Throughout history there have been many US military medals a person can be awarded for being involved in the United States military and Armed Forces. Also, there have been many medals of America that have been awarded to civilians at world’s fairs and expositions; and there are even civilian awards of military medals as well. Regardless of the status of each of the military ribbons and medals of America, there is no doubt that each and every one of them is unique and special in its own right to those who receive them.
World’s fairs and expositions are nothing new to the American way of life, in fact it is a natural seeming tradition. This historical value makes some of the old medals of America very precious and valuable to collectors. One of the most treasured of these historical American medals is the 1893 Saint Gauden’s award medal. This American medal is even in the book of 100 Greatest Medals. This is one of the medals of America that was made for the 1893 Chicago Columbian Exposition. This commemorative medal has a full-length figure of Christopher Columbus stepping ashore on the soil of the New World. On the other side is a six line commemorative inscription with two semi-nude females flanking him above and a sailing ship that rests underneath. These medals of America represent the discovery of America’s 400th birthday and the astounding world’s fair that celebrated it.
The American Campaign Medal is one of the most popular medals of America representing a war campaign. Originally issued as the American Theater Ribbon, these medals of America were intended to recognize members of the U.S. military who served in the American Theater of Operations during World War II. The American Theater was important in Submarine warfare and had the Axis Powers ever invaded the United States, they would have been the front line. This is one of the US military medals that celebrates bravery and valor.
The World War I Victory Medal is one of the more cheerful medals of America. Over 15 million people died in World War I and finally having a victory gave Americans some hope for a brighter and freer future for most of the worlds populations. This is the only one of the medals of America that was not created by and act of Congress. Instead, the Victory Medal was created through the service departments who established them by using general orders. All who served in the war wanted these medals of America, so the United States Army published orders for the Victory medal in April of 1919 and the United States Navy followed suit by issuing theirs in June of that same year.
The highest-ranking of all the medals of America is the Medal of Honor. Usually given posthumously, this medal is the greatest honor bestowed on service members by a grateful country. To receive this award a member of the United States Armed Forces must go well above the normal call of duty and show true heroism and self-sacrifice while engaged in combat against an enemy of the United States. This is one of the US military medals that is usually sad to give because in so many cases the heroism required also results in the death of the service member. Even though The Medal of Honor may be sad for some it is truly the most admirable of all the medals of America since it represents the ultimate good in the human spirit that drives exceptional persons to heroic deeds of self sacrifice for the good of their fellow soldiers.