§ 578.3 - Display sets of award elements and the Medal of Honor.

(a) Government agencies. Upon approval by the Secretary of the Army, samples of military decorations may be furnished, without charge, for one display at the headquarters of each Army and higher field commander, in the offices of the chiefs of governmental agencies not under military jurisdiction where opportunity for the public to view the display is assured, and in each office of Headquarters, Department of the Army (HQDA) with activities that include matters pertaining to decorations.

(b) Civilian institutions. Upon approval by the Secretary of the Army, samples of military decorations may be furnished, at cost price, to museums, libraries, and to national headquarters of historical, numismatic, and military societies; and to institutions of such public nature as will assure an opportunity for the public to view the exhibits under circumstances beneficial to the Army. All decorations furnished to civilian institutions for exhibition purposes will be engraved with the words, “For Exhibition Purposes only.”

(c) Requests. Letter requests for decorations for exhibit or display will be made to Commander, U.S. Army Human Resources Command (USA HRC), ATTN: AHRC-PDO-PA, 200 Stovall Street, Alexandria, VA 22332-0471.

(d) Display. Service medals for service prior to World War II will not be provided for display purposes since only minimum essential quantities are available for issue to authorized recipients.

(e) Purchase of medals. Except for the Medal of Honor, all other decorations, service medals, and ribbons can be purchased from private vendors who have been issued a certificate of authority by the Institute of Heraldry. A list of certified vendors can be obtained from HQ, USA HRC (see § 578.3 (c)).

(f) Display sets of the Medal of Honor. Upon written requests, The Adjutant General of the Army can approve issue of a display Medal of Honor to government agencies (defined in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section). Adequate security arrangement must be provided for the medal so that it will not be lost through vandalism or theft. Maximum exposure of the medal to the public must be ensured, on a free of charge basis, under circumstances beneficial to the Army.