Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1918-12-11
INTRODUCING E
CROIx De GUERRE
Many Questions Asked Concerning
the American Soldiers insignia
by tie Lay Folk.
V-SHAPED GOLD STRIPE
~ FOR EACH SIX MONTHS
The Distinguished Service Cross is
Awarded by the President for
Extraordinary Heroism IN
With Direct Military
Operation KS

Does that ribbon with green I'M it
mean the Croix de Guerre or service
on the Mexican border?"
What does the distinguished SER
vice medal look Hke?"
How can you tell wound stripes
and service stripes?"
What are all those different cords
on the soldiers hats?" H.1
These are few of the questions
that are asked concerning the AM
erican soldiers insignia by the lay
folk who, full of eager interest, con-
fess that even the comparatively
simple markings in the american
army and navy 'get them all mixed
up" Nobody wants to mistake a
French war cross for the badge worn
by sharpshooter, or to announce
that soldier is in the infantry "be-
cause he has grayish card on his
campaign hat" when in reality that
gray cord marks the wearer as in
the service OF the tanks Every one
knows how to tell a lieutenant from
a major, but concerning the intricac-
les of the smaller insignia there are
many questions asked. 8
Perhaps the questions asked most
often now that many of our heroes
have come home, for time at least,
are about wound and service stripes.
The army's cheyrons for six months
foreign service and for a wound are
Just alike-a V-shaped gold stripe
for each six months of service, or
for each wound. The difference ,s
that the service stripes" are worn
on the left sleeve just above the cuff.
the wound stripes ON rne right. TherS
is also a cheyron of light blue for
less tnan six months OF foreign SER
vice. Perhaps the timehonored
method of the landlubber in remem-
bering which was which" between
port and "starboard"-that the
one was left" that had the same
number of letters-may be the most
helpful here: right" is "wound"--
five letters each.
Another subject of inxhaustible
interest and well-nigh ineXhaustible
completely is that of decorations and
ribbons OF various kinds. The diff
Guilty is simply that there are so
many of them. We see many, sol
diers with ribbon bars nowadays.
Here are the meanings of those in
which We are most interested:
The distinguished service cross is
awarded by the president Ito any
person who since April 6, 1917, has
distinguished himself or herself by
extraordinary heroism in connection
with direct military operation" It
is bronze cross, bearing an eagle.
Its ribbons of red, white and blue
a wide blue CENTER narrow white
strip on, each side, wider red stripe
at each end. !,
The distinguished service medal, a
round bronze medal bearing the
eagle, is awarded by the president
'tto any person who has distinguish
ed himself or herself by exceptionally
meritorious service in duty of great
responsibility in time of war;" Its
ribbon has white center, not so
wide as the center blue of the ribbon
of the ID. s. c., with a narrow blue
stripe on each side, and wider red
stripes at the ends. These, like the
wound and service chevrons, are re-
wards authorized by the President
for service in the present war.
The ribbon of the French war
cross, which many young Americans
have won during the war, is red and
green--a green ground with five
equidistant red stripes.
The badge for Service on the
Mexican border hasa wide green
center, fianked by narfow stripes. of
blue; on each side of these are
slightly wider stripes of yellow; the
ends are narrow stripes of green.
The badge for foreign service has, as
its center, narrow stripe of buf,
then on each side a stripe OF red,
then one of white, with ends of light
These AREA few out of many CAM
paign ribbons and badges OF merit,
service, or heroism. A>good deal Of
interest attaches, too, to the marks
OF especial skill in shooting. The.
sharpshooter's badge is a maltese
cross with bar above it, The expert