N.Y. MIL Law § 247 — New York Code / Act MIL / Article 11 / Section 247
Medals and decorations
Status: in_force

§ 247. Medals and decorations. 1. The governor is hereby authorized to\npresent in the name of the legislature of the state of New York, a\nmilitary cross, to be known as the conspicuous service cross, bearing a\nsuitable inscription and ribbon, all of which shall be of suitable\ndesign, to any person (i) who is a citizen of the state of New York or\n(ii) who was a citizen of the state of New York while serving in the\narmed forces of the United States, and who, while serving in the United\nStates Armed Forces, defined as army, air force, navy, marine corps, or\ncoast guard, since the sixth day of April, nineteen hundred seventeen,\nhas been a prisoner of war, has served at Pearl Harbor on December\nseventh, nineteen hundred forty-one, has directly participated in the\nD-Day Invasion of Normandy on June sixth, nineteen hundred forty-four,\nhas been reported missing in action, has been killed in action, or has,\nor shall have received a citation published in order issued from a\nheadquarters of a brigade or higher military unit, or equivalent naval\nunit, or has, or shall have received the purple heart. The governor is\nfurther authorized to present the conspicuous service cross to New York\ntroops, or to citizens of this state who while serving with the allied\narmies received citations as provided in this section. Not more than one\nmilitary cross shall be issued to any one person; nor shall any medal be\nawarded or presented, under the provisions of this section, to any\nperson whose entire service subsequent to the time of the receipt of\nsuch citation shall not have been honorable. For each succeeding\ncitation as provided herein, such person shall be entitled to wear, as\nthe chief of staff of the state may direct, a metal device not more than\nthree-sixteenths of an inch in diameter, attached to the ribbon of such\nmilitary cross. In the event of the death of any person during or\nsubsequent to the receipt of such citation the military cross shall be\npresented to such representative of the deceased as may be designated.\nThe chief of staff shall make such rules and regulations as may be\ndeemed necessary for the proper presentation and distribution of such\ndecorations. In addition, the governor is authorized to present the\nconspicuous service cross for placement at the Tomb of the Unknown\nSoldier in Arlington National Cemetery.\n  1-a. The governor is hereby authorized to present in the name of the\nlegislature of the state of New York, a military decoration, to be known\nas the "conspicuous service star", bearing a suitable inscription,\ndevice, and ribbon, all of which shall be of suitable design, to any\nperson (i) who is a citizen of the state of New York or (ii) who was a\ncitizen of the state of New York while serving in the armed forces of\nthe United States, and who, while serving in the United States Armed\nForces, defined as army, air force, navy, marine corps, or coast guard,\nhas, or shall have received a United States unit level decoration\ndenoting combat participation and foreign unit awards, issued from a\ncompany, regimental, brigade, or division commander, or equivalent naval\nunit, or issued by the President of the United States, the Congress of\nthe United States, the United States Defense Department or the joint\nchiefs of staff, such as, but not limited to, a presidential unit\ncitation or a joint meritorious unit award. Not more than one\nconspicuous service star shall be issued to any one person; nor shall\nany citation be awarded or presented, under the provisions of this\nsubdivision, to any person whose entire service subsequent to the time\nof the receipt of such star shall not have been honorable. For each\nsucceeding star as provided herein, such person shall be entitled to\nwear, as the chief of staff of the state may direct, a ribbon whose\ncolor and design shall be selected by the division of military and naval\naffairs. In the event of the death of any person during or subsequent to\nthe receipt of such citation the conspicuous service star shall be\npresented to such representative of the deceased as may be designated.\nThe chief of staff shall make such rules and regulations as may be\ndeemed necessary for the proper presentation and distribution of such\ndecorations.\n  1-b. The adjutant general is hereby authorized to present in the name\nof the legislature of the state of New York, a certificate, to be known\nas the "Cold War Certificate", bearing a suitable inscription, to any\nperson: (i) who is a citizen of the state of New York or (ii) who was a\ncitizen of the state of New York while serving in the armed forces of\nthe United States; (iii) who served in the United States Armed Forces\nduring the period of time from September second, nineteen hundred\nforty-five through December twenty-sixth, nineteen hundred ninety-one,\ncommonly known as the Cold War Era; and (iv) who was honorably\ndischarged or released under honorable circumstances during the Cold War\nEra, or has a qualifying condition, as defined in section one of the\nveterans' services law, and received a discharge other than bad conduct\nor dishonorable during the Cold War Era, or is a discharged LGBT\nveteran, as defined in section one of the veterans' services law, and\nreceived a discharge other than bad conduct or dishonorable during the\nCold War Era. Not more than one Cold War Certificate shall be awarded or\npresented, under the provisions of this subdivision, to any person whose\nentire service subsequent to the time of the receipt of such medal shall\nnot have been honorable. In the event of the death of any person during\nor subsequent to the receipt of such certificate it shall be presented\nto such representative of the deceased as may be designated. The\nadjutant general, in consultation with the commissioner of the\ndepartment of veterans' services, shall make such rules and regulations\nas may be deemed necessary for the proper presentation and distribution\nof the certificate.\n  1-d. The governor is hereby authorized to present in the name of the\nlegislature of the state of New York, a medal, to be known as the "New\nYork State Vietnam War Commemorative Medal", bearing a suitable\ninscription, to any person: (i) who is a resident of the state of New\nYork; or (ii) who was a resident of the state of New York while serving\nin the armed forces of the United States; (iii) who served in the United\nStates Armed Forces, defined as army, air force, navy, marine corps, or\ncoast guard, or the organized militia defined as the army national\nguard, the air national guard, the New York naval militia, or the New\nYork guard, on active duty abroad in Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia,\nor in the contiguous waters or air space thereof during the period of\ntime from November first, nineteen hundred fifty-five through May\nseventh, nineteen hundred seventy-five; and (iv) who was honorably\ndischarged or released under honorable circumstances or who has a\nqualifying condition, as defined in section three hundred fifty of the\nexecutive law, and received a discharge other than bad conduct or\ndishonorable discharge, or is a discharged LGBT veteran, as defined in\nsection three hundred fifty of the executive law, and received a\ndischarge other than bad conduct or dishonorable discharge. No person\nshall receive more than one New York State Vietnam War Commemorative\nMedal. In the event of the death of any eligible person prior to the\nreceipt of such commemorative medal, such commemorative medal shall be\npresented to the designated representative of the deceased. The adjutant\ngeneral, in consultation with the director of the division of veterans'\nservices, shall make such rules and regulations as may be deemed\nnecessary for the proper presentation and distribution of such medals.\n  1-e. The governor is hereby authorized to present in the name of the\nlegislature of the state of New York, a medal, to be known as the "New\nYork State Korean War Commemorative Medal", bearing a suitable\ninscription, to any person: (i) who is a resident of the state of New\nYork, or (ii) who was a resident of the state of New York while serving\nin the armed forces of the United States; (iii) who served in the United\nStates Armed Forces, defined as army, air force, navy, marine corps, or\ncoast guard, or the organized militia defined as the army national\nguard, the air national guard, the New York naval militia or the New\nYork guard, on active duty on the Korean peninsula, its contiguous\nwaters, or its airspace in the Korean War defined as the period of time\nfrom June twenty-seventh, nineteen hundred fifty through January\nthirty-first, nineteen hundred fifty-five; and (iv) who was honorably\ndischarged or released under honorable circumstances or who has a\nqualifying condition, as defined in section three hundred fifty of the\nexecutive law, and received a discharge other than bad conduct or\ndishonorable discharge, or is a discharged LGBT veteran, as defined in\nsection three hundred fifty of the executive law, and received a\ndischarge other than bad conduct or dishonorable discharge. No person\nshall receive more than one New York State Korean War Commemorative\nMedal. In the event of the death of any person prior to the receipt of\nsuch commemorative medal, such commemorative medal shall be presented to\nthe designated representative of the deceased. The adjutant general, in\nconsultation with the director of the division of veterans' services,\nshall make such rules and regulations as may be deemed necessary for the\nproper presentation and distribution of such medals.\n  * 1-f. The governor is hereby authorized to present in the name of the\nlegislature of the state of New York, a medal, to be known as the "New\nYork State Iraq War Commemorative Medal", bearing a suitable\ninscription, to any person: (i) who is a resident of the state of New\nYork or who was a resident of the state of New York while serving in the\narmed forces of the United States; (ii) who served in the United States\nArmed Forces, defined as army, air force, navy, marine corps or coast\nguard, on active duty in Iraq at any time during the period of March\ntwentieth, two thousand three through December thirty-first, two\nthousand twenty-one; and (iii) who was discharged under honorable\nconditions or who has a qualifying condition, as defined in section one\nof the veterans' services law, and received a discharge other than bad\nconduct or dishonorable discharge, or is a discharged LGBT veteran, as\ndefined in section one of the veterans' services law and received a\ndischarge other than bad conduct or dishonorable discharge. No person\nshall receive more than one New York State Iraq War Commemorative Medal.\nIn the event of the death of any eligible person prior to the receipt of\nsuch commemorative medal, such commemorative medal shall be presented to\nthe designated representative of the deceased. The adjutant general, in\nconsultation with the commissioner of the department of veterans'\nservices, shall make such rules and regulations as may be deemed\nnecessary for the proper presentation and distribution of such medals.\n  * NB There are 2 sb 1-f's\n  * 1-f. The governor is hereby authorized to present in the name of the\nlegislature of the state of New York, a medal, to be known as the "New\nYork State Afghanistan War Commemorative Medal", bearing a suitable\ninscription, to any person: (i) who is a resident of the state of New\nYork; or who was a resident of the state of New York while serving in\nthe armed forces of the United States; (ii) who served in the United\nStates Armed Forces, defined as army, air force, navy, marine corps, or\ncoast guard, on active duty in Afghanistan at any time during the period\nfrom October seventh, two thousand one through August thirtieth, two\nthousand twenty-one; and (iii) who was discharged under honorable\nconditions or who has a qualifying condition, as defined in section one\nof the veterans' services law, and received a discharge other than bad\nconduct or dishonorable discharge, or is a discharged LGBT veteran, as\ndefined in section one of the veterans' services law, and received a\ndischarge other than bad conduct or dishonorable discharge. No person\nshall receive more than one New York State Afghanistan War Commemorative\nMedal. In the event of the death of any eligible person prior to the\nreceipt of such commemorative medal, such commemorative medal shall be\npresented to the designated representative of the deceased. The adjutant\ngeneral, in consultation with the commissioner of the department of\nveterans' services, shall make such rules and regulations as may be\ndeemed necessary for the proper presentation and distribution of such\nmedals.\n  * NB There are 2 sb 1-f's\n  2. Other state decorations, medals, badges, ribbons and awards may be\nawarded and issued as prescribed by regulations issued pursuant to this\nchapter.\n  3. Whenever it shall appear to the satisfaction of the chief of staff\nthat any medal duly issued by the state of New York, in accordance with\nthe provisions of this chapter or regulations issued pursuant thereto,\nto a member of the organized militia of the state of New York, has been\nlost or stolen, he may, in his discretion, and upon such terms as he may\nimpose, upon written application of the person originally entitled to\nsuch medal, issue a duplicate thereof.\n  4. This section shall not be construed to require that a recipient of\nthe conspicuous service cross, the conspicuous service star, the Cold\nWar Certificate, the New York State Silver Rose Veterans Service\nCertificate, the New York State Iraq War Commemorative Medal, the New\nYork State Afghanistan War Commemorative Medal or the New York State\nVietnam War Commemorative Medal or the New York State Korean War\nCommemorative Medal has been a resident of the state of New York at the\ntime of his or her entry into the United States army, air force, navy,\nor marine corps.\n