIGN". On the reverse an American baldeagle close between the dates "1941 - 1945" and the words "UNITEDSTATES OF AMERICA".

 

2.Ribbon: The ribbon is 1 3/8 inches wide and consists of the followingstripes: 3/16 inch Oriental Blue 67172; 1/16 inch White 67101; 1/16 inch Black67138; 1/16 inch Scarlet 67111; 1/16 inch White; 3/16 inch Oriental Blue; center1/8 triparted Old Glory Blue 67178, White and Scarlet; 3/16 inch Oriental Blue;1/16 inch White; 1/16 inch Scarlet; 1/16 inch Black; 1/16 inch White; and 3/16inch Oriental Blue.

 

3.Criteria: a. The American Campaign Medal was awarded to personnel forservice within the American Theater between 7 December 1941 and 2 March 1946under any of the following conditions.

 

       (1) On permanent assignmentoutside the continental limits of the United States.

 

       (2) Permanently assigned as a member of a crew of a vessel sailing ocean watersfor a period of 30 days or 60 nonconsecutive days.

 

       (3) Permanently assigned as a member of an operating crew of an airplaneactually making regular and frequent flights over ocean waters for a period of30 days.

 

       (4) Outside the continental limits of the United States in a passenger status oron temporary duty for 30 consecutive days or 60 days not consecutive.

 

       (5) In active combat against the enemy and was awarded a combat decoration orfurnished a certificate by the commanding general of a corps, higher unit, orindependent force that he actually participated in combat.

 

       (6) Within the continental limits of the United States for an aggregate periodof one year.

 

   b. The eastern boundary of the American Theater is from the North Pole, southalong the 75th meridian west longitude to the 77thparallel north latitude, then southeast through Davis Strait to the intersectionof the 40th parallel north latitude and the 35th meridianwest longitude, then south along the meridian to the 10th parallelnorth latitude, then southeast to the intersection of the Equator and the 20thmeridian west longitude, then south along the 20th meridian westlongitude to the South Pole. The western boundary is from the North Pole, southalong the 141st meridian west longitude to the east boundary ofAlaska, then south and southeast along the Alaska boundary to the Pacific Ocean,then south along the 130th meridian to its intersection with the 30thparallel north latitude, then southeast to the intersection of the Equator andthe 100th meridian west longitude to the South Pole. The AmericanTheater included North America (excluding Alaska) and South America.

 

4.Components: The following are authorized components:

 

   a. Medal (regular size): MIL-DTL-3943/227. Medal set with full size medal andribbon bar. NSN 8455-00-269-5760.

 

   b. Medal (miniature size): MIL-DTL-3943/227. Available commercially.

 

   c. Ribbon: MIL-DTL-11589/9. NSN 8455-00-257-0517. Available commercially.

 

   d. Streamer: The American Campaign ribbon is used as a streamer for one streameron the Army flag. Although there are three designated campaigns in the AmericanTheater, no Army units received campaign participation credit.

 

5.Background: a. The American Campaign Medal was established per ExecutiveOrder 9265, dated 6 November 1942, by President Franklin D. Roosevelt andannounced in War Department Bulletin 56, 1942. The criteria was initiallyannounced in Department of the Army (DA) Circular 1, dated 1 January 1943, sothat the ribbon could be authorized prior to design of the medal. The criteriafor the medal was announced in DA Circular 84, dated 25 March 1948 andsubsequently published in Army Regulation 600-65, dated 22 September 1948.

 

   b. The ribbon design was approved by the Secretary of War on 24 November 1942.The blue color represents the Americas; the central blue, white and red stripes(taken from the American Defense Service Medal ribbon) refers to the continuanceof American defense after Pearl Harbor. The white and black stripes refer to theGerman part of the conflict on the Atlantic Coast, while the red and whitestripes are for the Japanese colors and refer to that part of the conflict onthe Pacific Coast.

 

   c. The medal was designed by Mr. Thomas Hudson Jones. The reverse side wasdesigned by Mr. A. A. Weinman and is the same design as used on the reverse ofthe European-African-Middle Eastern and Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medals. Thefirst medal was presented to General of the Army George C. Marshall on 17December 1947.

 

   d. One bronze star is worn on the ribbon to indicate participation in anauthorized campaign. There were three campaigns in the American Theater:

 

       (1) Antisubmarine: 7 Dec 41 - 2 Sep 45.

 

       *(2) Ground Combat: 7 Dec 41 - 2 Sep 45.

 

       *(3) Air Combat: 7 Dec 41 - 2 Sep 45.

 

        * These campaigns are not displayed as streamers on the Army flag.

Information courtesy of U.S. Army Institute of Heraldry