Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1920-01-08
IA Win Distinguished Service
Honor Idaho Ranks nth
"a Service Cross lGsn a.
Located n State.
CAPITAL HAS TWO CROSSES
Lees 3Aan One Per Gent Of the
1oldisrs in A. :. !. Given
lgilitasy Decorations OIL
cial Report Published.

Lsss than / per cent Of the Aneri-
can soldiers who saw service with
the A. Z. r. won the congressional
medal Of honor and the distinguished
service cross, the military decora-
lions bestowed by the American gov
erument Tor extraordinary heroism IN
action.
The Official figures are: Medal of
honor. ~; distinguished service cross,
ssl1,
ttnguished service medal which is the
decoration conferred by the govern
ment for conspicuous service In a
position Of great trust and responsible
ity.
The American decorations are the
greatest in the world. Winning them
calls for q greater act Of honor valor
or service than REQUIRED by any other
nation. The man who wears one has
done something.
These interesting facts are disclosed
In the publication Of Heroes All"
which has just been announced by the
Fassett Publishing company of Wash
ington, d. c. The book is an official
record Of the Individual exploits and
great war containing the name and
citation Of those who We're decorated
with the medal Of honor, the distin-
guished service cross and the distin-
guished service medal.
Included in Heroes All." are tables
which show the number of men from
each division and regiment and each
state and city who received the deco
rations. The Fifth Regiment of Ma
rines and New York state head the
lists. Nine men from New York won
the medal of honor and $40 d. s. e.
Illinois with seven is second on the
medal of honor list. while Tennessee,
South Carolina, California, Missouri
and New Jersey with six apiece are
tied for third.
IDAHO STANDS ELEVENTH.
On the u. S. c. list pennsylvania
is second with 42o, while Illinois Id
third with 353 Massachusetts, is a
close fourth with 321.
Idaho is eleventh with %.
The origin and history Of the Ameri-
can tmedals and decorations generally
are described in the introduction OF
Heroes All! by Harry r. Stringer. the
editor In part. Mr.. Stringer writes:
Tradition has 1t that the custom OF
decorating war heroes originated with
the Chinese many centuries before the
advent of Christianity, but the prac-
ticc did not become. popular until late
in the Middle Ages when the armies
of England wore badges after the de.
cline Of armor and before the use o.
distinctive uniforms In this country
the custom dates back to the Revolu-
ton. esss Z
''rhe army medal of honor wal
authorized by congress in 1862. Origi.
nally, the law governing the issuance
Of these medals provided that the,
were 10 BIO conferred only upon non.
commissioned officers and enlisted mel
for deeds OF extraordinary heroism, bu
popular agitation resulted in the re
movnl of this restriction two year.
later and commissioned officers wer'
made eligible to the decorations al
though the requirements were In no
wise altered. At the same time tn
provision designating them as civi
war medals strictly was eliminated.
"The war with Germany gave u
our two other military decorations
the disting uished service cross and tn
DISTINGUISHED service medal. Congress
established them in the army appro
priation act of July. 1918.
"The American military decoration
rank with the highest in the work.
There is none. greater, perhaps, tina
our modal of honor. Our distinguish
service cross takes its place with tn
celebrated Victoria Cross of Grea
Britain which has been conceded I
be the highest decoration for valor !
the world. while our distinguished ser
vice medal is the equal of any foreig
medal of it's class"
fHERE IDAHO MEDALS PLACE.
The following table shows the mum
Der of men from each city In ldah
who were decorated with the medal {
honor or the distinguished seryic
cross: