The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-04-03
AWARDS ARE READY
FOR PRESENTATION
Five Hundred Service Medals
Soon to Be Distributed
Among Militia
GEN. SALE RECEIVES
BEAUTIFUL SPECIMENS
Adjutant General and Brigade
Commander to Visit Com
panieS and Present Gold,
Silver and Bronze badges

Adjutant-Generai W. W.. Sale on
Monday received specimens of the
gold. silver and bronze medals which
are to be presented to the officers and
enlisted men of the Virginia Volun-
teers for faithful service and after
approving the specimens announced
that about five hundred of these
the near future.
The presentations will be made ny
General Sale and General G. G.
Vaughan, brigade commander. who
will make a tour OF the state for this
purpose. Ii ID probable that In pre-
sentinx the medals General Sale will
address the various companies, ex-
planning the purpose of the awards
and urging the men To strive for
the honor which attaches to the
medals.
Except for d slight typogra phioai
error the medals are perfect and
accord with General Sales idea of
what they should be. The specimens
will be sent back 10 the nanufac-
turers for correction and as this can
be made in "a short time. 1t Is proba Bile
that all of the medals will be sent
weeks.
Basin and Brothers, of Rochester.
\. Y, in a competitive bid. through
/ their agent. T. ". Straylor. OF Nor
folk, obtained the contract for de-
signing and manufacturing the
medals and the specimens received by
General Sale are tribute to their skill
as designers. The medals bear a re-
production of the seal OF Virginia
known as the true seal of 1776-lS5o. 3
1t also bears the inscription. "Siy
Sempter Tyrannis.
Colonel Joseph V. Bidgood. keeper
of Virginia military records. who Is
an expert on the seal, examined the
medals and was loud In his praise
OF the perfect reproduction of the EN-
blem. He said there was not flaw
! and expressed his opinion that the
| medals were the most beautiful he had
ever seen.
1t was several months ago that Gen.
eral Sale conceived the idea of recog
nizing faithful service among the Vir-
! gtnia militia by presenting medals to
officers and enlisted men according
to their length of service. On Novem-
| Der 20 last ne issued an order stating
| that service medals would be issued
as follows:
/ Six years service, bronze medals;
nine years service. one silver bar;
twelve years service. an additional
silver bar: fifteen years service. sill
/ yer medal; eighteen years service,
/ one gold bar. twenty-one years SER
/ vice. an additional gold bar and TWEEN
+ ty-four years service, gold medal, and
/ one gold bar for every six years ser
/ vice thereafter.
In computing service only the time
served in the organized militia OF the
State Of III the volunteer and regular
armies and navies OF the United States
/ In the war WITH Spain Will be csoE
4, sidered. The medals Will be issued fol-
! lowing the application OF those who
| are entitled to them.
/ This method Of giving material and
! lasting recognition OF a soldiers meE-
| II and fidelity is in general accord
with General Sales plan TO attain a
/ hitherto unknown efficiency In the
Virginia volunteers. The award oil
service medals will be the first time
that Virginia has recognized military
faithfulness in such manner.