The Cross - U.S. Military Medals

Photographs by Dave Devine, Rusty Knights Place - http://rustyknight98.com/
Text courtesy of Dr. Charles P. McDowell, Foxfall Medals - http://www.foxfall.com/



Distinguished Service CrossDistinguished Service Cross


The Distinguished Service Cross was established by order of President Woodrow Wilson, as promulgated in War Department General Orders Number 6 of January 12, 1918, and formalized by Act of Congress on July 9, 1918 (Public Law 193, 65th Congress).

The Distinguished Service Cross has been in effect since April 6, 1917; however, under certain circumstances the Distinguished Service Cross may be awarded for services rendered prior to April 6, 1917.



Criteria
The Distinguished Service Cross may be awarded to a person who, while serving in any capacity with the Army, distinguishes himself by extraordinary heroism not justifying the award of a Medal of Honor.  This extraordinary heroism must take place while the individual is engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States; or while he is engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force; or while he is serving with friendly foreign forces that are engaged in an armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the United States in not a belligerent party.  The act or acts of heroism must be so notable and involve risk of life so extraordinary as to set the individual apart from his comrades.

Order of Precedence
The Distinguished Service Cross is worn after the Medal of Honor and before all other decorations.  Additional awards are denoted by oak leaf clusters.

Designers
The Distinguished Service Cross was designed by First Lieutenant Andre Smith and modified by Captain Aymar Embry, both of the Camouflage Section, 40th Engineers, at Camp American University.  Embry's final design was sculpted by John R. Sinnock of the Philadelphia Mint.

First Recipients
 The first awards of the Distinguished Service Cross were made on March 18, 1918, to three soldiers from the 1st Division; Second Lieutenant John N. Green of the 6th Field Artillery and to Sergeant William M. Norton and Private Patrick Walsh, both of Company I, 18th Infantry.

Description and Symbolism of the Second (Current) Style Distinguished Service Cross

Obverse
The second style Distinguished Service Cross is a modification of the first style; it has a sculptured inner cross mounted on a flat cross with decorative, fluted edges.  At the end of each arm is a small ornamental scroll topped by a ball.  An eagle with displayed wings is centered on the cross and behind the eagle is a circular wreath of laurel (which replaces the diamond in the first style cross).  The laurel wreath is tied at its base by a scroll which extends into the lower re-entrant angles of the cross and contains,
FOR VALOR.

Reverse
The reverse also features a sculptured inner cross on a flat cross, with the same decorations at the edges that appear on the obverse.  The back and tips of the eagles wings are also shown.  Centered upon the cross is a circular wreath of laurel with a bowknot at the bottom from which flows the back of the scroll, joining the arms of the cross.  In the center of the wreath is a rectangular plaque with decorative edges, which is blank for engraving the recipient's name.

Ribbon
The ribbon was designed by Captain Andre Smith and has a central field of blue (one inch wide) edged in white and red, with the red forming the outermost colors of the ribbon.  The colors of the ribbon are those of the flag and stand for purity (white), sacrifice (red), and high purpose (blue).



 

Air Force Cross Air Force Cross

The Air Force Cross was originally established by Act of Congress (Public Law 193, 65th Congress approved July 9, 1918) as the Distinguished Service Cross.  Public Law 86-593, approved by Congress on July 6, 1960, amended Title 10 of the United States Code by authorizing the Air Force to present a distinctive version of the Distinguished Service Cross to Air Force recipients.

The effective date of the Air Force Cross is July 6, 1960; however, awards based on earlier actions may be made after that date if the recommendations for them have not been acted on or have been lost.



Criteria
The Air Force Cross is the second highest decoration awarded by the Air Force and is given for extraordinary heroism not justifying the award of a Medal of Honor.  It may be awarded to any person who, while serving in any capacity with the U.S. Air Force, distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism (1) in action against an enemy of the United States; (2) while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force; or, (3) while serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in an armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party.  Like the Distinguished Service Cross, the Air Force Cross is presented in the name of the President, although the Air Force itself actually controls this award.

Order of Precedence
The Air Force Cross is worn after the Medal of Honor and before all other decorations.  Additional awards of the Air Force Cross are denoted by Oak Leaf Clusters.

Designer
The Air Force Cross was designed by Eleanor Cox and sculpted by Thomas Hudson Jones, both of the Army's Institute of Heraldry.

First Recipient
The first Air Force Cross was awarded posthumously to Major Rudolf Anderson, Jr. for service during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Description and Symbolism

Obverse
A bronze cross with an oxidized satin finish.  Centered on the cross is a gold-plated American bald eagle, wings displayed against a cloud formation encircled by a laurel wreath finished in green enamel.  The design is based on that of the Distinguished Service Cross; the eagle and cloud formation are taken from the seal of the Air Force.

Reverse
The reverse of the Air Force Cross is blank for engraving the recipient's name.

Ribbon
The ribbon to the Air Force Cross is the same as that of the Distinguished Service Cross, except the central shade of blue is lighter (to distinguish it from the Distinguished Service Cross).

 


 

Navy CrossNavy Cross

The Navy Cross was established by Act of Congress (Public Law 253, 65th Congress), approved on February 4, 1919.

The Navy Cross has been in effect since April 6, 1917.

Criteria
The Navy Cross may be awarded to any person who, while serving with the Navy or Marine Corps, distinguishes himself in action by extraordinary heroism not justifying an award of the Medal of Honor.  The action must take place under one of three circumstances: while engaged in action against an enemy of the United States; while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force; or, while serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in an armed conflict in which the United States is not a belligerent party.  To earn a Navy Cross the act to be commended must be performed in the presence of great danger or at great personal risk and must be performed in such a manner as to render the individual highly conspicuous among others of equal grade, rate, experience, or position of responsibility.  An accumulation of minor acts of heroism does not justify an award of the Navy Cross.

Order of Precedence
The Navy Cross is worn after the Medal of Honor and before all other decorations.  Additional awards of the Navy Cross are denoted by gold stars five-sixteenths of an inch in diameter.

Designer
The Navy Cross was designed by James Earl Fraser (1876-1953).

First Recipient
The first actual recipient of the Navy Cross is unknown because initial awards were made from a lengthy list published after the First World War.

Description and Symbolism

Obverse
The Navy Cross is a modified cross patée one and a half inches wide (the ends of its arms are rounded whereas a conventional cross patée has arms that are straight on the end).  There are four laurel leaves with berries in each of the re-entrant arms of the cross.  In the center of the cross a sailing vessel is depicted on waves, sailing to the viewer's left.  The vessel is a symbolic caravel of the type used between 1480 and 1500.  Fraser selected the caravel because it was a symbol often used by the Naval Academy and because it represented both naval service and the tradition of the sea.  The laurel leaves with berries refer to achievement. 

Reverse
In the center of a bronze cross patée one and a half inches wide, crossed anchors from the pre-1850 period, with cables attached.  The letters
USN appear amid the anchors.

Ribbon
The ribbon is navy blue with a center stripe of white, the blue alludes to Navy service and the white represents the purity of selflessness.

 


 

Distinguished Flying CrossDistinguished Flying Cross

The Distinguished Flying Cross was established by Act of Congress (Public Law 446, 69th Congress), approved July 2, 1926, and implemented by Executive Order 4576 signed by President Calvin Coolidge on January 28, 1927.  This law was amended by Section 4 of Public Law 234 (approved on July 30, 1937) to permit the Coast Guard to award the Distinguished Flying Cross in its own right (members of the Coast Guard could previously receive the Distinguished Flying Cross only "while serving with the military or naval forces").  Public Law 234 was implemented by Executive Order 7786 signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on January 8, 1938.

The Distinguished Flying Cross has been in effect since July 3, 1927.  However, Executive Order 4601 signed by President Hoover on March 1, 1927, provided that for "any act of heroism or extraordinary achievement performed on or before July 2, 1926, the Distinguished Flying Cross shall not be awarded after July 2, 1929, nor unless the recommendation therefore shall have been made on or before July 2, 1928."

Criteria
The Distinguished Flying Cross may be awarded to military members who, while serving in any capacity with the Armed Forces, distinguish themselves by heroism or outstanding achievement while participating in aerial flight.  To be awarded for heroism the act must involve voluntary action in the face of danger and be well above the actions performed by others engaged in similar flight operations.  If awarded for extraordinary and outstanding as to clearly set the individual apart from his or her comrades or from other persons in similar circumstances.  Awards of the Distinguished Flying Cross by the Army are only made to recognize single acts of heroism or extraordinary achievement and not to recognize sustained operational activities against an armed enemy.

Order of Precedence
The Distinguished Flying Cross is worn after the Legion of Merit and before the Soldier's Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Medal, Airman's Medal, or Coast Guard Medal.  Additional awards are denoted by oak leaf clusters (Army and Air Force).  Additional awards are denoted by gold stars five-sixteenths of an inch in diameter, and the Combat Distinguishing Device may be authorized for qualifying service rendered after April 4, 1974.

Designer
The Distinguished Flying Cross was designed by Arthur E. DuBois and Elizabeth Will, both of the Army's Institute of Heraldry.

First Recipient
The first recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross was Captain (U.S. Army Reserve) Charles A. Lindbergh, who received medal number 1 on June 11, 1927, from President Calvin Coolidge in a special ceremony on the grounds of the Washington Monument.  However, the earliest act for which a Distinguished Flying Cross was awarded occurred much earlier.  By Act of Congress (Private Law 313) approved December 18, 1928, Wilbur and Orville Wright were awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for the first manned flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina on December 17, 1903.

Description and Symbolism

Obverse
On a bronze cross pattee one and a half inches across, a four-bladed propeller one and eleven-sixteenths inches across the blades; in the re-entrant angles, rays forming a one inch square.  The cross is suspended by a plain, straight suspender.

Reverse
The reverse is blank, leaving space for engraving the recipient's name.

Ribbon
The ribbon is predominantly blue, with a narrow band of red bordered by white in the center.  The edges of the ribbon are outlined with equal bands of white inside blue.



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Credits:
U.S. Military Medals photographs taken by Dave Devine; from his collection.  Used by permission of Dave Devine.  To view Dave's medals (Rusty Knights Place) and other web sites - http://rustyknight98.com/

Distinguished Service Cross, Air Force Cross, Navy Cross & the Distinguished Flying Cross text courtesy of Dr. Charles P. McDowell.  Used by permission of Dr. McDowell.  To read other U.S. Military Medals descriptions hyperlink to Foxfall Medals - http://www.foxfall.com/

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