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Silver Star
CRITERIA:
The Silver Star is awarded to a person who, while serving in any
capacity with the U.S. Army, is cited for gallantry in action against an
enemy of the United States while engaged in military operations involving
conflict with an opposing foreign force, or while serving with friendly
foreign forces engaged in armed conflict against an opposing armed force
in which the United States is not a belligerent party. The required
gallantry, while of a lesser degree than that required for award of the
Distinguished Service Cross, must nevertheless have been performed with
marked distinction. Soldiers who received a citation for gallantry in
action during World War I may apply to have the citation converted to the
Silver Star Medal. BACKGROUND:
The Citation Star was established as a result of an Act of Congress on
July 9, 1918 (65th Congress, Sess II, Chapter 143, page 873)
and was promulgated in War Department Bulletin No. 43 dated 1918. It was
retroactive to include those cited for gallantry in action in previous
campaigns back to the Spanish-American War. Per letter from General
Jervey, Office of the Chief of Staff, dated February 26, 1926, is quoted
in part: The Secretary of War directs as follows - The following is the
amended version of paragraph 187 of Army Regulation: "No more than
one Medal of Honor or one Distinguished Service Cross or one Distinguished
Service Medal shall be issued to any one person, but for each succeeding
or act sufficient to justify the award of a Medal of Honor or
Distinguished Service Cross or Distinguished Service Medal, respectively,
a bronze oak leaf cluster, shall be issued in lieu thereof; and for each
citation of an officer or enlisted man for gallantry in action, published
in orders from headquarters of a force commanded by a general officer, not
warranting the issue of a Medal of Honor, Distinguished Service Cross or
Distinguished Service Medal, he shall wear a silver star, 3/16 inch in
diameter, as prescribed in Uniform Regulations." Army Regulation
600-40, paragraph 48, September 27, 1921, specified that the Citation Star
would be worn above the clasp, on the ribbon of the service medal for the
campaign for service in which the citations were given.
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