The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1947-08-11
Issue Of Army's
Victory, Defense
Medals To Start

American Defense Service Medal
and World War II Victory Medal
for former Army personnel will
begin this week, Colonel r. G..
HOWE, Commanding Officer of
The Florida Military District, an
nOunced yesterday in Jackson
Vile.
Nearly 500 posts and chapters
Of the American Legion, Veterans
OF Foreign Wars, Disabled Amer
itsn Veterans, Jewish War Vet
ersns of the United States, and
Military Order of the World Wars
throughout the state, and the Ma
tibnal Guard are cooperating with
The District to make a rapid dis
trlbution possible.
Records show that more than
100000 Floridians are eligible for
the Victory medal and for that
reason we have asked the veter-
ans organizations and the Ma
tional Guard to help issue the
awards, rather than involve the
veteran in applying by mail to
the few Army installations in the
state. Colonel HOWE said.
Eligibility requirements for the
American Defense medal is ac-
tive duty service for twelve
months or longer between Sep
TENDER 8, 1899 and December
z. l94l. Personnel who served
outside the continental limits of
the United States and in Alaska.
crew members of a vessel sail
ing ocean waters and flight crew
members participating in regular
snd frequent flights over ocean
waters are entitled to a Foreign
Service" clasp to be worn on the
suspension ribbon of the medal.
A bronze star is furnished for the
service ribbon to indicate foreign
Service.
Requirements for the Victory
medal is service between Deem
Der z, l94l and December 81,
1896.
Service medals are awarded
for honorable service only. No
Individual will be awarded the
Defense or Victory medal who
has been dismissed, dishonorably
discharged, or who deserted SUBJ
scquent to specified duty.
Veterans who apply in person
must present their original dis
charge certificates, certificates in
lieu of lost or destroyed dis
charges, certificates of service, or
other adequate War Department
authenticated statements of SER
vice in order to obtain either
medal.
Ex-Army personnel and the
next-of-kin of ex-Army person
mel may make application for
these medals to the Commanding
Officer, Florida Military District,
p. o. Box ITO, Jacksonville,
Florida. Letters of application
must be accompanied by a pho
tostatic or notarized copy of
either the discharge certificate,
certificate in lieu of lost or de-
sttoyed discharge, certificate of
service. or other authenticated
statement of service.
Next of kin of individuals who
died while on active duty in the
Army who do not possess the
necessary documents to make
proper application may apply to
the Chief. Demobilized Personnel
Records Branch, Building l05, Re-
cords Administration Center, St.
Louis 20, Missouri, for such doc
Uments. Full name, last grade
held. and serial number of the
deceased personnel should be pro-
vided. BY next-of-kin is meant
the first of the following who is
living: widow or widower, eld-
est son, eldest daughter, father,
mother, eldest brother, eldest
sister, or other relative.
Persons who apply for the med
al by mail or who write the Per-
scnnel Records Branch should
clearly indicate the complete re-.
turn address to insure rapid
handling of the application.
Colonel HOWE stated this Dis
trict is authorized to issue the
medals to ex-Army personnel
both ground and air, only. The
Navy. Marine Corps and Coast
Guard have their own issuing
systems, the Colonel said.
Colonel HOWE requests letter
applicants to defer inquiries as to
action on their mail requests. The
issue of the large number of med
ais involved must be accomplish
cd by existin military personnel
primarily assigned to other du-
ties and the applicant will appre-
glatn that narfaiy, loloxz - A.