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Silver Star
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The
Silver Star Medal is the United States' THIRD HIGHEST award exclusively for
combat valor, and ranks fifth in the precedence of military awards behind the
Medal of Honor, the Crosses (DSC/NC/AFC), the Defense Distinguished Service
Medal (awarded by DOD), and the Distinguished Service Medals of the various
branches of service. It is the highest award for combat valor that is NOT
unique to any specific branch; it has been bestowed by the Army, Navy, Marine
Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Merchant Marines. It may be given by any
one of the individual services to not only their own members, but to members
of other branches of service, foreign allies, and even to civilians for
"gallantry in action" in support of combat missions of the United
States military. The
Silver Star was established by President Woodrow Wilson as a "Citation
Star" during World War I, and was solely a U.S. Army award, though it
was presented by the War Department (U.S. Army) to members of the Navy and to
U.S. Marines. Originally it provided for a 3/16" silver star to be worn
on the ribbon of the service medal for the campaign for service in which the
citations were given. Based loosely upon the earlier Certificate of Merit,
the Citation Star was available retroactively to those who distinguished
themselves by gallantry as far back as the Spanish-American War.
(Subsequently it has been awarded for gallantry to Civil War heroes who were
similarly cited for gallantry in action.) Prior to 1932 the General Orders
announcing awards of the "Citation Star" typically began: "By
direction of the President, under the provisions of the act of Congress
approved July 19, 1918 (Bul. No. 43, W.D., 1918), the following-named
officers and enlisted men are cited for gallantry in action and a silver star
may be placed upon the ribbon of the Victory Medals awarded to such officers
and enlisted men." (A narrative of the act or
acts followed for each man thus cited.) On
February 22, 1932, the date that would have been George Washington's 200th
birth day, Army Chief of Staff General Douglas MacArthur revived General
Washington's "Badge for Military Merit (1782)" as the Purple Heart.
That same year he also successfully advocated for conversion of the
"Citation Star". When his recommendation was approved by the Secretary
of War, the 3/16' silver star was converted from a ribbon device" to
a full-fledged MEDAL. The
Silver Star Medal was designed by Rudolf Freund of Bailey, Banks and Biddle,
and consisted of a gilt-bronze five-pointed (point-up in contrast to the point-down
design of the Medal of Honor) star bearing a laurel wreath at its center. The
ribbon design incorporated the colors of the flag, and closely resembled the
medals earliest predecessor, the Certificate of Merit Medal. The reverse of
the medal is blank, save for the raised text "For Gallantry in
Action", beneath which is usually engraved the name of
the recipient. The gold
hue of the gilt-bronze star seems at odds with the award's name, Silver
Star. That title derives from the medal's World War I lineage and the
3/6" silver star, once displayed on a victory ribbon, and now
prominently displayed in the center of the medal. The
Silver Star Medal remained exclusively an Army decoration until August 7, 1942,
nearly a year after World War II began. On that date the Silver Star Medal
was expanded by Act of Congress for award by the Navy Department for actions
on or after December 7, 1941, (Public Law 702, 77th Congress). It is
estimated that the number of Silver Stars awarded World War I to present is
somewhere between 100,000 and 150,000. While that number seems quite large,
when compared to the more than 30 million American men and women who have
served in uniform during that time period, it is obvious that the Silver Star
is a rare award to receive. |
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