Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal

Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
Awarded by Department of War and Department of the Navy
Type Service medal
Eligibility Served in the U.S. armed forces for at least 30 days in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater between December 7, 1941 and March 2, 1946.
Status Inactive
Statistics
First awarded December 7, 1941
Last awarded March 2, 1946
Precedence
Equivalent American Campaign Medal
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal




Service ribbon and campaign streamer.

The Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal[1] is a United States military award of the Second World War, which was awarded to any member of the United States Armed Forces who served in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater from 1941 to 1945. The medal was created on November 6, 1942 by Executive Order 9265[2] issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The medal was designed by Thomas Hudson Jones; the reverse side was designed by Adolph Alexander Weinman which is the same design as used on the reverse of the American Campaign Medal and European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal.

There were 21 Army and 48 Navy-Marine Corps official campaigns of the Pacific Theater, denoted on the suspension and service ribbon of the medal by service stars which also were called "battle stars"; some Navy construction battalion units issued the medal with Arabic numerals. The Arrowhead device is authorized for those campaigns which involved participation in amphibious assault landings. The Fleet Marine Force Combat Operation Insignia is also authorized for wear on the medal for Navy service members who participated in combat while assigned to a Marine Corps unit. The flag colors of the United States and Japan are visible in the ribbon.

The Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal was first issued as a service ribbon in 1942. A full medal was authorized in 1947, the first of which was presented to General of the Army Douglas MacArthur. The European Theater equivalent of the medal was known as the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal.

Boundaries of Asiatic-Pacific Theater. (1) The eastern boundary is coincident with the western boundary of the American Theater. (2) The western boundary is from the North Pole south along the 60th meridian east longitude to its intersection with the east boundary of Iran, then south along the Iran boundary to the Gulf of Oman and the intersection of the 60th meridian east longitude, then south along the 60th meridian east longitude to the South Pole.[3]

U.S. Army campaigns

Authorized Army military campaigns for the Pacific Theater are as follows:[4]

U.S. Navy campaigns

Authorized Navy military campaigns for the Pacific Theater are as follows:[5]

  • Pearl Harbor December 7, 1941
  • Wake Island (Johnston Island December 15–22, 1941) December 8–23, 1941
  • Philippine Islands Operation December 8, 1941 – May 6, 1942
  • Netherlands East Indies engagements January 23 – February 27, 1942
  • Pacific Specified Raids—1942 February 1, 1942 – March 10, 1942
  • Coral Sea May 4–8, 1942
  • Midway June 3–6, 1942
  • Guadalcanal-Tulagi landings (including First Savo) August 7–9, 1942
  • Capture and defense of Guadalcanal August 10, 1942 – February 8, 1943
  • Makin Raid August 17–18, 1942
  • Eastern Solomons (Stewart Island) August 23–25, 1942
  • Buin-Faisi-Tonolai raid October 5, 1942
  • Cape Esperance (Second Savo) October 11–12, 1942
  • Santa Cruz Islands October 26, 1942
  • Guadalcanal (Third Savo) November 12–15, 1942
  • Tassafaronga (Fourth Savo) November 30 – December 1, 1942
  • Eastern New Guinea operation December 17, 1942 – July 24, 1944
  • Rennel Island January 29–30, 1943
  • Consolidation of Solomon Islands February 8, 1943 – March 15, 1945
  • Aleutians operation March 26 – June 2, 1943
  • New Georgia Group operation June 20 – October 16, 1943
  • Bismarck Archipelago operation June 25, 1943 – May 1, 1944
  • Pacific Specified Raids—1943 August 31, 1943 – October 6, 1943
  • Treasury-Bougainville operation October 27 – December 15, 1943
  • Gilbert Islands operation November 13 – December 8, 1943
  • Marshall Islands operation November 26, 1943 – March 2, 1944
  • Asiatic-Pacific Specified Raids—1944 February 16, 1944 – October 9, 1944
  • Western New Guinea operations April 21, 1944 – January 9, 1945
  • Marianas operation June 10 – August 27, 1944
  • Western Caroline Islands operation August 31 – October 14, 1944
  • Leyte operation October 10 – November 29, 1944
  • Luzon operation December 12, 1944 – April 1, 1945
  • Iwo Jima operation February 15 – March 16, 1945
  • Okinawa Gunto operation March 17 – June 30, 1945
  • 3d Fleet operations against Japan July 10 – August 15, 1945
  • Kurile Islands operation February 1, 1944 – August 11, 1945
  • Borneo operations April 27 – July 20, 1945
  • Tinian capture and occupation July 24 – August 1, 1944
  • Consolidation and capture of Southern Philippines February 28 – July 20, 1945
  • Hollandia operation (Aitape Humboldt Bay-Tanahmerah Bay) April 21 – June 1, 1944
  • Manila Bay-Bicol operations January 29 – April 16, 1945
  • U.S.S. Navajo—Salvage operations August 8, 1942 – February 3, 1943
  • Action off Vanikoro July 17–21, 1943
  • Naval Group China (6 months duty required) February 19, 1943 – May 4, 1945
  • Task Group 30.4 May 22 – June 15, 1944
  • Task Group 12.2 July 5 – August 9, 1944
  • Specified Minesweeping Operations Pacific June 23, 1945 – March 2, 1946
  • Submarine War Patrols (Pacific – 1 star for participation in each war patrol) December 7, 1941 – September 2, 1945

Other campaigns

For members of the U.S. military who did not receive campaign credit, but still served on active duty in the Pacific Theater, the following “blanket” campaigns are authorized for which the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal is awarded without service stars.

  • Antisubmarine December 7, 1941 – September 2, 1945
  • Ground Combat: December 7, 1941 – September 2, 1945
  • Air Combat: December 7, 1941 – September 2, 1945

See also

References

  1. ↑ 578.49 Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
  2. ↑
  3. ↑ Army Regulation 600–8–22
  4. ↑ Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal description, Clothing and Insignia PSID, US Army TACOM
  5. ↑ Navy and Marine Corps Awards Manual, NAVPERS 15,790 (REV.1953), Part III. - List of Authorized Operations and Engagements, ASIATIC-PACIFIC AREA
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