Army of Occupation Medal

Army of Occupation Medal. The Army of Occupation Medal is a military award of the United States Army created to recognize service by members who performed occupation duty in the territories of the former Axis powers following the conclusion of World War II. Authorized by an Act of Congress in 1946, the medal primarily commemorates service in the post-war occupations of Germany, Austria, Italy, and Japan. Its establishment formalized recognition for the often complex and lengthy duties required to stabilize and administer defeated nations in the aftermath of global conflict.

History and establishment

The concept for a distinct service medal for occupation duty emerged shortly after the surrender of Japan in September 1945, which marked the definitive end of World War II. The United States Department of War recognized that hundreds of thousands of U.S. military personnel would remain deployed for extended periods in formerly hostile nations. An Act of Congress on 2 April 1946 officially established the award, with its provisions later detailed in War Department Circular 102, dated 24 April 1946. The initial eligibility period was set from 9 May 1945 to a future date to be determined, covering the occupations following the German Instrument of Surrender and the Japanese Instrument of Surrender. Subsequent General Orders and Department of the Army regulations, including DA Pamphlet 672-1, expanded and clarified the medal's criteria over the following decades.

Criteria and eligibility

Eligibility for the Army of Occupation Medal required assignment within the geographical boundaries of specified occupied territories for at least 30 consecutive days. The primary areas of eligibility were the former European Theater of Operations, encompassing the U.S. Occupation Zones in Germany and Austria, and the Pacific Theater of Operations, specifically the Occupation of Japan. Service in Berlin during the Berlin Airlift also qualified. For Italy, eligibility was restricted to service in the province of Udine Province northeast of Venice. The medal was also authorized, under separate criteria, for those who served in the Korean Peninsula following the Japanese surrender but prior to the establishment of the Republic of Korea government, a period known as the United States Army Military Government in Korea. Personnel performing occupation duty in West Berlin remained eligible until the reunification of Germany in 1990.

Design and appearance

The medal's design is rich with symbolic imagery representing the two major theaters of occupation. The obverse, designed by Thomas Hudson Jones and sculpted by Katherine Lane Weems, features the Remagen bridge over the Rhine River, symbolizing the Allied advance into Germany, with the inscription "ARMY OF OCCUPATION". The reverse, designed by Herbert Kuhn, depicts Mount Fuji beside a torii gate, representing Japan, with the years "1945" inscribed below. The medal is suspended from a ribbon with a broad central stripe of black, representing the subjugation of the Axis powers, flanked on either side by stripes of white and red, which transition to bands of blue (signifying Europe) and scarlet (signifying Japan) at the edges. A distinctive feature authorized in 1947 is the wearing of a clasp on the ribbon and service ribbon, with either "GERMANY" or "JAPAN" denoting the specific theater of service.

Recipients and notable awards

The medal was awarded to a vast number of service members from the United States Army, and later to eligible personnel from the United States Air Force following its creation in 1947. While typically a unit award for broad categories of service, it was also presented to individuals like General of the Army Dwight D. Eisenhower, who served as Military Governor of the U.S. Occupation Zone in Germany. Notable units that received the medal include the 1st Infantry Division in Germany and the 1st Cavalry Division in Japan. The medal also recognizes the service of those who participated in pivotal early Cold War events, such as the Berlin Airlift conducted by units of the United States Air Forces in Europe and the U.S. Army Berlin.

Order of precedence and wearing

Within the order of precedence of United States military awards, the Army of Occupation Medal is worn after the Army of Occupation of Cuba Medal and before the National Defense Service Medal. When awarded with both the "GERMANY" and "JAPAN" clasps, only one medal is worn, with the clasp representing the first area of service attached. The corresponding service ribbon is worn on the uniform in sequence with other awards. For those eligible for both the Army of Occupation Medal and the Navy Occupation Service Medal, regulations permitted acceptance and wear of both medals, a rare instance of inter-service award duality for the same qualifying period.

Category:Military awards and decorations of the United States Army Category:Occupation medals