Foreign medals

[myrionomos]

I am writing a story about an American who volunteered to serve in the Australian Army in 1914. Part of the story involved him winning a medal. I know that many countries do not allow their servicemen to receive honours from other countries but I have assumed that it would be allowed because in this instance he would not be in the American service at the time. Am I correct?

I have been told that many Americans who served in the RAF Eagle squadrons (before America entered the war) in the 2nd world war were awarded various honours.

 

[oggbashan]

Prior to WWI, the US did not allow its citizens to wear foreign awards. During WWI they changed their rules and from then on foreign medals could be worn. It would be reasonable to assume that Australian medals could be worn AFTER the end of the war.

There might be some doubt about whether the American lost his US citizen status by serving in another country's army. If he returned to the US after the war then his citizenship would be assumed to be continuous.

If he settled in Australia, then his US citizenship (and that of any family) might have lapsed unless he made efforts to preserve it.

Serving in another nation's armed forces except as a mercenary causes difficulty with your national status because, unless exempted, you have to swear allegiance to the other nation's Head of State.

Og

 

[lloyd_5]

Prior to WWI, the US did not allow its citizens to wear foreign awards. During WWI they changed their rules and from then on foreign medals could be worn. It would be reasonable to assume that Australian medals could be worn AFTER the end of the war.

There might be some doubt about whether the American lost his US citizen status by serving in another country's army. If he returned to the US after the war then his citizenship would be assumed to be continuous.

If he settled in Australia, then his US citizenship (and that of any family) might have lapsed unless he made efforts to preserve it.

Serving in another nation's armed forces except as a mercenary causes difficulty with your national status because, unless exempted, you have to swear allegiance to the other nation's Head of State.

Og

No, Og. Wearing of medals publicly in the US was always a different isue from serving in allied forces. My grandfather served in RAF Bomber Command as a pilot and was completely supported by his US fellow pilots and had no citizenship problems. The allegiance thing is a red herring. Of course you swore allegiance to the English King, but only in respect of fighting the country's (the world's) enemies .

Your slimy comment suggesting that American volunteers who fought in the Royal Navy and RAF were mercenaries and not supported by their government belittles you. It is completely untrue and belittles the tangible support that many American military personnel made to the war in Europe before the US gave up its craven neutrality.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

No, Og. Wearing of medals publicly in the US was always a different isue from serving in allied forces. My grandfather served in RAF Bomber Command as a pilot and was completely supported by his US fellow pilots and had no citizenship problems. The allegiance thing is a red herring. Of course you swore allegiance to the English King, but only in respect of fighting the country's (the world's) enemies .

Your slimy comment suggesting that American volunteers who fought in the Royal Navy and RAF were mercenaries and not supported by their government belittles you. It is completely untrue and belittles the tangible support that many American military personnel made to the war in Europe before the US gave up its craven neutrality.

Lloyd, please reread Og's post again. In no way did he imply that an American serving in the Royal armed forces was a mercenary. Relax, man.

 

[sr71plt]

Last I checked an American military person can accept foreign medals (my dad had a bunch of them; I have a few from foreign governments too, although not via military service); they can't wear them on their uniforms.

 

[bronzeage]

Prior to WWI, the US did not allow its citizens to wear foreign awards. During WWI they changed their rules and from then on foreign medals could be worn. It would be reasonable to assume that Australian medals could be worn AFTER the end of the war.

There might be some doubt about whether the American lost his US citizen status by serving in another country's army. If he returned to the US after the war then his citizenship would be assumed to be continuous.

If he settled in Australia, then his US citizenship (and that of any family) might have lapsed unless he made efforts to preserve it.

Serving in another nation's armed forces except as a mercenary causes difficulty with your national status because, unless exempted, you have to swear allegiance to the other nation's Head of State.

Og

Even when serving as mercenary, it gets complicated. The fighter group known as "The Flying Tigers" in China, before the US entered the war were posing as mercenaries in the pay of the Chinese government. In reality, they were US military personnel, paid by the US government. Each man had a secret contract, which was not revealed until 50 years later.

 

[Smarmy_and_Sappe]

Last I checked an American military person can accept foreign medals (my dad had a bunch of them; I have a few from foreign governments too, although not via military service); they can't wear them on their uniforms.

I believe you are incorrect, there are foreign decorations that may be displayed on an American uniform, probably the most common being the Croix de Guerre from France.

 

[Smarmy_and_Sappe]

www.pacom.mil/.../Form of Uniform Dress/Service Branch Uniform Reg/.../tabcon.pdf

5309. FOREIGN DECORATIONS AND NON U.S. SERVICE AWARDS
1. Foreign Personal Decoration. Personnel who have
been authorized to accept military decorations from foreign
governments (see SECNAVINST 1650.1 Series) may wear them in
the order of their receipt after all U.S. service awards.
The awarding country determines the precedence of awards if
you have earned two or more from that country.
2. Vietnam (Personal Military Decorations (only worn
by individuals who receive these decorations in their own
name)
a. Foreign awards to U.S. military personnel for
service in Vietnam, awarded in accordance with SECNAVINST
1650.23 Series, may be retained and worn in the following
order of precedence:
National Order of Vietnam
Military Merit Medal
Army Distinguished Service Order
Air Force Distinguished Service Order
Navy Distinguished Service Order
Army Meritorious Service Medal
Air Force Meritorious Service Medal
Navy Meritorious Service Medal
Special Service Medal
Gallantry Cross
Air Gallantry Cross
Navy Gallantry Cross
Hazardous Service Medal
Page 5-36
Life Saving Medal
Armed Forces Honor Medal
Staff Service Medal
Technical Service Medal
Training Service Medal
Civil Actions Medal
NOTE: Other personal foreign decorations are worn in this
category. They are worn in order earned.
b. The following Vietnam civilian decorations
may be retained but not worn on the uniform:
Kim Khanh Medal
Choung My Medal
Justice Medal
Rural Revolutionary Development Medal
(Construction Service Medal)
Economy Medal
Dedicated Service Medal
Labor Medal
Agricultural Service Medal
Medical Service Medal (Public Health Service
Medal)
Administration Service Medal
Veterans Medal
Police Self Defense Forces Medal
Social Service Medal (Social Welfare Honor
Medal)
Psywar Service Medal
Youth and Sports Medal
Finance Medal
Public Works, Communication and Transportation
Service Medal)
Ethnic Development Medal
Cultural and Education Service Medal
3. Foreign Unit Awards. The following awards listed
in order of precedence do not require individual legislative
authorization and may be worn immediately after all
foreign personnel decorations:
Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation
Korean Presidential Unit Citation
Vietnam Presidential Unit Citation
Republic of Vietnam Meritorious Unit Citation
(Gallantry Cross Color with Palm)3
Republic of Vietnam Meritorious Unit Citation
(Civil Actions Color First Class Color with
Palm)3
4. Non-U.S. Service Awards. The precedence of
non-U.S. Service awards for which naval personnel are
Page 5-37
eligible to qualify, is immediately after foreign unit
awards:
United Nations Service Medal
United Nations Medal
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Medal
(Yugoslavia (Bosnia)/Kosovo). (Wear first
initial award and add 3/16" bronze star for
subsequent awards)
Multi National Forces and Observer Medal
Inter-American Defense Board Medal/Ribbon
<NOTE: See Requirements for Medals>
5. Foreign Service Awards. Service awards take
precedence immediately after non-U.S. service awards. Navy
personnel are eligible to qualify for:
Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal
Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia)
Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait)
<NOTE: See Requirements for Medals>
6. Manner of Wearing. Naval personnel who have been
authorized by law to accept awards from foreign governments
wear them in the manner prescribed below:
a. Wear foreign awards on your uniform if you
also wear at least one U.S. award.
b. Foreign awards which are similar in design to
U.S. awards may be worn on the same occasions prescribed
for wearing of U.S. awards.
c. Foreign awards which are worn around the neck
with long ribbons or sashes or as a pin may be worn on
service dress or full dress uniforms while serving in
country. Post-tour wear is not authorized. Individuals
who have been awarded the Medal of Honor and a foreign
decoration which is worn around the neck, wear the foreign
award so that it hangs below the Medal of Honor.
d. Naval personnel entitled to wear the
Fourragere may wear it on all uniforms requiring medals or
ribbons. To attach the Fourragere to the uniform, sew a
button to the left shoulder, of the coat or jumper, under
the collar. Place the Fourragere over the left shoulder,
passing the left arm through the large loop of the cord.
The small loop engages the button under the collar and the
metal pencil hangs naturally in front. When wearing
aiguillettes, place the Fourragere underneath them. The
Fourragere is a decoration instituted by Napolean I for
units which had distinguished themselves in battle. It was
Page 5-38
revived during World War I and was awarded by the French
Ministry of War to organizations cited more than once in
the Orders of the Army. Individuals who were present in
the organizations when cited twice for the Fourragere are
entitled to wear the 'cord' at all times, whether or not
they are subsequently attached to other non-decorated
organizations. Those non-participants who enter an
organization which has been decorated with the Fourragere
wear the cord on their uniforms while they are attached to
that decorated organization. Upon detachment, those
non-participants are required to surrender the Fourragere
and are no longer entitled to wear it.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

Back in the day . . .

I knew too many old WWII vets and Vietnam vets and now Mid-East vets whose dress uniforms are well decorated with foreign decorations to believe that there is any hard and fast rule against wearing them. I do suspect that if the American were fighting for the 'other side' it would be a different story!

 

[oggbashan]

Even when serving as mercenary, it gets complicated. The fighter group known as "The Flying Tigers" in China, before the US entered the war were posing as mercenaries in the pay of the Chinese government. In reality, they were US military personnel, paid by the US government. Each man had a secret contract, which was not revealed until 50 years later.

The same thing happened in the Spanish Civil War. The Condor Legion were paid by Germany. The "mystery" submarines were Italian. The USSR sent troops to the other side. The International Brigade were anti-facist volunteers even if some of them were serving British troops on "extended leave". All the foreign participants gained experience and knowledge that would be useful when the Second World War started. Only we Brits regarded those who fought in the International Brigade as Communist fellow-travellers.

lloyd_5, I'm sorry that you misunderstood what I wrote in my post above. The position of those Americans who fought in China, in the UK and elsewhere before Pearl Harbor was undefined - then. Their assistance was welcome and appreciated but their country was apparently neutral. The US embassy in the UK preferred to ignore their activities at the time. The British authorities welcomed them and was grateful but tried not to publicise them too much until after December 1941 - because that might have embarrassed the US government. The actions of the US Navy and Coastguard during 1940 in escorting convoys to meet Royal Navy escorts was already straining the definition of "neutrality" to its limit and beyond.

I did some research a few months ago about what would have happened to a US citizen who served with the Australian forces in World War 1, before the US became a belligerent. If he married an Australian woman, stayed in Australia after the war and had children, those children would not have been US citizens unless he had registered their birth at the US embassy. If he returned to the US, he would probably have been considered as still being a US citizen but his wife and children might not have been. In practice, the US authorities would probably have considered the whole family as US citizens, but it wasn't stated policy at that time.

By the 1930s, US policy on immigration was much clearer. If he had waited that long before returning to the US, he might have had some difficulty in bringing his family with him. As a returning veteran, even though he had served with an ally's forces, he would probably have received sympathetic treatment.

As for medals, foreign medals couldn't be worn by US troops at the beginning of WW1 - because the US was neutral. They could be worn by those fighting with British, Australian, French etc. forces because they were part of those forces. During the war, the US military changed the regulations for wearing medals to include those awarded to US troops by foreign governments. The position of those who had served, and were still serving, in the forces of an ally was unchanged. They could wear the medals they had been awarded, with their uniform, but that uniform was NOT US uniform. If they transferred to US service, as some did during 1917/8, then they could wear the foreign medals with their US uniform.

Og

 

[oggbashan]

Back in the day . . .

I knew too many old WWII vets and Vietnam vets and now Mid-East vets whose dress uniforms are well decorated with foreign decorations to believe that there is any hard and fast rule against wearing them. I do suspect that if the American were fighting for the 'other side' it would be a different story!

By World War 2, there were comprehensive US regulations for wearing foreign awards.

In World War 1, there were no regulations until after the US had become a belligerent.

Og

 

[Weird Harold]

I am writing a story about an American who volunteered to serve in the Australian Army in 1914. Part of the story involved him winning a medal. ...

The key to your question is that your character wouldn't have any problem wearing his medal because he would not be an American serviceman unless an until he transfered or enlisted in the US forces. If he stayed with the Australian Army and never served with the US military, he'd be governed by Australian regulations for wear of the uniform by a veteran.

 

[sr71plt]

If you will google, you'll come up with the official U.S. Army dress regulations. Keyword foreign decorations, and you'll find you can wear the foreign decorations with specific permission--and a list is given for decorations that blanket permssion has been given.

http://www.army.mil/usapa/epubs/pdf/r670_1.pdf

google is our friend.

 

[oggbashan]

If you will google, you'll come up with the official U.S. Army dress regulations. Keyword foreign decorations, and you'll find you can wear the foreign decorations with specific permission--and a list is given for decorations that blanket permssion has been given.

http://www.army.mil/usapa/epubs/pdf/r670_1.pdf

google is our friend.

But they are the regulations NOW. The position in 1914-18 was different.

Weird_Harold has given the definitive answer in post #12 above.

Og

 

[sr71plt]

But they are the regulations NOW. The position in 1914-18 was different.

Weird_Harold has given the definitive answer in post #12 above.

Og

You're right. I lost track that the question was about 1914.

 

[myrionomos]

Thanks for all the responses. They were most helpful.