Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal

Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
Tim Evanson · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
Name	Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
Presenter	United States Department of War
Type	Military campaign medal
Awarded for	Service in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater during World War II
Status	Obsolete
Established	November 6, 1942
First awarded	1942

Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal The Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal was a United States military award created to recognize service in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater during World War II, instituted by the United States Department of War and issued to members of the United States Army, United States Navy, United States Marine Corps, United States Coast Guard, and United States Army Air Forces. It acknowledged participation in operations spanning from the Attack on Pearl Harbor through the closing campaigns such as the Battle of Okinawa, the Philippine Liberation and engagements around Iwo Jima, with criteria coordinated alongside the War Department and later the Department of the Navy.

Background and Authorization

The award was established by an order signed by Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson following recommendations from theater commanders including Admiral Chester W. Nimitz and General Douglas MacArthur, aligning with earlier decorations like the American Campaign Medal and the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal. Authorization documents referenced operational areas defined by the Joint Chiefs of Staff and coordinated with theater maps used in planning by Pacific Fleet headquarters, Southwest Pacific Area command, and commands at Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands and Midway Atoll.

Design and Description

The medal's obverse features a Hawaiian warrior and a battleship rendered in relief, evoking imagery used by sculptors who had also worked on the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star Medal, while the reverse includes an eagle perched on a horizontal anchor, echoing motifs from the Navy Cross and the Distinguished Service Medal. The designer drew inspiration from Pacific iconography seen in campaign art for Tarawa and Saipan, and dies were struck by the U.S. Mint in quantities coordinated with the Army Quartermaster Corps. The service ribbon combines colors symbolizing sunrise over the Pacific and island campaigns, paralleling palettes used for the Asiatic Fleet and insignia of the Seabees.

Eligibility and Campaigns

Eligibility encompassed personnel who served within the geographic limits of the Asiatic-Pacific Theater as defined by the Joint Chiefs of Staff between December 7, 1941, and March 2, 1946, including sailors assigned to the Pacific Fleet, aircrews of the United States Army Air Forces operating from bases like Guam and Tinian, and Marines who fought at Iwo Jima and Okinawa. Specific campaigns listed for device authorization included major operations such as the Guadalcanal Campaign, the Battle of Midway, the Battle of the Coral Sea, the Philippine Sea engagement, and landings at Leyte Gulf and Tarawa. Units assigned to commands under South Pacific Area and Central Pacific Area also qualified when meeting service duration or engagement requirements promulgated by theater orders from commanders like Admiral William Halsey Jr. and General Joseph Stilwell.

Ribbon Devices and Battle Stars

Authorized devices included bronze service stars (commonly called battle stars) and silver stars to denote multiple engagements, devices similar in application to those authorized for the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal and the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal’s counterpart awards; each bronze star represented participation in a designated campaign listed by the War Department while a silver star signified five bronze stars. Other authorized attachments paralleled those on the American Campaign Medal and included the arrowhead device for assault landings such as at Tarawa and Okinawa, with the Fleet Marine Force device recognizing assigned Marines attached to naval units, and cloth campaign streamers borne by units like 1st Marine Division and 7th Infantry Division.

Awarding Process and Regulations

Issuance of the medal followed regulations issued by the War Department and Department of the Navy, with records maintained by the National Personnel Records Center and entitlement determined from muster rolls, deck logs, and operational reports filed by commands including U.S. Pacific Fleet and Southwest Pacific Area headquarters. Requests for replacement medals or corrections required submission of service records validated against campaign period listings and were adjudicated under directives similar to those governing the World War II Victory Medal. Regulations also addressed retroactive awards, exchange of devices, and separation of entitlements for members of Reserve components and units mobilized under Office of the Chief of Naval Operations guidance.

Notable Recipients and Units

Recipients included high-profile commanders who served in the theater such as Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, General Douglas MacArthur, Admiral William Halsey Jr., and leaders of operations like Admiral Raymond A. Spruance and Lieutenant General Holland Smith. Units prominently associated with the medal include the 1st Marine Division, 3rd Marine Division, 77th Infantry Division, 25th Infantry Division, U.S. Pacific Fleet, and carrier air groups from USS Enterprise (CV-6), USS Yorktown (CV-5), and USS Hornet (CV-8). Individual decorated veterans who served in qualifying campaigns included aviators from VF-6, submarine crews from USS Nautilus (SS-168), and Medal of Honor recipients active in the theater such as Pfc. Desmond Doss and Cpl. Hiroshi H. Miyamura.

Category:United States campaign medals