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When considering the
design of the Medal of Honor there are two factors one
must remember:
1)
The Medal of Honor was designed in the early days of
the Civil War to represent the valiant efforts of
the Union Army, Navy and Marines, and
2) Over the
years as the Medal has become a historic symbol of
the bravest of the brave, in respect to all who have
earned it, little has been done to change its
design.
THE ORIGINAL NAVY MEDAL OF
HONOR
The Navy's Medal of Honor was
the first approved and the first designed. The
initial work was done by the Philadelphia Mint at the
request of Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles.
The Mint submitted several designs for consideration,
and the one prepared by the Philadelphia firm of William
Wilson & Sons was the design selected.
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The selected Medal of
Honor design consisted of an
INVERTED, 5-pointed STAR. On
each of the five points was a
cluster of LAUREL leaves to
represent victory, mixed with a
cluster of OAK to represent
strength. Surrounding the
encircled insignia were 34
stars, equal to the number of
stars in the U.S. Flag at the
time....one star for each state
of the Union including the 11
Confederate states. |
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Inside the circle of 34 stars
were engraved two images. To the right
is the image of Minerva, the Roman
goddess of wisdom and war. On her
helmet is perched an owl, representing
WISDOM. In keeping with the Roman
tradition, her left hand holds a bundle
of rods and an ax blade, symbolic of
authority. The shield in her right hand
is the shield of the Union of our states
(similar to the shield on our seal and
other important emblems.)
Recoiling from Minerva is a man
clutching snakes in his hands. He
represented DISCORD and the insignia
came to be known as "Minerva Repulsing
Discord". Taken in the context of the
Civil War soldiers and sailors
struggling to overcome the discord of
the states and preserve the Union, the
design was as fitting as it was
symbolic. |
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NAVY MEDAL OF
HONOR (1862)
For all practical intents and
purposes, the Navy Medal of Honor
remains the same today as it did
when it was born. The only change
has been in the attachment that
connects it to the ribbon, and the
ribbon itself. Originally the Navy
Medal of Honor was suspended from
its red, white and blue ribbon by an
anchor wrapped with a length of
rope. The reverse side of the Medal
was inscribed with the words
"Personal Valor" above an open area
in which the recipient's name could
be engraved. |
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ARMY
MEDAL OF HONOR (1862)
Struck from the same die
as the Navy Medal of Honor, the
original Army Medal differed
only in the emblem that attached
it to the same red, white and
blue ribbon as the Navy.
Replacing the anchor was an
eagle perched on crossed cannon
and clutching a saber in its
talons. Replacing the words
"Personal Valor" on the back of
the Medal were the words "The
Congress To" with an area to
engrave the recipient's name. |
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ARMY MEDAL OF
HONOR (1896)
The first
change in the
Medal of Honor
occurred in 1896
and dealt ONLY
with the ARMY
Medal of Honor.
The change
resulted after
Congress
authorized the
wearing of a
rosette or
ribbon in lieu
of the Medal in
1895. Following
this step,
Congress
provided for
replacement
ribbons to
recipients whose
ribbons had
deteriorated
with age. In an
effort to
distinguish the
Medal of Honor
from awards
being produced
and distributed
by various
veterans
organizations,
the new
suspension
ribbon was
introduced. |
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The
change in the design of
the ribbon was not
enough distinction for
the Medal of Honor for
many recipients
including Civil War hero
Brigadier General George
Gillespie. With the
full support of
Secretary of War Elihu
Root at the turn of the
century, the idea of a
redesigned Army Medal of
Honor gained momentum.
One of the leaders in
the effort was Horace
Porter who had just
received the Medal of
Honor (July 8, 1902) for
his own heroism during
the Civil War. The U.S.
Ambassador to France,
Porter had a new design
prepared by the Paris
firm of Messrs. Arthur,
Bertrand, and Berenger.
He shared this design
with Secretary Root,
then sought the approval
of the officers of the
Medal of Honor Legion.
On April 23, 1904
Congress authorized the
new design for the Army
Medal of Honor.
To protect the
new design from being
copied as had been the
earlier Medal, General
Gillespie sought and
obtained a patent in
November, 1904. The
following month he
transferred the patent
to Secretary of War
William Taft. |
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Gillespie MEDAL
OF HONOR (1904)
The new Army
Medal kept the
star but
modified the
face of the
Medal. The
words "United
States of
America"
replaced the
ring of 34 stars
and "Minerva
Repelling
Discord" was
changed to
display a simple
profile of the
helmeted Goddess
of War. The oak
clusters
remained in the
points of the
star, now in a
dark enameled
green. The
laurel clusters
were moved to a
wreath where
they too were
enameled in
green, in the
shape of an open
wreath. The
eagle that had
once perched on
cannon, saber in
its talons, now
perched on a bar
bearing the
words "VALOR"
and the shafts
of arrows.
The ribbon
likewise was
changed from its
red, white and
blue to a single
light blue color
on which was
embroidered
thirteen stars.
The reverse of
the Medal
continued to
bear the words
"The Congress
To", but these
words were now
printed on the
back side of the
"VALOR" bar, the
full back of the
Medal itself
unadorned to
provide for
information on
the recipient. |
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NAVY
MEDAL
OF
HONOR
(1913)
Since
its
birth
the
Navy's
Medal
of
Honor,
presented
also
to
members
of
the
Marine
Corps
and
Coast
Guard,
has
not
changed.
In
1913
the
anchor
that
connected
it
to
the
suspension
ribbon
was
changed
slightly
when
the
rope
was
removed.
At
the
time
of
that
change
the
ribbon
too
changed
to
the
same
blue
silk
ribbon
bearing
13
stars
that
was
used
with
the
Army
Medal
of
Honor. |
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Since the
Navy awarded
Medals of
Honor for
both COMBAT
and
NON-COMBAT
heroism, in
1919 the
Department
of the Navy
decided to
distinguish
between the
two acts by
presenting a
different
Medal of
Honor for
each. The
Original
Medal would
be presented
for COMBAT
heroism and
the new
MALTESE
CROSS would
signify
NON-COMBAT
heroism
meriting the
Medal of
Honor.
Designed by
New York's
TIFFANY &
COMPANY, it
became known
as the
"Tiffany
Cross". |
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TIFFANY CROSS (1919)
The
blue
silk
ribbon
of
the
Maltese
Cross
hung
below
a
bar
bearing
the
old
English
spelling
for
valor,
"VALOR".
The
Medal
itself
featured
the
American
eagle
in
the
center
of
the
award
and
surrounded
by a
six
sided
border
over
the
top
of
which
was
printed
"UNITED
STATES
NAVY"
AND
"1917
-
1918".
An
anchor
protruded
outward
from
each
of
the
cross's
four
arms
and
the
back
of
the
medal
bore
the
words
"Awarded
To"
with
a
place
for
the
recipient's
personal
information.
The
"Tiffany
Cross"
was
not
a
popular
award
and
is
the
rarest
of
all
Medals
of
Honor
in
existence.
In
1942
it
was
dropped
from
the
Medal
of
Honor
profile
and
the
Navy
returned
to
its
original
Medal
of
Honor
as
the
only
design
awarded. |
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Though it was not uncommon for Medals of Honor to continue to be pinned to a soldier's tunic during World War II, the practice of draping it around a recipient's neck became increasingly used. For this purpose the modern Medal of Honor was suspended from an 8-sided "pad" bearing 13 white stars, to which the blue silk neck ribbon was attached.
The Medal of Honor is the only United States Military Award that is worn around the neck rather than pinned to the uniform. |
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RIBBON AND ROSETTE
On May 2, 1895 Congress authorized "a rosette or knot to be worn in lieu of the medal and a ribbon to be worn with the medal." Today's Medal of Honor Ribbon is blue with FIVE stars, 2 at the top and 3 at the bottom. (One of the most common mistakes people make when displaying Medal of Honor graphics is to display the ribbon up-side down.)
The six-sided blue silk rosette bears 13 stars and is worn on civilian attire. Medal of Honor recipients also wear the Medal itself around the neck of civilian attire for special occasions. |
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