The Order of Military Merit ( pt, Ordem do Mérito Militar) is an award of the Brazilian Army, established on 11 July 1934 by

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

Getúlio Vargas Getúlio Dornelles Vargas (; 19 April 1882 – 24 August 1954) was a Brazilian lawyer and politician who served as the 14th and 17th president of Brazil, from 1930 to 1945 and from 1951 to 1954. Due to his long and controversial tenure as Brazi ...

. The order is presented in five grades and recognizes distinguished service and exceptional contributions to Brazil by members the Brazilian Army and the armies of friendly nations. The grades, in descending order, are: * BRA Ordem do Merito Militar Gra-cruz

Grand Cross * BRA Ordem do Merito Militar Grande Oficial

Grand Officer * BRA Ordem do Merito Militar Comendador

Commander * BRA Ordem do Merito Militar Oficial

Officer *

Knight

Notable recipients

* Edward Almond, American * Henry H. Arnold, American *

Kaúlza de Arriaga Kaúlza de Oliveira de Arriaga, OA, GCC, OC, OIH (18 January 1915 – 2 February 2004) was a Portuguese general, writer, professor and politician. He was Secretary of State (junior minister) of the Air Force between 1953 and 1955 and commande ...

, Portuguese, ''Grand Officer'' * Amaro Soares Bittencourt, Brazilian * Waldemar Levy Cardoso, Brazilian *Frank P. Connelly, Jr. American * Charles de Gaulle, French *

Carlos Alberto dos Santos Cruz Divisional general Carlos Alberto dos Santos Cruz (born 1 June 1952) is a Brazilian military officer who previously held the post of Force Commander of the United Nations' peacekeeping force in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (known by its ...

, Brazilian * Ciro Ferreira Gomes, Brazilian * Hernán Terrazas Céspedes, Bolivian, Grand Officer. *

Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...

, American, ''Grand Cross'' (August 5, 1946) *

John W. Foss John William Foss (February 13, 1933 – April 25, 2020) was a United States Army General (United States), general, and commander of the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command. Military career Foss was born in Hutchinson, Minnesota o ...

, American, ''Grand Cross'' * Paul L. Freeman, Jr., American * Leonard T. Gerow, American *

William C. Gribble, Jr. William C. Gribble Jr. (born May 24, 1917 in Ironwood, Michigan – June 2, 1979) graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1941 and was commissioned in the Corps of Engineers. During World War II, he served on the staff of the 340t ...

, American * Elvin R. Heiberg III, American * Jonas H. Ingram, American * Allan Ker VC, Scot * Thomas B. Larkin, American *

Lyman Lemnitzer Lyman Louis Lemnitzer (August 29, 1899 – November 12, 1988) was a United States Army general who served as the fourth chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1960 to 1962. He then served as the Supreme Allied Commander Europe of NATO from 1 ...

, American *

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (; born Luiz Inácio da Silva; 27 October 1945), known mononymously as Lula, is a Brazilian politician, trade unionist, and former metalworker who is the president-elect of Brazil. A member of the Workers' Party ...

, Brazilian * George C. Marshall, American, ''Grand Cross'' * Joseph T. McNarney, American * Raymond T. Odierno, American, ''Grand Officer'' * James Garesche Ord, American, ''Grand Officer'' * General Raheel Sharif, Pakistani, ''COAS Army'' * Lemuel C. Shepherd, Jr., American ''Grand Officer'' (1959) *

Walter Bedell Smith General Walter Bedell "Beetle" Smith (5 October 1895 – 9 August 1961) was a senior officer of the United States Army who served as General Dwight D. Eisenhower's chief of staff at Allied Forces Headquarters (AFHQ) during the Tunisia Campai ...

, American, ''Grand Cross'' (September 6, 1947) * Gordon R. Sullivan, American *

Richard Horner Thompson Richard Horner Thompson (September 24, 1926 – February 21, 2016) was a United States Army general. Early life Thompson was born on September 24, 1926 in New York City, New York and died on February 21, 2016 in Fairfax, Virginia. Military care ...

, American * Tércio Pacitti, Brazilian *

Togo D. West, Jr. Togo Dennis West Jr. (June 21, 1942 – March 8, 2018) was an American attorney and public official. A Democrat, he was the third person to occupy the post of Secretary of Veterans Affairs during the Bill Clinton administration serving from 19 ...

, American * Frederick L. Wieseman, American * Jair Bolsonaro, Brazilian * Lieutenant-General

Paul Wynnyk Lieutenant General Paul Francis Wynnyk, (born June 29, 1964) is a former Canadian Army officer who served from 2016 to 2018 as Commander of the Canadian Army. On July 16, 2018, he was named Vice Chief of the Defence Staff, until his resignation a ...

, Canadian ''Grand Officer'' (July 28, 2018), *

Bertrand of Orléans-Braganza Bertrand of Orléans-Braganza (born ''Bertrand Maria José Pio Januário Miguel Gabriel Raphael Gonzaga de Orléans e Bragança''; 2 February 1941, in Mandelieu-la-Napoule, Vichy France) is the head of the Vassouras branch of the House of Orl ...

, Brazilian

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Military Merit Orders, decorations, and medals of Brazil * Brazilian Army 1934 establishments in Brazil Awards established in 1934