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About the Navy Distinguished Service Medal

 

      The Navy Distinguished Service Medal was established by Act of Congress (Public Law 253, 65th Congress), approved February 4, 1919. The Navy Distinguished Service Medal, Title 10, United States Code, Section 6243 (10 USC 6243).  The Navy Distinguished Service Medal has been in effect since April 6, 1917. The medal was designed by Paul Manship (1885-1966).

      The Navy Distinguished Service Medal is awarded to a person who, while serving in any capacity with the Navy or Marine Corps, distinguishes himself by exceptionally meritorious service to the United States in a duty of great responsibility. To justify this decoration, an exceptional performance of duty, clearly above that normally expected, which has contributed materially to the success of a major command or project, is required. In general, the Distinguished Service Medal will be awarded only to those officers in principal commands at sea or in the field whose service is such as to justify the award. However, this shall not be interpreted to preclude the award of the Distinguished Service Medal to any individual whose service meets the requirements. If there is any doubt as to the degree of service involved, the Legion of Merit is the more appropriate award.

         Additional awards of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal are denoted by gold stars five-sixteenths of an inch in diameter.

 

       The central feature of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal is an American bald eagle with displayed wings in the center of a gilt-bronze medallion one and a quarter inches in diameter. The eagle holds an olive branch and arrows in its right and left talons, respectively. The eagle is surrounded by a blue enameled ring which contains the words, UNITED STATES NAVY, with NAVY centered at the bottom. Outside the blue enamel ring is a gold border consisting of scroll waves moving in a clockwise direction. The medal is suspended from its ribbon by a five-pointed star (point up) tipped with gold balls. In the center of the star is an anchor, and gold rays emanate from the re-entrant angles of the star.

    The basic theme of the obverse design is taken from the Army Distinguished Service Medal, which also has an eagle in the center and which is also surrounded by a blue enameled ring. The eagle is the American bald eagle and represents the United States, while the scroll waves allude to naval service (as does the star which suspends the medal). The olive branches and arrows in the eagles talons refer to distinguished service in either war or peace. The star used in the suspender stands for military service, and the anchor within the star indicates service performed on behalf of the Navy.

    The ribbon to the Navy Distinguished Service Medal is a field of Navy blue with a center stripe of gold. These are the colors of the U.S. Navy.