The Navy Occupation Service Medal is a military award of the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

which was "Awarded to commemorate the services of Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard personnel in the occupation of certain territories of the enemies of the U.S. during World War II" and recognized those personnel who participated in the

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...

an and

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...

n occupation forces during, and following

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. The medal was also bestowed to personnel who performed duty in

West Berlin West Berlin (german: Berlin (West) or , ) was a political enclave which comprised the western part of Berlin during the years of the Cold War. Although West Berlin was de jure not part of West Germany, lacked any sovereignty, and was under mi ...

between 1945 and 1990. No more than one Navy Occupation Service Medal may be awarded to an individual. The

Army of Occupation Medal The Army of Occupation Medal is a military award of the United States military which was established by the United States War Department on 5 April 1946. The medal was created in the aftermath of the Second World War to recognize those who had ...

is the equivalent of the Navy Occupation Service Medal. No person could receive both the Army and Navy occupation medals.

Description

The medal was designed by A. A. Weinman. It depicts Neptune riding a

Hippocampus The hippocampus (via Latin from Greek , ' seahorse') is a major component of the brain of humans and other vertebrates. Humans and other mammals have two hippocampi, one in each side of the brain. The hippocampus is part of the limbic system, ...

with the words "Occupation Service". The reverse has the words "United States Navy" (or "United States Marine Corps") and is the same as that of the

Dominican Campaign Medal The Dominican Campaign Medal is a military decoration of the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps which was created on December 29, 1921. To be awarded the Dominican Campaign Medal, a servicemen must have performed active military d ...

Ribbon devices

The medal is authorized two service clasps: "Europe" and "Asia". The clasps are rectangular with a rope border. If eligible, both clasps may be worn on the medal. The Berlin Airlift Device is also authorized to those Naval personnel who have served 90 days or more with an accredited unit in support of the

Berlin Airlift The Berlin Blockade (24 June 1948 – 12 May 1949) was one of the first major international crises of the Cold War. During the multinational occupation of post–World War II Germany, the Soviet Union blocked the Western Allies' railway, roa ...

between 1948 and 1949.

Europe Clasp

The following geographical duty areas, and time frames of eligibility, qualified a service member to receive the Navy Occupation Service Medal with "Europe" clasp.Navy Department General Order No. 255, January 28, 1948 *

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

(November 8, 1945 to December 15, 1947) *

Trieste Trieste ( , ; sl, Trst ; german: Triest ) is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is the capital city, and largest city, of the autonomous region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, one of two autonomous regions which are not subdivided into prov ...

(May 8, 1945 to October 25, 1954) *

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

(May 8, 1945 to May 5, 1955) (exclusive of Berlin) *

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

(May 8, 1945 to October 25, 1955) *

(May 8, 1945 to October 3, 1990) Service between May 9 and November 8, 1945 may not be considered unless the service member qualified for the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal prior to that date.

Asia Clasp

The "Asia" clasp was authorized for any service performed on shore or on ships in the following geographical duty areas and time frames of eligibility. * Japanese territories (September 2, 1945 to April 27, 1952) *

Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...

and adjacent islands (September 2, 1945 to April 27, 1952) Service prior to March 2, 1946 would not be credited toward eligibility for the Navy Occupation Service Medal unless the individual is already eligible for the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal for service prior to September 2, 1945. Service after June 27, 1950 which is eligible towards the criteria for the

Korean Service Medal The Korean Service Medal (KSM) is a military award for service in the United States Armed Forces and was established November 8, 1950 by executive order of President Harry Truman. The Korean Service Medal is the primary US military award for s ...

may not be considered for the Occupation Service Medal.

References

External links

Navy History & Heritage Command-Navy Occupation Service MedalSECNAVINST 1650.1H Chapter 8, § 3-831-5
{{United States Campaign Medals United States service medals