French Military Medal

The Médaille militaire (Military Medal) is a decoration of the French Republic which was first instituted in 1852. The Military Medal is issued to any non-commissioned officer or enlisted personnel who distinguishes himself by acts of bravery in action against an enemy force. Commissioned officers are normally not elligible, but it may be awarded to Admirals and Generals for command prowess in the field. After the First World War, the Military Medal was also issued for receiving wounds in combat. French Medal of Merit This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... French Medal of Merit This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... 1852 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Admiral is a word from either the Arabic term amir-al-bahr, or the Irish term Ard muirfhear or Ardmurar , both meaning commander of the seas. ... General is a military rank, in most nations the highest rank, although some nations have the higher rank of Field Marshal. ... Ypres, 1917, in the vicinity of the Battle of Passchendaele. ...

The Médaille militaire is one of rarest French decorations to be bestowed upon foreigners, in contrast to such medals as the Croix de guerre. During the Second World War, the Medal of Merit reached its highest numbers of foreign bestowals, most often to members of the British Army as well as to the United States military. The decoration is considered, in both countries, to be the equivalent of a Meritorious Service Medal. The Croix de guerre is a military decoration of both Belgium and France which was first created in 1915. ... Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ... The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British military. ... The armed forces of the United States of America consist of the United States Army United States Navy United States Air Force United States Marine Corps United States Coast Guard Note: The United States Coast Guard has both military and law enforcement functions. ... The Meritorious Service Medal is a senior level military decoration presented to denote acts of non-combat meritorious service worthy of recognition. ...

Unit Award of the French Military Medal

In addition to the individual medal, the Médaille militaire is also authorized as a unit award to those military commands who display the same criteria of bravery as would be required for the individual medal. The unit award is known as the Fourragère of the Médaille militaire and is worn as a cord suspended from the shoulder of a military uniform. the decoration may be permanently worn by those who were members of a military unit when the heroic action was performed. For those on temporary status, or who joined a unit after the cited action, the fourragère is worn temporarly and must be surrendered upon transfer from the unit. French Military Medal Cord File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... French Military Medal Cord File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...