French Croix de Guerre medal issued to Cpl. Lawrence Leslie McVey
date: label: Date
content: 1918
name: label: Issued by
content: French Republic, French, founded 1792
label: Designed by
content: Albert Bartholomé, French, 1848 - 1928
label: Received by
content: Cpl. Lawrence Leslie McVey, Sr., American, 1897 - 1968
label: Subject of
content: 369th Infantry Regiment, American, 1913 - 1945
notes: label: Caption
content: Due to racial tension within the US Army, the 369th Infantry Regiment was assigned to the French Army for the duration of US involvement in World War I. Formed from the 15th New York National Guard Regiment and nicknamed the "Harlem Hellfighters," the 369th was the first African American regiment to reach the battlefields of World War I and the first Allied troops to reach the banks of the Rhine. Upon completion of the 369th’s service in the war, the regiment had spent 191 days in combat, the longest of any American regiment. In appreciation for their actions in the Maison-en-Champagne campaign, the 369th was awarded the Croix de Guerre by the French Government for acts of bravery in conflicts against the enemy. In addition to this honor, 171 individual members of the 369th Regiment were awarded the Croix de Guerre and the Legion of Honor. The 369th Regiment finished their service in Europe and returned to the US in February 1919.
label: Description
content: Florentine bronze cross patée, with two crossed swords between the arms. The center of the front side shows the symbolic profile of the French Republic: a young woman wearing a Phrygian cap. The words [REPUBLIC FRANCAISE] (French Republic) encircle the portrait. The cross is suspended by a green ribbon with seven narrow vertical red stripes. A bronze star affixed to the ribbon indicates McVey was honored at the regiment or brigade level. The back of the medal has the dates of World War I, [1914 / 1918].
place: label: Place made
content: France, Europe
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Military
label: Topic
content: World War I
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Classification
content: Awards, Medals, and Insignia
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Gina R. McVey, Granddaughter
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2011.108.9.1
objectType: label: Type
content: medals
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: No Known Copyright Restrictions
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: bronze, ribbon and metal
label: Dimensions
content: H x W: 4 1/4 x 1 1/2 x 1/8 in. (10.8 x 3.8 x 0.3 cm)