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velopment of radar when he was chief physicist at the On the Net Naval Research Laboratory. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission The Medal for Merit is particularly attractive. It was designed by Colonel Towson Heard and sculpted by Members conducting research on either a or Katherine W. Lane, the same individuals who designed World War II British Commonwealth casualty should and modeled the U.S. Legion of Merit. The badge of the check out the Web site for the Commonwealth War medal is suspended from a magenta moir6 ribbon with Graves Commission at http://www.cwgc.org. Once on two narrow white stripes in the center. The badge with the site, you can search the Commission’s register for the its pierced field has a gold-plated, matte finish. On the location of the grave of the casualty or the memorial that obverse of the badge, the U.S. eagle is perched on a sheaf is marked with the name of the casualty. You can also of arrows, and encircling the eagle and sheaf is a blue access information on other services provided by the enamel ring with 13 white, five-pointed stars. Super- Commission, find information about the Commission imposed on the sheaf is the inscription NOVUS ORDO itself, or jump to related links. The information on the SECLUREM (The Beginning of a New Age), which was casualty contained in the register is limited and does not taken from the reverse of the Great Seal of the United include service details or background on the casualty’s States. The reverse of the badge displays the back of the unit. Nonetheless, this popular site is averaging 600,000 eagle, and the ring is inscribed with "hits" per week, so response time might be slow. OF AMERICA (above) and FOR MERIT (below). The ribbon ring is fixed to a wreath in gilt and green enamel The Commonwealth War Graves Commission was foun- that is hinged to the top of the badge. ded by Sir Fabian Ware and was formally established in 1917 by a Royal Charter. The task of the Commission is An official lapel rosette complements the award. It has to mark and maintain the graves of members of the a tufted ribbon in the shape of a double fan and is made Commonwealth forces who were killed in World War I of the same colors as the suspension ribbon. and World War II, to build memorials to those who have no known grave, and to keep records and registers of the casualties. Approximately 1,700,000 men and women of the Commonwealth forces died in the two world wars. Of these, the remains of 925,000 were found; and their graves are marked by a headstone. There are war graves in some 150 countries, mostly in 2,500 war cemeteries and plots constructed by the Commission.

Among the publications offered by the Commission is a listing of the 374 recipients of the Victoria Cross who rest under its care. Published in 1997, this 96-page listing is fully indexed and contains the Commission’s records for each recipient, including the place of commemoration, the recipient’s service details and other Among the distinctions created to awards and distinctions, and the Victoria Cross citation r~vard civilian performance text from The London Gazette. during WWII were an Army-Navy Editor Production Award lapel pin (top) and an Army Service Forces Award ribbon (bottom) "Gtve me enough medals for my soldiers and I will conquer the world." Far from being just another "hand-out," the Medal for Merit is a coveted decoration that continues to recognize "A soldier will fight long and hard for a bit of metal those civilians who have performed the highest service to and a piece of cloth." the nation during times of war. Napoleon

32 The Journal of the Orders and Medals Society of America

The U.S. Five-Star Officers of World War II

David C. Foster, OMSA No. 2875

or the first part of World War 1I, U.S. forces were led Most military buffs are probably not aware that there F by four-star Generals and Admirals. During Decem- were three Generals of the Army prior to World War II. ber 1944, President Roosevelt asked for the advice and Moreover, there have been two individuals promoted to consent of the U.S. Senate to promote eight officers to the General of the Armies of the United States, a rank even five-star rank of General of the Army or Fleet Admiral. higher than General of the Army! These Generals of the The breakdown was to be four Army officers and four Armies and pre-World War II Generals of the Army Navy officers; but because of a dispute within the Navy were: Department over the worthiness of Admiral Halsey to five-star rank, the Navy nominated only three officers.1 Generals of the Armies The Senate subsequently consented, and seven officers were promoted to five-star rank. The promotions began John J. Pershing - promoted on 3 September 1919 by on 15 December 1944 and were made at one per day to an Act of Congress and retired at that rank in 1924; and, establish seniority among the officers. George - posthumously promoted by an Act of Congress on 4 July 1976. Washington was made 15 December - Fleet Admiral William D. Leahy, senior to Pershing because it was felt that no officer of Chief of Staff to the President. the U.S. Army should outrank the first President of the 16 December - General of the Army George C. U.S. Washington was a Lieutenant General from 3 July Marshall, Chief of Staff of the Army. 1798 until his death in 1799. 17 December - Fleet Admiral Ernest J. King - Chief of Naval Operations. The rank of General of the Armies was first created by 18 December General of the Army Douglas Congress in 1799 but ceased to exist from 1802 to 1919. MacArthur, Commander-in-Chief, Southwest Pacific There is no star equivalency for this rank. Theater. 19 December - Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, General of the Army Cormnander, Pacific Ocean Theater. 20 December - General of the Army Dwight D. Ulysses S. Grant - from 25 July 1866 to 4 March Eisenlaower, Counnanding General, European Theater; 1869. and, William T. Sherman - from 4 March 1860 to 8 21 December - General of the Army Hem-y H. Arnold, February 1884; and, Commanding General, U.S. Army Air Corps. Philip H. Sheridan - from 1 June 1888 to 5 August 1888. Later, two other five-star promotions were made: Several years ago, I began a project to locate and photo- 4 December 1945 - Fleet Admiral William F. Halsey, graph the awards of the World War II U.S. five-star Commander, 3rd Fleet; and, Generals and Admirals. The only awards I could not find 20 September 1950 - General of the Army Omar N. were those to Fleet Admiral Leahy. The awards to Fleet Bradley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Admiral Nimitz were destroyed in a fire caused by arson that destroyed the Navy ROTC building at the University of California in Berkeley during the hell-raising days of the 1960s and 1970s. I did locate Nimitz’s mess dress uniform with a number of miniature awards at the Nimitz Halsey had taken his fleet not just through one but two hurricanes Museum in Fredericksburg, Texas. The uniform that he which resulted in serious loss and damage. If it were not for his reputation with the public and a desire to protect the Navy, Halsey wore at the signing of the Armistice on board the might have been brought before a court martial for his treatment of the battleship Missouri and one of his Class A blue coats is fleet. In addition, Nimilz didn’t want Halsey promoted unless Admiral at the U.S. Naval Academy Museum in Annapolis, Spruance was also promoted. Halsey attained five-star rank a year Maryland. His silver Lifesaving Medal is also at the later; but Spruance ~vas never promoted, although he was allowed to retire on full pay. Academy.

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The awards to the other seven of this distinguished group rubies. Only one other Allied commander from World are on display in libraries and military museums that are War II, British Field Marshall Montgomery, was awarded open to view by the public. With few exceptions, the the Order of Victory. various curators were very generous in allowing me to get close to the awards in order to take photographs and are General Arnold - Arnold was the recipient of two themselves very knowledgeable about the awards. These MacKay Trophy Medals. The MacKay Trophy was libraries and museums are: instituted in 1912 by Clarence H. MacKay to recognize the most meritorious flight of the year by an airman of the General Marshall - Marshall Library, Military U.S. Army. Arnold, who was the first Military Aviator of Institute, Lexington, Virginia. the Army’s Signal Corps, won the first MacKay Trophy General MacArthur MacArthur Museum and awarded as a Lieutenant for setting a new speed record of Library, MacArthur Square, Norfolk, Virginia. 47MPH over a 30-mile course. He won a second General Eisenhower - Eisenhower Presidential Library MacKay Trophy in 1934 as a Lieutenant Colonel for and Museum, Abilene, Kansas. leading a flight of Martin B-10 bombers from Washing- General Arnold - Harmon Hall, USAF Academy, ton, DC, to Alaska and return. Colorado Springs, Colorado. General Bradley - Bradley Museum, Carlisle Barracks, Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Admiral King - Washington Navy Yard, Washington, DC. Admiral Halsey - U.S. Naval Academy Museum, Annapolis, Maryland.

Two general observations can be made about the awards of the U.S. five-star officers of World War II:

a. Basically, the field commanders received the most awards, and the Generals of the Army received more than the Fleet Admirals. Eisenhower was the most highly decorated, although he had no gallantry awards. MacArthur had the most gallantry awards.

b. As might be expected, the ODMs of the five-star Arnold’s MacKay Trophy Medalfor the 1912 Award officers included several especially distinctive awards. Left - Obverse, Right - Reverse These awards are: The shield on Arnold’s 1934 medal is engraved, 1934/LIEUT.COL./HENRY H ARNOLD/COMMANDING/ U.S. ARMY/ALASKAN FLIGHT General Marshall - Marshall was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1953 for his "Marshall Plan," which revitalized following World War II. The MacKay Trophy is a large silver trophy that is presently on display at the Smithsonian’s Air and Space General MacArthur - MacArthur won the Medal of Museum in Washington, DC. Each recipient is recog- Honor in 1942 for his actions in the Philippines at the nized by a silver plaque attached to the side of the trophy beginning of World War II. He was also awarded Silver that is inscribed with his name and deed. In 1928, Star No. 1 and Purple Heart No. 1. MacArthur was Chief MacKay established a medal to complement the plaque of Staff of the Army when the first issues of these on the trophy. The badge of the medal is engraved decorations were made. Tiffany & Co - 18KT Gold on its edge and is suspended from ribbon with stripes of yellow-orange, dark blue, and General Eisenhower - Among Eisenhower’s many yellow-orange. On the reverse of the badge is an awards is a unique Grand Cross badge of the Order of the inscribed shield that duplicates the plaque on the trophy. Holy Sepulcher of the Patriarchy of Jerusalem and the Soviet Order of Victory in platinum, gold, diamonds and

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