Back Medalla del Servei de Defensa Americana Catalan مدال خدمات دفاعی آمریکا FA American Defense Service Medal French American Defense Service Medal Italian アメリカ防衛従軍記章 Japanese Medal Amerykańskiej Służby Obronnej Polish Медаль «За защиту Америки» Russian Пам'ятна медаль оборони Америки Ukrainian
| American Defense Service Medal | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Service Medal |
| Awarded for | Service between 8 September 1939 and 7 December 1941 |
| Presented by | Department of War and Department of the Navy |
| Eligibility | Military personnel only |
| Status | Inactive |
| Established | Executive Order 8808, June 28, 1941 |
| First awarded | September 8, 1939 (retroactive) |
| Last awarded | December 7, 1941 (retroactive) |
| Total recipients | about 2,000,000 |
  Service ribbon and Streamer | |
| Precedence | |
| Next (higher) | Army: Army of Occupation of Germany Medal Air Force: Air Force Recognition Ribbon Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard: China Service Medal |
| Next (lower) | Army – Women's Army Corps Service Medal Navy & Marine Corps – American Campaign Medal Air Force – American Campaign Medal |
The American Defense Service Medal was a military award of the United States Armed Forces, established by Executive Order 8808, by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, on June 28, 1941.[1][2] The medal was intended to recognize those military service members who had served on active duty between September 8, 1939, and December 7, 1941.
A similar medal, known as the American Campaign Medal, was established in 1942, for service in the American Theater during the World War II era.
- ^ Army Regulation 600–8–22 Military Awards (PDF). Washington, DC: Headquarters Department of the Army. 24 June 2013. p. 70. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-04-10. Retrieved 2014-01-10.
- ^ "American Defense Service Medal". The Institute of Heraldry. Archived from the original on 2014-01-10. Retrieved 10 January 2014.