Croix de guerre The Croix de Guerre ( English translation : " Cross of War " ) is a military decoration of France . It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square - cross medal on two crossed swords , hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins . The decoration was awarded during World War I , again in World War II , and in other conflicts . The Croix de guerre was also commonly bestowed on foreign military forces allied to France . The Croix de guerre may either be awarded as an individual or unit award to those soldiers who distinguish themselves by acts of heroism involving combat with the enemy . The medal is awarded to those who have been " mentioned in despatches " , meaning a heroic deed or deeds were performed meriting a citation from an individual ' s headquarters unit . The unit award of the Croix de guerre with palm was issued to military units whose men performed heroic deeds in combat and were subsequently recognized by headquarters . Appearance . The " Croix de guerre " medal varies depending on which country is bestowing the award and for what conflict . Separate French medals exist for the First and Second World War . For the unit decoration of the Croix de guerre , a " fourragère " ( which takes the form of a braided cord ) is awarded ; this is suspended from the shoulder of an individual ' s uniform . As the " Croix de guerre " is issued as several different medals , and as a unit decoration , situations typically arose where an individual was awarded the decoration several times , for different actions , and from different sources . Regulations also permitted the wearing of multiple Croix de guerre , meaning that such medals were differentiated in service records by specifying " French Croix de guerre " , " French Croix de guerre ( WWI ) " , etc . French Croix de guerre . There are three distinct " Croix de guerre " medals in the French system of honours : Furthermore , the French collaborationist government created two " croix " during World War II . These " croix " are illegal and wearing them is outlawed . The " Croix " was created by a law of April 2 , 1915 , proposed by French deputy Émile Briant . The Croix reinstated an older system of mentions in dispatches , which were only administrative honours with no medal . The sculptor Paul - André Bartholomé created the medal , a bronze cross with swords , showing the effigy of the republic . The French Croix represents a mention in dispatches awarded by a commanding officer , at least a regimental commander . Depending on the officer who issued the mention , the ribbon of the Croix is marked with extra pins . The French Croix de guerre des TOE was created in 1921 for wars fought in theatres of operation outside of France . It was awarded during the Indochina War , Korean War , and other wars up to the Kosovo War in 1999 . When World War II broke out in 1939 , a new Croix de guerre was created by Édouard Daladier . It was abolished by Vichy Government in 1941 , which created a new Croix de guerre . In 1943 General Giraud in Algiers created another Croix de guerre . Both Vichy and Giraud Croix were abolished by General de Gaulle in 1944 , who reinstated the 1939 Croix . The Croix de guerre takes precedence between the Ordre national du Mérite and the Croix de la Valeur Militaire , the World War I Croix being senior to the World War II one , itself senior to TOE Croix . Unit Award . The Croix can be awarded to military units , as a manifestation of a collective Mention in Despatches . It is then displayed on the unit ' s flag . A unit , usually a regiment or a battalion , is always mentioned at the army level . The Croix is then a Croix de guerre with palm . Other communities , such as cities or companies can be also awarded the Croix . When a unit is mentioned twice , it is awarded the " fourragère " of the " Croix de guerre " . This " fourragère " is worn by all men in the unit , but it can be worn on a personal basis : those permanently assigned to a unit , at the time of the mentions , were entitled to wear the fourragère for the remainder of service in the military . Temporary personnel , or those who had joined a unit after the actions which had been mentioned , were authorized to wear the award while a member of the unit but would surrender the decoration upon transfer . This temporary wearing of the fourragère only applied to the French version of the Croix de guerre . The 2nd Battalion Devonshire Regiment Regiment of the British Army was awarded the French Croix de guerre with palm for its gallant defence of Bois des Buttes on 27 May 1918 , the first day of the Third Battle of the Aisne United States acceptance . In the United States military , the Croix de guerre was accepted as a foreign decoration . It remains to be one of the difficult foreign awards to verify entitlement . The Croix de guerre unit and individual award were often presented with original orders only and rarely entered into a permanent service record . The 1973 National Archives Fire destroyed most of the World War II personnel records which are needed to verify a veteran ' s entitlement to the Croix de guerre award . However , foreign unit award entitlements can be checked and verifyed through official unit history records . Veterans must provide proof of service in the unit cited at the time of action in order to be entitled to the award . Individual foreign awards can be checked through foreign government ( France ) military records . In World War II , the 320th Bombardment Group received the Croix de Guerre avec Palme for action in preparation for and in support of Allied offensive operations in central Italy , April – June 1944 . It was the first American unit in this war to be awarded the citation . Members of the 440th AAA AW Battalion ( Anti - Aircraft Artillery - Automatic Weapons ) of the U . S . Army also received the Croix de Guerre avec Palme ( unit award ) for stopping the German Ardennes counter - offensive in holding the town of Gouvy , Belgium for 4 days at the beginning of the Battle of the Bulge on December 16 , 1944 . Gouvy is midway between St . Vith and Bastogne . Commanding Officer of the 440th , Lt . Col . Robert O . Stone , and Pfc . Joseph P . Regis , also received an individual award of the Croix de Guerre avec Palme . On June 21 , 1945 , French General De Gaulle presented the following citation to the 34th United States Infantry Division : " A ' division d ’ elite ' , whose loyal and efficient cooperation with French divisions , begun in TUNISIA , was gloriously continued throughout the Italian campaign , in particular during the operations of BELVEDERE when the 34th Division , despite the difficulties of the moment , displayed most courageous efforts in support of the operations of the 3rd Algerian Division . This citation bears with it the award of Croix de Guerre with Palm . " Today , members of United States 5th Marine Regiment and 6th Marine Regiment , the Army ' s 2nd Infantry Division , the Army ' s 3rd Infantry Division , the Army ' s 3rd Squadron - 4th Cavalry Regiment , the Army National Guard ' s 369th Infantry Battalion " Harlem Hellfighters " , and the Army ' s 1st Battalion - 28th Infantry Regiment , are authorized to wear a fourragère signifying that brigade ' s award of three Croix de guerre during World War I , but only while that individual is assigned to the unit . The wearing of the decoration is considered ceremonial and the fourragère is not entered as an official military award in permanent service records . Notable recipients . Other recipients . During World War I Cher Ami , a Carrier pigeon with the 77th Division , saved the lives of 194 American soldiers by carrying a message across enemy lines in the heat of battle . Cher Ami was shot in the chest and leg , blinded in one eye , losing most of the leg to which the message was attached , but continued the 25 - mile flight avoiding shrapnel and poison gas to get the message home . Cher Ami was awarded the French Croix de Guerre with Palm for heroic service . She later died from the wounds received in battle and was enshrined in the Smithsonian Institution .