Medal of Honor (Navy)

Awarded to officers and enlisted men of the Navy and Marine Corps who have distinguished themselves by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty in action involving actual conflict with the enemy.

☆ Sixth Marine Division Medal of Honor winners

Navy Cross

Awarded to officers and enlisted men of the Navy and Marine Corps who have distinguished themselves by extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy.

Distinguished Service Medal

Awarded to any person who, while serving in any capacity with the U.S. Marine Corps, shall have distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy. Awarded for combat action only.

Silver Star Medal

Awarded to any person who, while serving in any capacity with the U.S. Marine Corps, has distinguished himself by gallantry in action not warranting the award of the medal of honor or distinguished cross. Also awarded to any person who, while serving in any capacity with the U.S. Marine Corps, has received a citation for gallantry in action published in orders issued at the headquarters of a force commanded by a general officer. Awarded for combat action only.

Legion of Merit

Awarded to officers and enlisted men of the armed forces of the United States and friendly foreign nations who have distinguished themselves by exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services. Awarded for combat or non-combat action.

Distinguished Flying Cross

Awarded to officers and enlisted men of the Armed Forces of the United States who have distinguished themselves, subsequent to 11 November 1918, by heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight. Awarded for combat and non-combat action. The Distinguished Flying Cross was the first American military personal decoration authorized in identical design and ribbon for issuance by all branches of the military service.

Navy and Marine Corps Medal

Awarded to any person, who while serving in a capacity with the United States Navy or Marine Corps, including Reserves, has distinguished himself by heroism not involving actual conflict with an enemy. Also awarded to any person to whom the Secretary of the Navy has heretofore awarded a Letter of Commendation for heroism not involving combat, regardless of the date of such an act of heroism, who makes application for such medal.

Bronze Star Medal

Awarded to any person who, while serving in any capacity with the U.S. Marine Corps, has distinguished himself by gallantry in action not warranting the Medal of Honor or Distinguished Service Cross. Also awarded to any person who, while serving in any capacity with the U.S. Marine Corps, received a citation for gallantry in action published in orders issued at the headquarters of a force commanded by a general officer. (Identical for all branches of the service.)

Air Medal

Awarded to any person who, while serving with the Armed Forces of the United States in any capacity subsequent to 8 September 1939, has distinguished himself by meritorious achievement while participating in an aerial flight. Awarded for combat or non-combat action. (Identical for all branches of the service).

Purple Heart

Awarded to any person wounded in action against an enemy of the United States, or as a result of an act of such enemy, if the wound necessitated treatment by a Medical Officer. Also awarded posthumously to the next of kin of service personnel killed in action or who died as a result of wounds received in action against an enemy of the United States, or as a result of an act of such enemy, after 5 April 1917. (Identical for all branches of the service).

Navy Commendation Ribbon

Awarded to officers and enlisted men of the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard who have received an individual Letter of Commendation signed by the Secretary of Navy; Commander in Chief, United States Fleet; Commander in Chief, Pacific Fleet; Commander in Chief, Atlantic Fleet; or Commanding General, Fleet Marine Force, Pacific for an act of heroism or service performed between 6 December 1941 and 11 January 1944. Awarded for combat or non-combat action.

Presidential Unit Citation

Awarded to any ship, aircraft or Naval unit or any Marine Corps aircraft, detachment or higher unit by the Secretary of the Navy in the name of the President for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy on or after 7 December 1941. Such service must be comparable to that for which a Navy Cross is awarded to an individual.

Navy Unit Commendation

Awarded to any ship, aircraft, detachment or other unit in the Naval service of the United States which has, subsequent to 6 December 1941, distinguished itself by outstanding heroism in action against the enemy, but not sufficiently to justify award of the Presidential Unit Citation. Also awarded to any similar unit which has distinguished itself by extremely meritorious service not involving combat, but in support of military operations and such as to render the unit outstanding compared to similar units rendering similar service.

Asiatic-Pacific Theater Ribbon

Awarded to officers and enlisted men of the Armed Forces of the United States who, during the period 7 December 1941 to 2 March 1946, served on active duty in the prescribed Asiatic-Pacific area under any one of certain specified conditions and/or aboard certain ships of the Army or Navy.

China Service Medal

Awarded to officers and enlisted men of the Armed Forces of the United States who participated in operations in China between 2 September 1945 and 1 April 1957.

Chinese Government Medal World War II

Awarded by the Chinese Government to all members of the Armed Forces of the Allied Forces who participated in the war with Japan and were involved in operations on the mainland of China, the islands, and/or contiguous ocean areas during World War II and/or the occupation of China and the surrender of enemy forces after World War II.

Navy Occupation Service Medal

Awarded to officers and enlisted men in the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard who served in Japan between 3 September 1945 and 27 April 1952 in the four main islands of Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu; the surrounding smaller islands of the Japanese homeland; the Ryukyu Islands; and the Bonin-Volcano Islands. Service between 3 September 1945 and 2 March 1946 is counted only if the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal was awarded for service prior to 3 September 1945.

Victory Medal World War II

Awarded to all members of the Armed Forces of the United States or of the Government of the Philippine Islands who served on active duty in World War II at any time between 7 December 1941 and 31 December 1946.

American Campaign Medal

Awarded to personnel for service within the American theater between 7 December 1941 and 2 March 1946 under any of the following conditions:

• On permanent assignment outside the continental limits of the United States.

• Permanently assigned as a member of a crew of a vessel sailing ocean waters for a period of 30 days of 60 nonconsecutive days.

• Permanently assigned as a member of an operating crew of an airplane actually making regular and frequent flights over ocean waters for a period of 30 days.

• Outside the continental limits of the United States in a passenger status or on temporary duty for 30 consecutive days of 60 days not consecutive.

• In active combat against the enemy and awarded a combat decoration or furnished a certificate by the commanding general of a corps, higher unit, or independent force stating that he actually participated in combat.

• Within the continental limits of the United States for an aggregate period of one year.

Good Conduct Medal

Awarded to enlisted men of the Marine Corps, regular or reserve, for obedience, sobriety, military efficiency, neatness, bearing and intelligence. Through the years numerous revisions have been made in the regulations governing the award, the following information being the last revision to become effective. For completion of 3 years of continuous active service terminating on or after 10 December 1945, including service in temporary warrant or commissioned status. A good conduct award shall be authorized for any 3 years' enlisted service consisting of a combination of periods of active service, broken or unbroken, in a war, national emergency or a period of armed hostilities, in which the United States is engaged, notwithstanding the time elapsing between tours of such service, provided the individual is otherwise qualified, and provided further that when the first period of such service terminated prior to 10 December 1945, a total of four years enlisted service shall be required for such award.

Combat Action Ribbon

Awarded to members of the Navy or Marine Corps who participated in combat during any period after 6 December 1941. It is a personal decoration awarded to members of the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard (when operating under the control of the Navy) in the grade of captain (or colonel in the Marine Corps) and below, who have actively participated in ground or surface combat.