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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
Jachman, Isadore Seigfreid "Izzy"14-12-192204-01-1945
Jackson, Arthur Robert  
Jackson, Donald L.  
Jackson, Earl L.05-09-191303-02-1945
Jackson, Eugene E.29-07-192215-02-1945more
Jackson, Glenn R.  
Jackson, Homan K.00-00-191830-12-1944
Jackson, Joseph J.  
Jackson, Leroy  
Jackson, Schuyler Wolcott "Sky"26-02-1919 
Jacobia, Arthur C.28-05-192126-12-1975
Jacobson, Donald L.  
Jacobson, Leo  
James, Elwood F.  
James, Henry G.  
Janas, Ferdinand R.  
Jandro, Howard J.19-01-192523-02-1945
Janken, Walter E.  
Jannique, Antoine Paul  
Japhet, James H. 06-06-1944
Jarrett, Harry Bean12-10-189809-04-1974more
Jarrett, Percy Wilfred  
Jasper, Cooly S.  
Jean, Wilmer F.  
Jeanperrin, Georges14-05-191606-01-2003more
Jedrziewski, Anthony A.03-01-191523-01-1985
Jehl, Paul C.00-00-192000-00-1978
Jenkins, Floyd M.  
Jenkins, Samuel L.  
Jennings, Harold R.  
Jensik, Victor E.  
Jessup, Edward P. 25-08-2011
John, Howard J.  
Johns, Glover Steiner Jr.31-01-191219-05-1976more
Johnson, Alex C.  
Johnson, Burton A.  
Johnson, Charles R.  
Johnson, Charles W.  
Johnson, Dan D.  
Johnson, Earle A.16-03-1893 more
Johnson, Horace A.  
Johnson, James Charles08-10-1920 
Johnson, James L.  
Johnson, Joseph  
Johnson, Joseph Quitman (Joe) "Baby of Bataan"27-01-192624-06-2017
Johnson, Merle F.  more
Johnson, Merlin C.  
Johnson, Paul H.  
Johnson, Sylvian Lee24-02-1922 
Johnson, Walter M.00-00-190300-06-1997more
Johnston, George W.  
Jonas, Glenn15-06-191925-11-1990
Jones, Beuford C.  
Jones, David E. 10-04-1945
Jones, Edward Allison "Hillbilly"01-04-191710-10-1944
Jones, Franklin Ira15-09-191312-07-1948
Jones, George Madison "The Warden"22-02-191116-12-1996more
Jones, Harold R.  
Jones, Henry Francis  
Jones, Henry W.  
Jones, Jenkin R. 26-05-1944
Jones, Paul26-04-1926 
Jones, Randolph L.  
Josephs, Theodore  
Jurado, David H.  
Jusela, Walter L.  

Sources