Award, usually a medal of some sort, mark of honor
Wall of Medals in the
French Foreign Legion Museum
Military awards and decorations
are distinctions given as a mark of honor for
military
heroism
, meritorious or outstanding service or achievement.
[1]
A decoration is often a
medal
consisting of a ribbon and a medallion.
Civil decorations
awarded to military personnel should not be considered military decorations, although some
orders of chivalry
have civil and military divisions. Decorations received by
police
and
fire brigade
personnel may sometimes be considered alongside military decorations, on which they may be modelled, although they are strictly not military awards.
History
[
edit
]
The I class of the
Mannerheim Cross
of the Order of the Cross of Liberty from 1941
Decorations have been known since ancient times. The Egyptian
Old Kingdom
had the
Order of the Golden Collar
while the
New Kingdom
awarded the
Order of the Golden Fly
.
[2]
Celts
and
Romans
wore a
torc
or received other
military decorations
such as the
hasta pura
, a spear without a tip.
Dayaks
wore and still wear
tattoos
, etc.
Necklaces
and
bracelets
were given during the early
Middle Ages
, evolving into large, richly
jewelled
necklaces, often with a
pendant
(commonly a
medal
) attached.
The oldest military decorations still in use is Sweden's
For tapperhet i falt
('For Valour in the Field') and
For tapperhet till sjoss
('For Valour at Sea') awarded to officers and soldiers of the Swedish Armed Forces who have?as the medal names suggest?shown valour in the field or at sea in wartime. The medal was instituted by Swedish king
Gustav III
on 28 May 1789, during his war against Russia. Whilst technically it is still active, it is for practical purposes inactive, not having been awarded since 1915. The next oldest is the Austro-Hungarian
Tapferkeits Medaille
Honour Medal for Bravery 1789?1792. This medal was instituted on 19 July 1789, by the Emperor Joseph II.
Another of the oldest military decorations still in use is Poland's War Order of
Virtuti Militari
(
Latin
for 'For Military Valour'). It was first awarded in 1792.
Forgery
[
edit
]
Medals have been forged by many people to make the medal appear more valuable or to make one look like a more decorated soldier. Medal forgeries can include: adding
bars
, engraving a famous soldier's name on it or creating a whole new medal. Medal forgery is illegal in most countries and can be punishable by imprisonment.
Contemporary use
[
edit
]
Today military decorations include:
In most NATO militaries, only the
service ribbons
are normally worn on everyday occasions (as opposed to the actual medals).
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
DoD
Manual 1348.33, 2010, Vol. 3.
- ^
David, Rosalie (1998).
The Ancient Egyptians: Beliefs and Practices
. Sussex Academic Press. p. 101.
ISBN
1898723729
.
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Distinctions
(
Lists
)
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Ceremonies
and events
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Related
organisations
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Related
concepts
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