President Franklin Roosevelt created The American Defense Service Medal with an Executive Order in June of 1941. He wanted these military medals to recognize service in the European theater before America’s entry into WWII. These military ribbons and medals were awarded to service members who performed active duty roles between September 8, 1939 and December 7, 1941. The Army medals, Air Force medals, Navy and Marine Corps medals, and the Coast Guard medals all look the same. A year later a similar military medal called the American Campaign Medal was established to honor service during this same period but within the borders of the United States.
The American Defense Service Medal was presented to US Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard personnel who met certain broad qualifications for active duty service during this period. These military awards were authorized for certain devices to denote foreign, pre-war battle service. The Army issued the Foreign Service Clasp; the Navy and Marine Corps awarded the Base Clasp; and the Coast Guard issued the Fleet Clasp. Most personnel wear these military awards with Service Stars when worn as military ribbons.
The American Defense Service Medal is displayed on uniform medals and ribbon racks directly after the Army’s Army of Occupation of Germany Medal, the Air Force Recognition Ribbon, and the Sea Services China Service Medal, and immediately before the Army’s Women’s Army Corps Service Medal, and the American Campaign Medal for all other branches of service in the general order of precedence for military medals and ribbons from the five service branches of our military.
The American Defense Service Medal is available as medals, ribbons, and lapel pins, representing service in all five branches of the military. These military medals and ribbons can be worn as traditional slide-on medals and ribbons and the newer thin mini-medals, and ultra thin mounted military ribbons that have become so very popular among up and coming military personnel who know how important it is to their career advancement to always maximize the neatness and smartness of their uniform appearance.