The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-07-17
TANGLE OF TAPE
Getting Victory Medal Is q Com
pIicated Job.
First Not Expected in Topeka
Before January 1.
EVERY YANK ENTITLED TO ONE
But He Must Furnish Full Proof
of Qualification.
Must Not Be Impatient, War De-
partment Warns.
EVERY YANK ENTITLED TO ONE

partment Warns.
The first Victory Medal is due to
arrive in Topeka about January /, in
the opinion of former army men here
after they read the war department
circular, just received. The circular
gives the first information regarding
the regulations governing the issuance
or the medal and the necessary red
tape the veterans must unwind before
receiving the decoration.
Each person who has seen service in
the army, navy, marine corps or as an
army nurse is entitled to the medal.
For each branch of the service and for
different classes in each branch there
are different kinds of application
blanks to be filled out. These blanks
are to be issued by the nearest re-
crulting depot, army post or training
camp, to which they are to be returned
after being filled out, accompanied by
the necessary supporting evidence, in
Guiding the persons discharge certiri-
cate and evidence of whau service he
had while in the army or navy, ma
rine corps etc.
Must Not Be impatient
Upon the receipt of the application
blank and supporting evidence at the
recruiting depot or army post, the Of
ficers there will pass upon them in or
der of receipt Those persons whose
applications are approved will be no
titled by post card at once and the
documentary evidence at once re-
turned to him, while the approved ap-
plication will be forwarded to the
depot quartermaster's office at Phila-
delphia- From there the medal will
be mailed to the applicant in the order
of receipt of the approved applica-
tons
Applicants are warned in the war
department circular that they must
not be impatient regarding the time
it takes to get their medals. The de-
partment calls attention to the fact
that there are approximately $500. 200
persons entitled to the medal and the
distribution viii be a big job. They
are told not to write concerning ap-
plications sent in to recruiting stations
and posts, until after thirty days have
elapsed, and no word has been re-
Ceived regarding the decision of the
officers there. They are told in ad-
ttion that they must wait three months
after they have been informed that
the medal will be awarded before they
write TO the issuing officer at Phila-
delphia.
Easy for Present soldiers.
For those war veterans who are
still in the service. the matter of
making an application for a Victory
Medal is u comparatively simple pro-
cedure. All they have to do is to get
y
and turn the finished application over
TO their officers. With the veteran
who is not now in the service, the
red tape is wound tight and takes
time TO untangle. The war depart
Hnent wishes to impress upon the pub
lie that it intends to be extremely
careful in making the distribution, so
that none who are not entitled to 1t
may slip thru. The departm ent also
wishes to be absolutely sure that, IN
making the award, all who are en-
titled to battle clasps, stars and other
insignia that go with the medal are
correct in each case and that none get
less nor more than they are entitled
to. To this end the war department
has thrown up every safeguard pos
sible against frauds and makes it hard
for even those who are entitled to the
medals and other decorations to get
what is coming to them.
Members of the Army Nurse Corps,
and field clerks not now in the service
have it easier than the rest of the
army veterans. Their applications are
to be sent direct to the surgeon gem
erals office or to the adjutant gen.
erals office, depending upon their
branch. No supporting evidence as to
status and rank at discharge will be
required of the nurses. Field clerks
will be required to furnish discharge
certificates, or discharge orders the
same as commissioned officers.
First Step in Getting Button.
The first move toward making an
application for a Victory Medal is to
send for the necessary application pa
pers These are different colors for
different classes of service rendered
during the war. Enlisted men or eX-
enlisted men now in service will ask
for form No. TAO a. @. 0. This is
white in color. Officers of the army
or ex-officers, contract surgeons and
cadets, now il service. make applica-
ton on form No. 740-a a. G.. o. This
blank is blue. Members or eX-mem-
bers of the Nurse Corps make appH-
cation on form No. 74O-f A. G. O.,
which. like form No. 740-g for the
field clerks, is also blue but has diff
ferent wording The form on which
the next of kin of a deceased soldier
makes application for his Victory
Medal is salmon in color and is called
form No. 740-b.
In making applications for the ap
plication blanks each person must
specifically state to which class he
or not he requires the forms for max
ing a true extract of his discharge
papers. The true classification of
each applicant will be based upon
what service he was rendering at the
time of discharge. The war depart
ment rules that if a man served as
an officer and has since been dis
charged and is now an enlisted man,