President Franklin Roosevelt created the American Campaign Medal with an Executive Order on November 6, 1942. This was shortly after his creation of the American Defense Service Medal, and it was intended to honor the service of Americans who had performed duty in the American theater during WWII. These military medals and ribbons were originally called the American Theater Ribbon, but were later expanded to military ribbons and medals with the current American Campaign Medal name. To earn these military awards, a service member from any of the five branches of military service must have performed a year of consecutive duty within the continental borders of the US, which included most of the Atlantic and the coastal Pacific oceans.
The American Campaign Medal was awarded for service between December 7, 1941 and March 2, 1946. It was issued only as military ribbons during WWII, and only issued as military medals in 1947, with the first medal being awarded to General George C. Marshall. Since then, many thousands of Coast Guard and Air Force medals have been earned, and tens of thousand of Navy, Marine Corps and Army medals have also been awarded.
The American Campaign Medal is worn in the position immediately after the American Defense Service Medal, and directly before the Asia Pacific Campaign Medal in the general order of precedence governing the placement of all military mounted medals and ribbons for official display on uniforms of United States military personnel.
The American Campaign Medal is generally available as military ribbons, medals, and lapel pins from the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. These military decorations can be worn as traditional slide-on military 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.