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REF Thread: WWII Occupation Medal


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Excerpt from "Manual of Military Decorations & Awards, Sept 1996" (DoD 1348.33-M, September 1996)

 

AP4.1.2.51. Army of Occupation Medal

 

AP4.1.2.51.1. Established by the Secretary of War in 1946.

 

AP4.1.2.51.2. Awarded for military service of 30 or more consecutive days of duty in one of the occupied territories after World War II. Military service in the European-African-Middle Eastern Theater between May 9 and November 8, 1945, and in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater between September 3, 1945 and March 2, 1946, shall only be considered if the Service member received the applicable theater campaign medal for military service in the theater before the inclusive periods previously mentioned. DoD 1348.33-M, September 1996

 

AP4.1.2.51.2.1. Army of Occupation of Germany (Exclusive of Berlin). Military service between May 9, 1945 and May 5, 1955. Military service with a unit designated by the Department of the Army as "having met the requirements for, or the individual award of, the Berlin Airlift device" shall also qualify the Service member for the Army of Occupation Medal.

 

AP4.1.2.51.2.2. Army of Occupation of Austria. Military service between May 9, 1945 and July 27, 1955.

 

AP4.1.2.51.2.3. Army of Occupation of Berlin. Military service between May 9, 1945 and October 2, 1990.

 

AP4.1.2.51.2.4. Army of Occupation of Italy. Military service between May 9, 1945 and September 15, 1947 in the compartment of Venezia Giulia e Zara, the Province of Udine, or with a unit in Italy designated by the Secretary of the Army.

 

AP4.1.2.51.2.5. Army of Occupation of Japan. Military service between September 3, 1945 and April 27, 1952, in the main and offshore islands of Japan, the Ryukyu Islands, and Bonin-Volcano Islands. Military service that meets the requirements for the Korean Service Medal shall not be counted in determining eligibility.

 

AP4.1.2.51.2.6. Army of Occupation of Korea. Military service between September 3, 1945 and June 29, 1949.

 

 

AP4.1.2.51.3. Service Clasps and Devices

Recipients of the Army of Occupation Medal, depending on the circumstances, are authorized to wear the following devices.

 

AP4.1.2.51.3.1. Army of Occupation Medal Clasp. Bronze bar with the word "Germany" or "Japan" inscribed, thereon.

 

AP4.1.2.51.3.2. Berlin Airlift Device. Awarded for military service of 92 consecutive days, between June 26 and September 30, 1949, with a unit credited with participation in the Berlin Airlift.

 

 

AP4.1.2.52. Navy Occupation Service Medal

 

AP4.1.2.52.1. Authorized by the Secretary of the Navy, January 22, 1947.

 

AP4.1.2.52.2. Awarded for military service in one of the occupied territories after World War II. Specific eligibility requirements are outlined in U.S. Navy regulations, but the general criteria for the various areas are as follows:

 

AP4.1.2.52.2.1. European-African-Middle Eastern Area. Duty performed from May 8, 1945, to the dates indicated below. Military service between May 8 and November 8, 1945, shall not be credited unless the Service member was already eligible for the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal for military service performed prior to May 8, 1945 are as follows:

 

Italy - December 15, 1947

Trieste - October 25, 1954

Germany (except Berlin) - May 5, 1955

Austria - October 25, 1955

Berlin - October 2, 1990

 

AP4.1.2.52.2.2. Asiatic-Pacific Area. Duty performed from September 2, 1945 and April 27, 1952. Military service between September 2, 1945 and March 2, 1946, shall not be credited, unless the Service member was already eligible for the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal. Additionally, the military service that meets the requirements for the Korean Service Medal shall not be counted in determining eligibility.

 

AP4.1.2.52.3. Service Clasps and Devices.

Recipients of the Navy Occupation Medal, depending on the circumstances, are authorized to wear the following devices:

 

AP4.1.2.52.3.1. Clasps. Appropriate clasps marked "Europe" and "Asia" shall be worn on the suspension ribbon of the Navy Occupation Medal.

 

AP4.1.2.52.3.2. Berlin Airlift Device. Awarded for military service of 90 consecutive days or more with units participating in direct support of the Berlin Airlift between June 26, 1948 and September 30, 1949.

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  • 3 months later...

Seen a lot of different occupation medals and ribbons over the years -- the plastic and glass, theater made ribbons and such that comes from an occupied country. here are some of mine...please post yours.

 

Germany/ Army Japan/Navy

Navy USMC

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This medal belongs to my wife's grandfather (USNR) When I received it from my mother-in-law, the clasp was on the upper portion of the ribbon drape. I took some advice from Teamski and removed the medal and put the clasp where it belongs.

Nick

 

FRONT

 

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Here is a mini-Army Occupation medal and a ribbon with the Airlift Device.

 

Description of the Airlift Device from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airlift_Device

 

The Airlift Device is a decoration of the United States military which is presented as an attachment to both the Army of Occupation Medal and the Navy Occupation Service Medal. It is awarded to those service members who performed duty in direct support of the Berlin Airlift between 1948 and 1949.

 

To be awarded the Airlift Device, a service member must have performed occupation service in Germany between 26 June 1948 and 30 September 1949. Such service must have also been performed in direct support of the Berlin Airlift for a period of ninety or more consecutive days.

 

The Airlift Device appears as a gold C-54 aircraft pin, centered of the ribbon for the Army of Occupation Medal and the Navy Occupation Service Medal. When worn on the full sized medal, the Airlift Device is pinned beneath all campaign clasps.

 

Those qualifying for the Airlift Device may also be entitled to the Medal for Humane Action, depending on the total days of duty performed in support of the Berlin Airlift.

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My father in law's boxed Navy Occupation medal next to the one I was award in the late 1980s in Berlin:

 

 

Did I get it right, the Occupation medal is still awarded today?

 

Lars

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Did I get it right, the Occupation medal is still awarded today?

 

Lars

 

No, the last time an Occupation Medal could be earned was in Berlin in 1990:

 

Here are the general time frames when the Occupation Medal could be earned:

 

Austria -- 09 May 1945-02 Jul 1955

Berlin -- 09 May 1945-02 Oct 1990

Germany -- 09 May 1945-02 Jul 1955

Italy -- 09 May 1945-15 Sep 1947

Japan -- 03 Sep 1945-27 Apr 1952

Korea -- 03 Sep 1945-29 Jun 1949

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For background on the WWII Occupation Medals-

 

US Army Institute of Heraldry web page on the Army and Navy Occupation Medals: 

 

Background

The Army Occupation Medal was established by War Department Circular 102, dated 5 April 1946.

The medal was designed by Mr. Thomas Hudson Jones and the first medal was presented to General Eisenhower on 2 April 1947. The ribbon design uses the color black to represent Germany and the color red to represent Japan.

On 4 February 1948, the Secretary of the Navy requested the Heraldic Section, Department of the Army, design a suitable Navy Occupation Service Medal. This medal was designed by Mr. Thomas Hudson Jones on 30 March 1948.

The service clasp is worn on the suspension ribbon to indicate area of occupation. The Berlin Airlift Device is a miniature of a C-54 type aircraft and is worn on the suspension ribbon and service ribbon to indicate 90 days consecutive service between 26 June 1948 and 30 September 1949.

 

Army

The Bronze medal is 1 ¼ inches in width. On the obverse, the Remagen Bridge abutments below the words "ARMY OF OCCUPATION". On the reverse, Fujiyama with a low hanging cloud over two Japanese junks above a wave scroll and the date "1945". A Bronze clasp 1/8 inch wide and 1 ½ inches in length with the word "GERMANY" or "JAPAN" is worn on the suspension ribbon to indicate service in Europe or the Far East.

 

Navy

On the obverse is Neptune mounted on a composite creature of a charging horse and a sea serpent with a trident grasped in right hand above wave scrolls. Around the bottom of the medal are the words "OCCUPATION SERVICE". The reverse is the same as the China Service Medal and is an eagle perched on the shank of a horizontal anchor with a branch of laurel entwined around the anchor. On the left is the word "FOR" and to the right is the word "SERVICE" and around the top is the inscription "UNITED STATES NAVY".

 

Marine Corps

The medal for the Marine Corps is the same as the Navy, except the inscription around the top of the reverse is "UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS".

 

Ribbon

The ribbon is the same for both medals and is 1 3/8 inches wide and consists of the following stripes: 3/16 inch White 67101; ½ inch Black 67138; ½ inch Scarlet 67111; and 3/16 inch White.

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  • 4 weeks later...
how common is the USMC marked medal? I haven't seen too many of them

 

Not very common, I have only seen the USMC version awarded to marines from the 5th Division

that participated in the Occupation of Japan in 1945.

 

Seagoing marines of the late 1940's & Early 1950's received the Navy version with the "EUROPE" Clasp.

 

Bill

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  • 2 months later...
Military-Memorabilia

Here's a Navy Occupation with Berlin Airlift Device. Going thru the other pictures, I also believe it's the first with a Slot Brooch Suspension.

 

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  • 1 month later...
  • 3 years later...

Here are my 3 WWII occupation medals. They are nothing special or rare, but this medal is the last US service medal to have a specific reverse side for each service. The first medal is for the Army and AAF. The others are specific to the Navy and Marine Corps.

 

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Rakkasan187

Per Request,

 

This is my issued Army of Occuaption Medal in blue presentation box dated 12/81

 

post-5554-1335829587.jpg

 

More pictures to follow..

 

Leigh

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