| Medal of Freedom | |
|---|---|
  Obverse and reverse of medal with palm device | |
| Type | Medal |
| Awarded for | "A meritorious act or service which has aided the United States in the prosecution of a war against an enemy or enemies and for which an award of another United States medal or decoration is considered inappropriate" |
| Country |  United States |
| Presented by | theSecretary of State,Secretary of War orSecretary of the Navy |
| Eligibility | Any person not a member of the armed forces of the United States |
| Status | Replaced 22 February 1963 byPresidential Medal of Freedom[1] |
| Established | 1945 |
| First award | 1945 |
| Final award | 1962[2] |
| Total | Over 20,000 |
 Ribbon bar of the medal | |
| Precedence | |
| Next (higher) | Medal for Merit |
| Next (lower) | unspecified |
TheMedal of Freedom was adecoration established by PresidentHarry S. Truman to honor civilians whose actions aided in the war efforts of the United States and its allies during and beyond World War II. It was intended to be awarded by thesecretary of state, thesecretary of war, or thesecretary of the navy, but presidentsDwight D. Eisenhower andJohn F. Kennedy also authorized awards.[3] The first woman and American citizen to receive it wasAnna M. Rosenberg byRobert P. Patterson on the recommendation of Eisenhower.[4][5]
The medal is a bronze disc whose obverse features the profile of theStatue of Freedom of theUS Capitol Building, with the word "FREEDOM" in capital letters in an arc at the bottom of the disc. The reverse features theLiberty Bell surrounded by the words "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" in capital letters. The medal is suspended on a red ribbon with four thin white stripes. The originalExecutive Order 9586 establishing the medal specified "No more than one Medal of Freedom shall be awarded to any one person, but for a subsequent act or service justifying such an award a suitable device may be awarded to be worn with the medal"[6] and bronze, silver, and gold palm devices were produced and awarded. There is no evidence of U.S. citizens having received these palm devices, whereas some non-U.S. citizens did receive them (e.g.Micheline "Michou" Dumon,Nancy Wake andAndrée de Jongh), and the devices have been interpreted as signifying degrees of the award.[7][8]
Without palm
With bronze palm
With silver palm
With gold palm
The Medal of Freedom is hereby reestablished as the Presidential Medal of Freedom, with accompanying ribbons and appurtenances.
Media related toMedal of Freedom (1945-1961) at Wikimedia Commons
