World War II Victory Medal
From 7th Cavalry Regiment Wiki
The World War II Victory Medal is a military decoration of the 7th Cavalry that is awarded for participation in the Call of Duty World at War Area of Operation.
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Creation and History
The World War II Victory Medal is a decoration of the United States military which was created by an act of Congress in July 1945. The decoration commemorates military service during World War II and is awarded to any member of the United States military, including members of the armed forces of the Government of the Philippine Islands, who served on active duty, or as a reservist, between December 7, 1941 and December 31, 1946.
The World War II Victory Medal was first issued as a ribbon, and was referred to simply as the “Victory Ribbon.” By 1946, a full medal had been established which was referred to as the World War II Victory Medal. The medal's front depicts Nike standing victorious, holding a broken sword, representing the broken power of the Axis, with one foot upon the helmet of Mars, the Roman god of war, representing the end of the conflict. Behind Nike is a sunburst, representing the dawn of peace. The reverse recalls the "Four Freedoms" speech by President Roosevelt, with a laurel sprig, surrounded by the words "United States of America", and the dates of the conflict, "1941-1945". The edges of the ribbon revisit the multi-colored rainbow ribbon of the Allied World War I Victory Medal. This again honors all the allied nations. The wide red center represents the new sacrifice of blood by World War II combatants. The thin white lines separating the central red band from the outer multi-colored bands represent the rays of new hope, two of them signifying that this was the second global conflict.
Ribbon
Medal
Awarding
Awarded for participation in the Call of Duty World at War Area of Operation
Description
The bronze medal is 1 3/8 inches in width. On the obverse is a figure of Liberation standing full length with head turned to dexter looking to the dawn of a new day, right foot resting on a war god’s helmet with the hilt of a broken sword in the right hand and the broken blade in the left hand, the inscription "WORLD WAR II" placed immediately below the center. On the reverse are the inscriptions "FREEDOM FROM FEAR AND WANT" and "FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND RELIGION" separated by a palm branch, all within a circle composed of the words "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 1914 1945".
The ribbon is 1 3/8 inches wide and consists of the following stripes: 3/8 inch double rainbow in juxtaposition (blues, greens, yellows, reds (center), yellows greens and blues); 1/32 inch White 67101; center 9/16 inch Old Glory Red 67156; 1/32 inch White; and 3/8 inch double rainbow in juxtaposition. The rainbow on each side of the ribbon is a miniature of the pattern used in the WWI Victory Medal.
Recipients
Due to the large number of recipients no full list will be made available
See Also
Awards and decorations of the 7th Cavalry
References
http://www.7thcavalry.us/index.php?app=uportal&code=16
http://www.gruntsmilitary.com/
