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Bronze Star Medal (BSM)

The Bronze Star Medal was officially instituted by Executive Order 9419 on February 4th, 1944. It was based on the idea of Colonel Russell P. "Red" Reeder in 1943. He had launched the thought that it was good for the morale of the military when there was a decoration that could be awarded by Captains of a Company or Battery to the personnel who served under their command. Colonel Reeder saw this medal as the ground version of the Air Medal and first introduced the name "Ground Medal". At first the decoration was to be instituted with the U.S. Navy to be given to ground and surface personnel for heroic or meritorious deeds. For unknown reasons the institution did not occur. The idea was picked up by General George C. Marshall who wrote a memorandum to President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The president instituted the medal the very next day.

The decoration could be awarded to any military who, serving within or together with the army of the United States after 6th December 1941, decorating himself by heoric or meritorious deeds as military, not participating in air operations, during military operations against an armed enemy or during an armed conflict in which the United States was not participating as a beligirent. The decoration could be awarded for the discribed heroic actions, not sufficient to be awarded the Silver Star or for meritorious actions or meritorious acting of service, which did not qualify for the awarding of the Legion of Merit. In 1947 the possibilities for awarding were enlarged. From that moment on the medal could also be awarded to any member of the United States Army that were mentioned in orders after December 6th, 1941 or who had received a certificate for exceptional service in goundbattle against an armed enemy between December 7th, 1941 and September 2nd, 1945 or who’s merit could be proven by documents dated before July 1st, 1947. This made it possible to award the Bronze Star to any person who had received the Combat Infantryman Badge or the Combat Medical Badge.
The Bronze Star can also be obtained by veterans or next of kinn. Military that took part in the struggle on the Philippines between December 7th, 1941 and May,10th 1942 could receive the medal when the action took place on Luzon, the Bataan peninsula or the Harbour Defences on Corregidor Island and were entitled to the Philippine Presidential Unit Citation. Military who had received the Purple Heart during the early days of the Second World War specifically for merit and not for wounds could in some occasions also exchange the Purple Heart for the Bronze Star. To any foreign soldier that fought in close coöperation with the United States Army, the decoration could also be awarded.

The Bronze Star Medal was designed by Rudolf Freund of Bailey, Banks and Biddle who also designed the Silver Star. The decoration measures 1,5 inch (38 mm) over all. In the middle there can be found another bronze star with a diametre of 3/16 inch (4,8 mm). All radials in the centre of both stars continue in one each other. The back bears the inscription "HEROIC OR MERITIOUS ACHIEVEMENT" and a space to ingrave the recipients name.

The medal hangs on a ribbon with a square loop and rounded corners. The ribbon measures 1 3/8 inch (35 mm) wide. Left and right can be fond a 1/32 inch (1 mm) wide white line, followed to the inside by a scarlet 9/16 inch (14 mm) broad band. In the middel can be fond an ultramarine blue band measuring 1/8 inch (3 mm) flanked by two 1/32 inch (1 mm) lines.

Every next Bronze Star awarded was to be shown by a bronze oak leaf cluster (US Army, Air Corps and Air Force) or a golden star (US Navy, Marines and Coast Guard). At every fifth award, the bronze and golden were replaced by a a silver oak leaf cluster or silver star. A bronze "V" for "Valor" was awarded when the Bronze Star was received for heoism in battle, thus distincting the award from the Bronze Stars warded for merit. This "V" was introduced in 1945. The action it was to be awarded for had to be of significant value. Only one "V" was permitted to be worn on the ribbon.

Abrams, Creighton Williams, Jr.* September 15th, 1914
† September 4th, 1974

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Adams, Lucian* October 26th, 1922
† March 31st, 2003
Plot: AI Grave: 555

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Adler, Samuel Ludwig "Sam" (US Army)* October 4th, 1910
† April 20th, 1945
Plot: F Row: 11 Grave: 26

Grid List
NameDate of birthDate of deathAwards
Aaron, Henry Clay "Hank" Jr.28-09-191920-01-1996
Aaron, Hubert Lee18-10-192302-06-2014more
Abbott, Edgar Raymond10-11-191717-06-1944
Abbott, Lysle I.07-09-191813-12-1997
Abney, Grady00-00-191620-09-1945
Abrams, Creighton Williams, Jr.15-09-191404-09-1974more
Acheson, Viscount, Archibald14-01-191117-02-1966
Ackerman, Walther R. (US Army)  
Adamkoski, Frank Jr. 17-01-1945
Adams, Donald R.20-02-192020-09-1944more
Adams, Jonathan E., Jr. "Jock"08-09-191720-09-1984
Adams, Lucian26-10-192231-03-2003more
Adams, Robert D. (US Army)  
Adams, Steve  
Adlard, Ithel R.  
Adler, Samuel Ludwig "Sam" (US Army)04-10-191020-04-1945
Adzuara, Rufo 05-05-1942
Agna, Reginald A.24-12-191423-11-1944
Ahad, Iman Marajukin L.09-04-191825-12-1971more
Aho, Edward W.10-10-190631-10-1945
Aiello, James Joseph27-08-191202-03-1996more
Aikens, Wingurd08-04-192100-00-1983
Aingell, Yaha28-02-192130-12-1943
Aker, Fred Theador20-08-192017-04-1945
Albertini, Maurice Marc29-11-191128-07-1999
Albright, Barry E.08-03-191805-11-1950
Alessandro, Joseph  
Alexander, Earl D  
Alexander, Mark James23-01-191121-05-2004
Alexander, Merrill S.  
Alexander, Richard D.  
Alexander, Robert O. (US Army)  
Alfonso, Jafet00-00-191820-09-1944
Alford, Paul R.  
Alger, Harold L.  
Allard, Howard A.  
Allen, Doniphan Monroe "Don"05-08-191129-11-1944
Allen, Edgel  more
Allen, John E.  
Allen, Laurence Edmund19-10-190812-05-1975
Allen, Robert R.  
Allen, Ueal F.  
Allen, Walter Henry "Pappy"17-05-191523-04-1951more
Allmon, Mervin Wilcox  
Allsopp, Henry Richard, 5th Baron Hindlip01-07-191219-12-1993
Alonge, Sam F.  
Alston, Augustus Howard Jr.  
Alterio, Ernest09-06-191228-12-2003more
Altif, Albert  
Altomare, Eugene 05-11-1943
Alvaro, William  
Alvis, Samuel  
Amaral, Noah R  
Ambler, Eric Clifford28-06-190922-10-1998
Ambro, Eugene Allan16-10-191924-10-1944
Ambrose, Louis M.  
Amerman, Walter Gordon Dr. (US Army)07-11-191928-12-1988more
Ammons, Jack E.00-00-192500-00-1979
Anderson, Alan G.  
Anderson, Amel  
Anderson, Beauford T. "Andy"06-07-192207-11-1996more
Anderson, Bernard H.  
Anderson, Clarence Franklin19-07-191810-10-1993
Anderson, Clarence Leland01-12-191308-07-1944
Anderson, Clifford, Jr.  
Anderson, David  
Anderson, Dean  
Anderson, George Calvin  
Anderson, James H.00-04-1920 
Anderson, James M.  
Anderson, Leroy H.02-02-190625-09-1991
Anderson, Norman A.  
Anderson, Raymond J.  
Anderson, Robert Washington09-08-192107-02-1986more
Anderson, Roy  
Anderson, Rudolph Y.09-06-191930-03-1945
Anderson, William A.  
Andreas, Jack 11-07-1943
Andrews, John D.  
Andrews, Peter  
Androsky, John P. 05-10-1944
Angel, Camillus  
Angerer, Bennie B.  
Anglin, Suel C.  
Anker, Leonard A.  
Annin III, Robert Edwards30-05-191830-03-1945
Anton, Calvin K.  
Antonioli, Louis L. 26-03-2005
Antrim, Richard Nott17-12-190708-03-1969more
Apelgren, Edwin  
Appleby, Gene J.01-09-191417-09-1944
Appleby, Gene J. 17-09-1944
Appleton, Ernest Philip  
Arasin, Joseph  
Argall, Thomas P.  
Arkema, Kenneth J.04-09-191911-09-2003
Arledge, William H. 06-10-1944
Armellino, John Ralph21-02-192117-09-2004
Armitstead, Herbert  
Armstrong, John F. "Jack"  
Arndt, Daniel  
Arnold, Edwin Y.  
Arnold, William Howard18-01-190130-09-1976more
Arterburn, Nello R.  
Artkamp, Maurice B.05-06-1911 
Arzel, François, Marie25-02-192120-11-1944
Ashman, Charles H.01-03-192421-05-1945more
Ashmore, Vester  
Ashton, Clarence Mcallister14-02-192304-09-2011more
Askren, William V. 20-09-1944
Asper, Mauria H.  
Astier de la Vigerie, d', Henri11-09-189710-10-1952
Astoria, Arthur J.  
Athens, Everett John "Johny" 00-05-1994
Atkins, Barry Kennedy02-08-191115-11-2005
Atkins, Thomas Eugene05-02-192115-09-1999
Atkinson, Marvin E.  
Atkinson, Robert W.  
Aubrey, Gordon K.  
Aurness, James King "Jim"26-05-192303-06-2011more
Austin, Bernard Lige15-12-190221-09-1979more
Auvil, Daniel M., Jr.  
Ayers, Alfred  
Ayers, William E.  
Ayres, Harold B.  
Azbill, Cecil Albert15-01-191811-11-1994

Sources