U~ S~ ~ FORCE~ RIBBONS- AN INITIAL LIST By Paul H~ Till, ~ 1471

The interesting and well researched article ; "The Great American Ribbon Maze" by Lonny Botts en pages 13-18 of the July 1975 issue cf The Medal Collector (Vol 26, No 7); has led this writer tc attempt to make a complete list of all the ribbons (of medals or as separate awards) that have Been issued by the United States government to members of its armed forces and Merchant Marine (listed separately at the end).

Excluded are ribbons of aZ1 civilian medals and ribbons of medals awarded to servicemen~ by non-governmental agencies such as the National Rifle Association. Lifesaving Medals are included because they have traditionally been included in order of precedence. While types of ribbons are listed, variations based on color shade differences are not. The list is a rough order of precedence; But as Mr. Boris’ article states, there is no single Federal order of precedence. The list is divided into several major categories of awards. The phrase "same as" used after the names of some awards means the ribbon is the same as the referred to award. While the writer has diligently attempted to make this listing complete, it is quite possible that there are errors or omissions for other students to correct. This list will at least serve as an initial checklist.

I. DECORATIONS 1. Medal of Honor- 1863 Type 2. Medal of Honor- 1896 Army Type 3- Medal of Honor- 1904 Type 4~ Certificate of Merit Badge 5. Marine Corps Brevet Medal 6.LDistinguised Service Crcss~ A) U.~ S~ Type & B) World War I French Type 7- Navy Cross: A) World War I I 1/2" wide Type & B) 1 3/8" wide Type ¯ 8~ Air Force cross 9- Defense Distinguished Service Medal 10. Army Distinguished Service Medal: A) U. S. Type & B) World War I French Type 11.~ Navy Distinguished Service Medal: A) World War I 1. 1/2" wide Type & B) 1 3/8~’wide Type 12. Air Force Distinguished Service Medal 13- Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal 14. Silver Star 15. Legion of Merit 16~ Distinguished Flying Cross 17. Soldier’s Medal 18. Navy and Marine Corps Medal 19. Airman’s Medal 20. Coast Guard Medal 21. Bronze Star 22° Meritorious Service Medal 23° Air Medal 24° Joint Service Commendation Medal 25~ Army Commendation Medal 26° Navy Commendation Medal 27° Air Force Commendation Medal 28~ Coast Guard Commendation Medal 29. Navy Achievement Medal 30. Coast Guard Achievement Medal ~1o Purple H~art 32° Treasury Dept Gold Lifesaving Medal- Early very wide Type 33° Treasury Dept Gold Lifesaving Medal- Current 1 3/8" wide Type 34. Treasury Dept Silver Lifesaving Medal- Early very wide Type 35° Treasury Dept Silver Lifesaving Medal- Current 1 3/8" wide Type II~ UNIT AWARDS 36° Army (Distinguished) Presidential Unit Citation Ribbon- same as Air Force Presidential Unit Citation Ribbon 37- Army Valorous Unit Award Ribbon 38. Army Meritorious Unit Commendation Ribbon 39~ Navy Presidential Unit Citation Ribbon: A) Early 2" wide Type & B) Current 1 3/8" wide Type 40. Navy Unit Commendation Ribbon 41. Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation Ribbon 00o Air Force Presidential Unit Citation Ribbon- same as 36. 42° Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Ribbon 43. Air Force Organizational Excellence Award Ribbon 44° Coast Guard Unit Commendation Ribbon 45° Coast Guard Meritorious Unit Commendation Ribbon 46° Philippine Presidential Unit Citation Ribbon ~ 47° Ko~@a~_~P~esidentlal Unit Citation Ribbon " 48° Vietnam Presidential Unit Citation Ribbon ~ ~ These 3 are worn near the end of the order of precedenceg but are listed here, because they are unit awards III.. GOOD CONDUCT MEDALS AND MISO~-T.~]~EOUS AWARDS 49. Army Good Conduct Medal 50° Bailey Medal 51- Combat Action Ribbon 52° Navy 1869 Good Conduct (Cross) Medal 53° Navy Good Conduct Medal: A) Red Type & B) Plum Type 54. Combat Readiness Me~al 5~ Air Force Good Conduct Medal 56° Air Force Longevity Service Award Ribbon 57- Air Force Non-Commissioned Officer Academy Graduate Ribbon 58. Air Force Outstanding Airman of the Year Ribbon 59~ Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal: A) Pro 1960 1 1/4" wide Type & B) Post 1960 1 3/8" wide Type. 51- is worn ahead of this ribbon 60~ 0cast Guard Good Conduct Medal: A) Pro 1960 1 1/2" wide Type & B) Post 1960 1 3/8,, wide Type

8 IV~ CO~LMEMORATIVE MEDALS 61o (Navy) Battle of Manila Bay (Dewey) Medal 62. (Navy) West Indies Campaigns (Sampson) Medal 63. (Navy) Specially Meritorious Medal, 1898 64. (Coast Guard) Cardenas Medal of Honor 00o (Coast Guard) Whalers Relief Medal of Honor- same as 64. 65- (Army) Conquest of Yellow Fever Med~l of Honor 66. (Navy) Peary Polar Expedition Me~al 67. (Navy) NC-4 Medal 68. (Navy) Byrd Antarctic W~pedition Me~al 69~ (Navy)Second Byrd Antarctic Expedition Medal 70. (Navy) Antarctic Expedition Medal 71~ (A_vmy) American Typhus Commission Medal

V~ CAMPAIGN SERVICE MEDALS 72- Army Civil War Campaign Me~al- Ist Type Ribbon 73~ Army Civil War Campaign Medal- 2ha Type Ribbon 74~ Navy Civil War Medal- ~at Type Ribbon 00~ Navy Civil War Me~ml- 2nd Type Ribbon; marne as 73. 75o Army Indian Campaign Medal- ~st Type Ribbon 76~ Army Indian Campaign Medal- 2nd Type Ribbon 77- Navy Expeditionary Medal 78~ Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal 79- Army Spanish Campaign Medal- Ist Type Ribbon 80~ Army Spanish Campaign Medal- 2nd Type Ribbon 81° Navy West Indies Campaign Medal and West Indies Campaign Medal- ~st T~pe Ribbon 00~ Navy West Indies Campaign Medal and West Indies Campaign Medal- 2nd Type Ribbon; same as 80. 82. Army Spanish War Service Medal 83~ Army of Cuban Occupation Medal 84. Army of Puerto Rican Occupation Medal 85~ Army Philippine Campaign Medal 86~ Navy Philippine Campaign Medal- Ist Type Ribbon 00. Navy Philippine Campaign Medal- 2nd Type Ribbon; same as 85. 87. Army Philippine Congressional Medal 88. Army China Campaign Medal 89. Navy China Relief Expedition Medal- Ist Type Ribbon O0~ Navy China Relief Expedition Medal- 2nd Type Ribbon; same as 90o Army of Cuban Pacification Medal 0Oo Navy Cuban Pacification Medal- same as 90° 9~ Navy (~st) Nicaraguan Campaign Medal 92. Army Mexican Service Medal 00~ Navy Mexican Service Medal- same as 92~ 93- Navy ~915 Haitian Campaign Medal 94o Navy Dominican Campaign Medal 95~ Army Mexican Border Service Medal 96. World War I Victory Me~al 97- Army Texas Cavalry Brigades Congressional Medal 98. Army of Occupation ef Germany Me~al: A) Scalloped edge stripes Ist Type Ribbon & B) Straight edge stripes 2ha Type Ribbon 00~ Navy 1919-1920 ~aitian Campaign Medal- same as 99. Navy Second Nicaraguan Campaign Medal ~OO~ Navy Yangtze Service Medal ~0~ Navy China Service Medal 102. American Defense Service Medal