Awards of
World War IIThe Legion of Merit is the highest military decoration of the United States of America, awarded to citizens of other countries for outstanding service in the fight against the enemy.
Materials
Bronze, gilding, enamel.
Artist
Bailey, Banks and Biddley
Awarded to
Service members of the armies of countries allied with the United States, as well as service members of the United States Army.
Reasons for the award
Outstanding service in the fight against the enemy USA.
Among those awarded the Legion of Merit are such distinguished individuals as Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov, Rodion Yakovlevich Malinovsky, and Konstantin Konstantinovich Rokossovsky (all USSR), King Michael (Romania), General Charles de Gaulle (France), and Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery (Great Britain).
The Legion of Merit is one of the highest military awards and is awarded for exceptional military merit. It has four degrees: Commander-in-Chief, Commander, Officer, and Legionnaire. The first three degrees of the Legion of Merit may be awarded exclusively to military personnel of countries allied with the United States of America. The Legion of Merit, fourth degree, "Legionnaire," may also be awarded to military personnel of the U.S. Army.
The award consists of a green enameled laurel wreath, upon which is superimposed a five-pointed star with swallow-tailed rays covered in white enamel with gold balls at the edges. The spaces between the rays are decorated with crossed arrows. The center of the star is decorated with a circle of clouds, within which thirteen white stars are depicted on a blue background. On the reverse of the Legion of Merit, along the outer edge, is the inscription "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" and within the inner circle, "ANNUIT COEPTIS MDCCLXXXII." The order is worn on a red ribbon with white stripes at the edges.