View source for American Campaign Medal

{{Short description|Military award of the US Armed Forces}}
{{Use American English|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox award
| name = American Campaign Medal
| image = AmericanCM.png
| image_size = 150px
| caption = '''[[Obverse and reverse|Obverse]]'''
| presenter = [[United States Department of War|Department of War]] and [[United States Department of the Navy|Department of the Navy]]
| type = [[Service medal]]
| eligibility = U.S. military service in the American Theater for at least 30 days outside the U.S. or 1 year inside the U.S. between December 7, 1941, and March 2, 1946.
| status = Inactive
| firstawarded = December 7, 1941
| lastawarded = March 2, 1946
| total_awarded = 
| total_awarded_posthumously = 
| total_recipients = 
| individual = 
| same = [[Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal]]<br/>[[European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal]]
| lower = [[World War II Victory Medal]]
| image2 = <br />[[Image:American Campaign Medal ribbon.svg|100px|border|alt=American Campaign Medal ribbon and streamer]]<br /><br />[[Image:World_War_II_-_American_Campaign_Streamer_(Plain).png|230px|Streamer for American Campaign Medal]]
| caption2 = [[Service ribbon]] and [[campaign streamer]]
| reverse = [[File:ETO Medal Reverse.jpg|100px]]
| higher = [[American Defense Service Medal]]
}}
The '''American Campaign Medal''' was a [[United States service medals of the World Wars|military award]] of the [[United States Armed Forces]] which was first created on November 6, 1942, by {{ExecutiveOrder|9265}} issued by President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]].<ref name="American Campaign Medal">{{cite book|title=Army Regulation 600–8–22 Military Awards|publisher=Headquarters Department of the Army|location=Washington, DC|pages=69–70|url=https://www.apd.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/pdf/web/r600_8_22.pdf|date=25 June 2015 |access-date=2017-05-14}}</ref><ref name=tioh>{{cite web|title=American Campaign Medal|url=http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/Catalog/Heraldry.aspx?HeraldryId=15297&CategoryId=4&grp=4&menu=Decorations%20and%20Medals&ps=24&p=0|publisher=The Institute of Heraldry|access-date=9 January 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129021841/http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/Catalog/Heraldry.aspx?HeraldryId=15297&CategoryId=4&grp=4&menu=Decorations%20and%20Medals&ps=24&p=0|archive-date=2014-11-29|url-status=dead}}</ref> The medal was intended to recognize those military members who had performed military service in the [[American Theater of World War II|American Theater of Operations]] during [[World War II]].<ref name=tioh/>  A similar medal, known as the [[American Defense Service Medal]] was awarded for active duty service before the United States' entry into World War II.

==History==
The American Campaign Medal was established per Executive Order 9265 on 6 November 1942, by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and announced in War Department Bulletin 56, 1942. The criteria were initially announced in Department of the Army (DA) Circular 1, dated 1 January 1943, so that the ribbon could be authorized prior to design of the medal. The criteria for the medal were announced in DA Circular 84, dated 25 March 1948 and subsequently published in Army Regulation 600–65, dated 22 September 1948. The American Campaign Medal was issued as a [[service ribbon]] only during the Second World War, and was not issued as a full-sized medal until 1947.<ref name=tioh/>

The first recipient of the American Campaign Medal was [[General of the Army (United States)|General of the Army]] [[George Marshall|George C. Marshall, Jr.]]<ref name=tioh/>

In January 2020, the United States Air Force retroactively authorized the American Campaign streamer to fly from the flag of the [[Civil Air Patrol]] located at CAP National Headquarters, [[Maxwell Air Force Base]], [[Alabama]]. The streamer recognizes CAP's involvement in coastal patrol operations between May and August 1943 while attached to [[United States Army Air Forces|Army Air Forces]] Antisubmarine Command.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.wsfa.com/2020/09/03/maxwells-civil-air-patrol-flies-special-flag-th-anniversary-wwiis-end/ |title=Maxwell's Civil Air Patrol flies special flag on 75th anniversary of WWII's end |author=Bryan Henry |date=3 September 2020 |website=WSFA 12 News |publisher=Gray Media Group, Inc. |access-date=1 June 2021}}</ref>

==Criteria==
The requirements for the American Campaign Medal were for service within the American Theater between 7 December
1941 and 2 March 1946 under any of the following conditions:<ref name="American Campaign Medal"/>

# On permanent assignment outside the continental limits of the United States.
# Permanently assigned as a member of a crew of a vessel sailing ocean waters for a period of 30 consecutive days or 60 nonconsecutive days.
# Outside the continental limits of the United States in a passenger status or on temporary duty for 30 consecutive days or 60 nonconsecutive days.
# In active combat against the enemy and was awarded a combat decoration or furnished a certificate by the commanding general of a corps, higher unit, or independent force that the Soldier actually participated in combat.
# Within the continental limits of the United States for an aggregate period of 1 year.

The boundaries of American Theater are as follows:
The eastern boundary is located from the North Pole, south along the 75th meridian west longitude to the 77th
parallel north latitude, thence southeast through Davis Strait to the intersection of the 40th parallel north latitude and
the 35th meridian west longitude, thence south along the meridian to the 10th parallel north latitude, thence southeast
to the intersection of the Equator and the 20th meridian west longitude, thence south along the 20th meridian west
longitude to the South Pole.

The western boundary is located from the North Pole, south along the 141st meridian west longitude to the east
boundary of Alaska, thence south and southeast along the Alaska boundary to the Pacific Ocean, thence south along the
130th meridian to its intersection with the 30th parallel north latitude, thence southeast to the intersection of the
Equator and the 100th meridian west longitude, thence south to the South Pole.

==Appearance==
The medal, made of bronze, is {{convert|1+1/4|in|mm}} inches wide.  The [[obverse and reverse|obverse]] was designed by [[Thomas Hudson Jones]]. It shows a Navy [[cruiser]] [[underway]] with a [[Consolidated B-24 Liberator|B-24 Liberator bomber]] flying overhead.  In the foreground is a sinking enemy submarine, and in the background is the skyline of a city.  At the top of the medal are the words ''AMERICAN CAMPAIGN''.  The reverse of the medal, designed by [[Adolph Alexander Weinman]], is the same design as used on the reverse of both the [[Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal]] and the [[European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal]].  It depicts an American [[bald eagle]] between the dates ''1941 – 1945'' and the words ''UNITED STATES OF AMERICA''.<ref name="tioh" />

The ribbon is {{convert|1+3/8|in|mm}} inches wide in oriental blue in the center is a {{convert|1/8|in|mm}} inch center stripe divided into thirds of old glory blue, white, and scarlet.  Between the center and the edges are stripes of {{convert|1/16|in|mm}} inch in white, black, scarlet and white.  
The blue color represents the Americas; the central blue, white and red stripes, taken from the [[American Defense Service Medal]] ribbon, represents the continuance of American defense after Pearl Harbor. The white and black stripes represent the German part of the conflict on the Atlantic Coast, while the red and white stripes are for the Japanese colors and refer to that part of the conflict on the Pacific Coast.<ref name=tioh/>

==Ribbon devices==
3/16 inch [[service stars]] were authorized to service members who participated in combat with [[Axis powers|Axis]] forces within the American Theater. This primarily applied to those service members whose units participated in anti-[[U-boat]] patrols ([[Anti-submarine warfare]]) in the [[Battle of the Atlantic|Atlantic]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Title 32 – National Defense § 578.50 American Campaign Medal.|url=http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2008-title32-vol3/xml/CFR-2008-title32-vol3-sec578-50.xml|publisher=Government Printing Office|access-date=18 March 2013}}</ref>

==Campaigns==

===Navy campaigns===
Participation in these escort, antisubmarine, armed guard, and special operations entitle recipients to one campaign star for each participation:<ref>{{cite web|title=American Campaign Medal|url=http://www.history.navy.mil/medals/acsm.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980703132342/http://www.history.navy.mil/medals/acsm.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 3, 1998|publisher=Navy History and Heritage Command|access-date=18 March 2013}}</ref> 
{| class="toccolours"  style="width:70%; clear:both; margin:1.5em auto; text-align:center;"
|-
! colspan="7" style="background:darkGrey;"| <span style="color:white;">Navy Campaigns </span>
|- valign="top"
|
{| class="wikitable"
|-  style="background:#c5d2ea; text-align:center;"
| Name of campaign
| Start Date
| End Date
|- style="text-align:left;"
| [[Convoy ON 67]]
| 21 February 1942
| 26 February 1942
|- align=left
| {{USS|Atik|AK-101}} (antisubmarine operations)  
|  27 March 1942
|  27 March 1942
|- align=left
| {{USS|Asterion|AK-100}} (antisubmarine operations)
|  22 March 1942
|  31 January 1943
|- align=left
| Task Group 21.13
|  12 July 1942
|  28 August 1942
|- align=left
|  Convoy TAG 18
|  1 November 1942
|  6 November 1942
|- align=left
| [[Convoy SC 107]]
|  3 November 1942
|  8 November 1942
|- align=left
| Task Group 21.14
|  27 July 1943
|  10 September 1943
|- align=left
| Task Group 21.15
|  24 March 1944
|  11 May 1944
|- align=left
| {{USS|Frederick C. Davis|DE-136}} (antisubmarine operations)
|  24 April 1945
|  24 April 1945
|- align=left
| {{USS|Atherton|DE-169}} and {{USS|Moberly|PF-63}}
|  6 May 1945
|  6 May 1945
|}
|-
|}

===Army campaigns===
A bronze service star is authorized for participation in the antisubmarine campaign.  To qualify individuals must have been assigned to or attached to, and present for duty with, a unit with antisubmarine campaign credit.<ref name=tioh/> These campaigns are not displayed as streamers on the Army flag.<ref>{{Cite web |title=U.S. Army Service, Campaign Medals and Foreign Awards Information |url=https://veteranmedals.army.mil/home/us-army-medals-award-badges-ribbon-and-attachments-information/us-army-service-campaign-medals-and-foreign-awards-information |access-date=2025-08-30 |website=NATICK |language=en}}</ref>
{|
|+'''Army Campaigns'''
|- style="background:#c5d2ea; text-align:center;"
| Name of campaign
| Start Date
| End Date
|- style="text-align:left;"
| Antisubmarine 
| 7 December 1941
| 2 September 1945
|- align="left"
| Ground Combat  
|  7 December 1941
|  2 September 1945
|- align="left"
| Air Combat
|  7 December 1941
|  2 September 1945
|}
==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{Cite book
| last     = Foster |first= Frank C.|title= A complete guide to all United States military medals, 1939 to present
| location = Fountain Inn, S.C. |publisher= MOA Press|year= 2002| isbn= 1-884-45218-3|oclc= 54755134}}

*{{Cite book|last= Kerrigan|first= Evans E.|title= American war medals and decorations|location= New York|publisher= Viking Press|year= 1971|isbn= 0-670-12101-0|oclc= 128058|url-access= registration|url= https://archive.org/details/americanwarmedal0000kerr}}
*{{Cite book|last= Kerrigan|first= Evans E.|title= American medals and decorations|location= Noroton Heights, CT|publisher= Medallic|year= 1990|isbn= 0-792-45082-5|oclc= 21467942|url-access= registration|url= https://archive.org/details/americanmedalsde0000kerr}}
*{{Cite book| last     =  Robles| first     =  Philip K.| title     =  United States military medals and ribbons| location     =  Rutland, VT| publisher     =  C. E. Tuttle| year     =  1971| isbn     =  0-804-80048-0| oclc     =  199721| url-access     =  registration| url     =  https://archive.org/details/unitedstatesmili0000robl}}

==External links==
* {{Commons category-inline}}

{{United States Campaign Medals|state=expanded}}
{{Adolph Weinman}}
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[[Category:American theater of World War II]]
[[Category:Eagles in art]]
[[Category:Ships in art]]
[[Category:United States campaign medals]]
[[Category:Works by Adolph Weinman]]
[[Category:Awards established in 1942]]
[[Category:1942 establishments in the United States]]
[[Category:Military awards and decorations of World War II]]