WWII US American Defense Service Medal -
The American Defense Service Medal was authorized on February 28,1941 for award to members of the Armed Forces who served on active duty between
September 8,1939 and December 7, 1941.
Army requirements were one year of service while the Navy required only ten days to be eligible for the award.
The medal shows a warrior holding a sword and a shield standing atop a brasnch with the words "American Defense" written
across the top. The other side reads "For service during the limited emergency proclaimed by the president on September
8 1939 or during the unlimited emergency proclaimed by the president on May 27 1941." A seven leaf spray of laurel is
placed below the words.
The ribbon has a yellow body with two sets of thin Blue, White and Red stripes running to each side. The example shown
here is of stitch back construction.
The medal is authorized to military members who served on active duty between September 8, 1939 and December 7, 1941. Members
of the United States Army received this medal for any length of service during the eligibility period, provided that they were
on orders to active duty for a period of twelve months or longer.[1] The United States Navy excluded Reservists who were on
active duty for less than ten days, but otherwise the Navy, United States Marine Corps, and United States Coast Guard awarded
the medal to all personnel who served on active duty at any time during the eligibility period (provided they passed their
initial physical examinations).
This page is a recognition and identification guide for WWII US medals and awards. Multiple
detailed photos of a specific sample are provided. Descriptions point out clearly defined
points that should be noted.
One of the most commonly asked questions is "How much is my WWII medal or insignia worth?".
A price guide is included here to address this question. The value of the medals
is reviewed over a period of several years. A trend can be observed. The present worth
of US militaria in the collector's market is illustrated.
This service is provided free of charge to the visitor/enthusiast courtesy of
MilitaryItems.com,
a company dedicated to the preservation of military history and to providing quality military
antiques and collectibles to museums, institutions and the general public.
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Established |
June 28, 1941 |
First Awarded |
September 8, 1939 (retroactive) |
Last awarded |
December 7, 1941 |
This US medal or insignia is currently being
reproduced.
It is becoming more difficult to be able to tell the fake ones from the real ones because
the quality of the reproductions is improving. The collector must become familiarized with
the construction style and materials employed in the manufacturing of this medal/insignia.
Attention to the details is critical in order to be able to determine the authenticity of
the collectible.
If you have an interest is seeing other WWII medals or insignia, you can do so by
going to our
WWII US medals and insignia
identification guide. Where we cover Army, Navy, Army Air Force and other organizations.
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