World War I Victory Medal
Obverse
Type	Service medal
Awarded for	"service between April 6, 1917, and November 11, 1918, or with either of the followingexpeditions: American Expeditionary Forces in European Russia between November 12, 1918, and August 5, 1919. American Expeditionary Forces Siberia between November 23, 1918, and April 1, 1920."
Description	Amedal ofbronze 36 millimeters in diameter. On theobverse is a wingedVictory standing full length and full face. On the reverse is the inscriptionThe Great War for Civilization and thecoat of arms for the United States surmounted by afasces, and on either side the names of theAllied and Associated Nations. The medal is suspended by aring from asilkmoireribbon 1 3/8 inches in length and 36 millimeters in width, composed of tworainbows placed injuxtaposition and having the red in the middle, with a white thread along each edge.
Country	United States
Presented by	Secretary of War andSecretary of the Navy
Eligibility	Military personnel only
Motto	The Great War for Civilization
Status	Obsolete
Established	1919; 107 years ago (1919)
Service ribbon andcampaign streamer
Precedence
Next (higher)	Mexican Border Service Medal
Next (lower)	Army of Occupation of Germany Medal

TheWorld War I Victory Medal (known prior to establishment of theWorld War II Victory Medal in 1945 simply as theVictory Medal) was aUnited Statesservice medal designed byJames Earle Fraser ofNew York City under the direction of theCommission of Fine Arts.^[1]

Award of a commonallied service medal was recommended by an inter-allied committee in March 1919.^[2] Each allied nation would design a 'Victory Medal' for award to their military personnel, all issues having certain common features, including a winged figure ofvictory on the obverse and the same ribbon.^[3]

The Victory Medal was originally intended to be established by anact of Congress. Thebill authorizing the medal never passed, however, thus leaving the military departments to establish it throughgeneral orders. TheWar Department published orders in April 1919, and theNavy in June of the same year.^[1]

The Victory Medal was awarded to military personnel for service between April 6, 1917, and November 11, 1918, or with either of the followingexpeditions:

• American Expeditionary Forces in European Russia between November 12, 1918, and August 5, 1919.
• American Expeditionary Forces Siberia between November 23, 1918, and April 1, 1920.^[4]

The front of the bronze medal features awinged Victory holding a shield and sword on the front. The back of the bronze medal features "The Great War For Civilization" in all capital letters curved along the top of the medal. Curved along the bottom of the back of the medal are six stars, three on either side of the center column of seven staffs wrapped in a cord. The top of the staff has a round ball on top and is winged on the side. The staff is on top of a shield that says "U" on the left side of the staff and "S" on the right side of the staff. On left side of the staff it lists oneWorld War I Allied country per line:France,Italy,Serbia,Japan,Montenegro,Russia, andGreece. On the right side of the staff the Allied country names read:Great Britain,Belgium,Brazil,Portugal,Rumania (spelled with a U instead of an O as it is spelled now), andChina.^[5]

To denote battle participation and campaign credit, the World War I Victory Medal was authorized with a large variety of devices to denote specific accomplishments. In order of seniority, the devices authorized to the World War I Victory Medal were as follows:

TheCitation Star to the World War I Victory Medal was authorized by the United States Congress on February 4, 1919.^[1] A3⁄16 inch silver star was authorized to be worn on the ribbon of the Victory Medal for any member of the U.S. Army who had been cited for gallantry in action between 1917 and 1920. In 1932, the Citation Star ("Silver Star") was redesigned and renamed theSilver Star Medal and, upon application to theUnited States War Department, any holder of the Silver Star Citation could have it converted to a Silver Star medal.

TheNavy Commendation Star to the World War I Victory Medal was authorized to any person who had been commended by the Secretary of the Navy for performance of duty during the First World War. A3⁄16 inch silver star was worn on the World War I Victory Medal, identical in appearance to the Army's Citation Star. Unlike the Army's version, however, the Navy Commendation Star could not be upgraded to the Silver Star medal.^[1][6]

The followingbattle clasps, inscribed with a battle's name, were worn on the medal to denote participation in major ground conflicts.^[1]

For general defense service, not involving a specific battle, the "Defensive Sector" Battle Clasp was authorized. The clasp was also awarded for any battle which was not already recognized by its own battle clasp.

The World War I Victory Medal bears the clasps of the battles the U.S. Army participated in across the ribbon. Not all battles are shown on the bar clasps. Only the battles designated as battles that would have bars issued were shown on the medal. The famousBattle of Chateau Thierry to hold the Chateau and the bridge as a joint effort between the US Army and the US Marines against the German machine gunners did not get awarded clasps.

As commander of theAmerican Expeditionary Forces, GeneralJohn J. Pershing received all 14 clasps. His medal is in theNational Museum of American History.^[7]

Navy battle clasps were issued for naval service in support of Army operations and had identical names to the Army battle clasps. There was a slight variation of the criteria dates for the Navy battle clasps, as listed below.^[1]

The Defensive Sector Clasp was also authorized for Navy personnel who had participated in naval combat but were not authorized a particular battle clasp.

For sea-related war duty, the Navy issued the followingoperational clasps, which were worn on the World War I Victory Medal and inscribed with the name of the duty type which had been performed.^[1] Clasps for Navy and Marine Corps personnel are rectangular bronze bars with a stylized rope border measuring 1/4 x 1 1/2 inches.

Unlike the army, the navy only allowed one clasp of any type to be worn on the ribbon. Members of the marine or medical corps who served in France but was not eligible for a battle clasp would receive a bronzeMaltese cross on their ribbons.^[1]

For non-combat service with the army during the First World War, the followingservice clasps were authorized to be worn with the World War I Victory Medal. Each service clasp was inscribed with a country or region name where support service was performed. The U.S. Army issued the following service clasps:^[1]

The U.S. Navy issued similar service clasps to the Army for service in the following regions during the following periods:^[1]

Since battle and service clasps could only be worn on the full-sized World War I Victory Medal, 3/16 inch bronzeservice stars were authorized for wear on the award ribbon. This was the common method of campaign and battle display when wearing the World War I Victory Medal as a ribbon on a military uniform.

Medals issued toU.S. Marines were issued with aMaltese cross device affixed to the ribbon.

TheWorld War I Victory Button (known prior to establishment of theWorld War II Victory Medal simply as theVictory Button) was alapel button designed for wear on civilian clothes and consisted of a five-pointed star 5/8-inch in diameter on a wreath with the letters "U.S." in the center. For personswounded in action, the lapel button was silver; for all others, the lapel button was bronze.^[8] The Victory Button was designed by the sculptor,Adolph Alexander Weinman of New York City under the supervision of the Commission of Fine Arts.^[1]

The World War I Victory Button on a narrow circular band of blue enamel, containing the words "American Legion" in gold letters, forms the central element of the American Legion emblem.^[9] It was adopted by the National Executive Committee of theAmerican Legion on July 9, 1919, as the official insignia of the national organization of American veterans.^[10]

This article or sectionappears to contradict itself. Please see thetalk page for more information.(May 2024)

The World War I Victory Medals were awarded after the end of World War I, so they were mailed to the servicemen instead of awarded in person. For example, the boxes containing the Victory Medals forUnited States Army World War I veterans were mailed out by the depot officer at the General Supply Depot, U.S. Army, inPhiladelphia,Pennsylvania, in April 1921. An outer light brown box with an address label glued to it and its postage area marked "OFFICIAL BUSINESS, Penalty for private use $300" contained an inner white box stamped with the bars the serviceman was supposed to receive on his medal. The inner white box contained the medal, which was wrapped intissue paper.

Only after filling out the application form A.G.O. No. 740 with the help of an authorized officer could it be officially forwarded to the Philadelphia Quartermaster Intermediate Depot for the veteran then to receive his medal by mail. The Army started issuing Victory Medals on June 21, 1920, not April 1921 as listed above. The Navy had a late start due to production issues and started in August 1920.^[11]

Not only did the United States establish a World War I Victory Medal, but so did a significant number of allied and associated nations involved in the conflict against the Dual Alliance between Austria and Germany. The proposition of such a common award was first made by French MaréchalFerdinand Foch who was supreme commander of the Allied Forces during the First World War. Each bronze Victory Medal has the same diameter (36 mm) and ribbon (double rainbow), but with a national design representing a winged victory.^[a]

Main source:^[12]

• Awards and decorations of the United States military
• Silver Citation Star
• World War II Victory Medal (United States)

• Media related toWorld War I Victory Medal at Wikimedia Commons

• 1919 establishments in the United States
• Awards established in 1919
• Interallied Victory Medals of World War I
• United States service medals
• Works by James Earle Fraser (sculptor)

• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Use American English from November 2018
• All Wikipedia articles written in American English
• Use mdy dates from November 2018
• Self-contradictory articles from May 2024
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• Commons category link is on Wikidata